Busiest and quietest stretches of road from each width category
Moderator: Site Management Team
Busiest and quietest stretches of road from each width category
The “highest standard roads of each classification” thread has given me some inspiration to do a similar one for the busiest and quietest stretches of road of each width category. As a reminder, the width categories are as follows:
S1/WS1
S2/WS2
S2+1/S3
S4
D1
D2/D2M
D3/D3M
D4/D4M
D5/D5M
D6/D6M
The busiest D6/D6M is too obvious so I’ll start by listing it here - M25 between J14 and J15. I don’t know if there are any other D6 roads in the country but if there are, then at least one of them will be the quietest.
S1/WS1
S2/WS2
S2+1/S3
S4
D1
D2/D2M
D3/D3M
D4/D4M
D5/D5M
D6/D6M
The busiest D6/D6M is too obvious so I’ll start by listing it here - M25 between J14 and J15. I don’t know if there are any other D6 roads in the country but if there are, then at least one of them will be the quietest.
-
- Member
- Posts: 449
- Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2005 19:11
- Location: Leatherhead
Re: Busiest and quietest stretches of road from each width category
At a guess the quietest D4M would have to be M23 J7-8, whilst the busiest is likely to be on M25, possibly J10-12.
Formerly ‘guvvaA303’
Re: Busiest and quietest stretches of road from each width category
I'd volunteer the root of the M6 Toll northbound as the quietest D5 (SM). Five whole lanes, almost never half full. Clearly it was designed with the thought that one day most M6 traffic would pass through there, but it doesn't. At all. Coming out of the Birmingham box madness, you can't believe you haven't just driven through a portal.
Re: Busiest and quietest stretches of road from each width category
M23 J7-J8 is a good shout. Has about 36k, so that may well be the lowest D4MA320Driver wrote: ↑Sat Aug 22, 2020 16:38 At a guess the quietest D4M would have to be M23 J7-8, whilst the busiest is likely to be on M25, possibly J10-12.
The Busiest S2 will be interesting,
The A27 at Arundel is in the region of 30-35k
The A27 at Worthing is between 30-40k
A23 between the M23 and London Boundary varies from 35-45k. May well have the one of the busiest S2 & quietest D4 right next to each other!
A303 at Stonehenge is only 25k
For quietest D2, it depends if you include short dual carriageways or not.
The A272 has bits of D2 on it (not D1) (100 metres long or so) with about 9k
The B2070 (Old A3) has bits of D2 with only 6k, also has bits of D1 too.
Finding the quietest D3 may be difficult since its not often a road gets to an D3 then bypassed on a completely different alignment, nor for a dual carriageway to be built with three lanes instead of two for no good reason.
Re: Busiest and quietest stretches of road from each width category
It's only 3 lanes northbound (what would be lane 4 is marked with a solid line), 4 southbound.A320Driver wrote: ↑Sat Aug 22, 2020 16:38 At a guess the quietest D4M would have to be M23 J7-8, whilst the busiest is likely to be on M25, possibly J10-12.
Bryn
Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
X - https://twitter.com/ShowMeASignBryn
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrynBuck
Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
X - https://twitter.com/ShowMeASignBryn
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrynBuck
Re: Busiest and quietest stretches of road from each width category
West Hill in Wandsworth is 45k and S2, I did think Hanger Lane would be high but its 'only' 31k
Quietest D3 could be the A138 in Chelmsford, at 26k
Quietest D3 could be the A138 in Chelmsford, at 26k
Re: Busiest and quietest stretches of road from each width category
A1(M) north of Alconbury, the perpetual winner of the "most overspecced road" competition.A320Driver wrote: ↑Sat Aug 22, 2020 16:38 At a guess the quietest D4M would have to be M23 J7-8, whilst the busiest is likely to be on M25, possibly J10-12.
Make poetry history.
Did you know there's more to SABRE than just the Forums?
Help with maps using the new online calibrator.
Add your roads knowledge to the SABRE Wiki.
Did you know there's more to SABRE than just the Forums?
Help with maps using the new online calibrator.
Add your roads knowledge to the SABRE Wiki.
Re: Busiest and quietest stretches of road from each width category
The D3M M6 through much of Cumbria is definitely another. It carries noticeably less traffic than numerous D2M routes for sure.DB617 wrote: ↑Sat Aug 22, 2020 17:21 I'd volunteer the root of the M6 Toll northbound as the quietest D5 (SM). Five whole lanes, almost never half full. Clearly it was designed with the thought that one day most M6 traffic would pass through there, but it doesn't. At all. Coming out of the Birmingham box madness, you can't believe you haven't just driven through a portal.
"I see the face of a child. He lives in a great city. He is black. Or he is white. He is Mexican, Italian, Polish. None of that matters. What matters, he's an American child"
- Richard Nixon
- Richard Nixon
Re: Busiest and quietest stretches of road from each width category
What about the A74(M) through Dumfries and Galloway as the potentially least used D3M.
Re: Busiest and quietest stretches of road from each width category
Presume the 5 lane bit you refer to is the bit that is shared with the M42, which gets stupidly busy in non-covid times.DB617 wrote: ↑Sat Aug 22, 2020 17:21 I'd volunteer the root of the M6 Toll northbound as the quietest D5 (SM). Five whole lanes, almost never half full. Clearly it was designed with the thought that one day most M6 traffic would pass through there, but it doesn't. At all. Coming out of the Birmingham box madness, you can't believe you haven't just driven through a portal.
Make poetry history.
Did you know there's more to SABRE than just the Forums?
Help with maps using the new online calibrator.
Add your roads knowledge to the SABRE Wiki.
Did you know there's more to SABRE than just the Forums?
Help with maps using the new online calibrator.
Add your roads knowledge to the SABRE Wiki.
Re: Busiest and quietest stretches of road from each width category
Yeah, that bit. I've never passed through when it's been anything other than an expanse of empty tarmac to my right, but that was always on Sunday afternoons and even then it wasn't completely dead in the M42 lanes, so I guess I could stand corrected there. There's definitely a noticeable drop in traffic between the M6 offslips and the M6 Toll diverge, for the nominal capacity of that piece of road.Big L wrote: ↑Sun Aug 23, 2020 07:41Presume the 5 lane bit you refer to is the bit that is shared with the M42, which gets stupidly busy in non-covid times.DB617 wrote: ↑Sat Aug 22, 2020 17:21 I'd volunteer the root of the M6 Toll northbound as the quietest D5 (SM). Five whole lanes, almost never half full. Clearly it was designed with the thought that one day most M6 traffic would pass through there, but it doesn't. At all. Coming out of the Birmingham box madness, you can't believe you haven't just driven through a portal.
Re: Busiest and quietest stretches of road from each width category
On the lines of the M6 Toll, I suppose the toll booth approaches could be a contender for the quietest D10 carriageway anywhere in the world.
Re: Busiest and quietest stretches of road from each width category
For motorways these were the highest in their categories a few years back (viewtopic.php?f=1&t=36384):
262,800 for D6M (M25 J14-15)
186,900 for D5M (M25 J13-14)
195,300 for D4M (M60 J13-12)
For AP there are some pretty beefy numbers on the A406 (from Jayck in the same thread):
161,247 for D5 (A104-M11)
154,002 for D4 (M11-A12)
139,018 for D3 (A1009-A112)
103,997 for D2 (through M11 junction)
262,800 for D6M (M25 J14-15)
186,900 for D5M (M25 J13-14)
195,300 for D4M (M60 J13-12)
For AP there are some pretty beefy numbers on the A406 (from Jayck in the same thread):
161,247 for D5 (A104-M11)
154,002 for D4 (M11-A12)
139,018 for D3 (A1009-A112)
103,997 for D2 (through M11 junction)
Re: Busiest and quietest stretches of road from each width category
Have a look at an aerial view of Qatar if want to see huge empty motorways!
Re: Busiest and quietest stretches of road from each width category
What's the rules for the quietest roads, do they have to be classified etc?
Otherwise surely stuff like Marine Drive in Edinburgh will take D2 (1805) and something like the old A9 from Kirkliston towards the Airport which has been butchered in half will take the S2. Unless we can go further and count roads into some abandoned industrial estate etc.
If these are allowed there's also a very short D1 down in Newcastle Quayside over the Ouseburn.
Also S4 - Tyne Bridge is 56k
Otherwise surely stuff like Marine Drive in Edinburgh will take D2 (1805) and something like the old A9 from Kirkliston towards the Airport which has been butchered in half will take the S2. Unless we can go further and count roads into some abandoned industrial estate etc.
If these are allowed there's also a very short D1 down in Newcastle Quayside over the Ouseburn.
Also S4 - Tyne Bridge is 56k
Re: Busiest and quietest stretches of road from each width category
The western end of the A1270 Broadland Northway (aka Norwich nothern distributor road or NDR) as it reaches the A1067 is a very quiet D2. There doesn't seem to be a count for it but the A1067 looks like it takes just over 10k beyond here and that is going to be split between the NDR and the A1067 towards Norwich (very little traffic joins the NDR from the Norwich diection) so at a guess it will be about 7k at most.
Admittedly the NDR isn't finished as such as the link to the A47 is still at the planning stage
Admittedly the NDR isn't finished as such as the link to the A47 is still at the planning stage
Re: Busiest and quietest stretches of road from each width category
The tollbooths aren't in the same place on both carriageways, though, so it never reaches D10 (only D10+3).
-
- Member
- Posts: 516
- Joined: Tue Jul 08, 2008 21:44
- Location: London
Re: Busiest and quietest stretches of road from each width category
If you took all the parking spaces out, Portland Place in London (A4201) would presumably count as a D4, a very quiet one...
https://www.google.com/maps/@51.520298, ... 384!8i8192
https://www.google.com/maps/@51.520298, ... 384!8i8192
Re: Busiest and quietest stretches of road from each width category
D2M M48 from Chepstow to Magor.
S4 A48 near Castleton, if it is still S4
D2 Old A12 towards Copdock
D2 Old A47 at Walpole Highway
D2 Old A74 at Lesmahagow?
Not sure if these are still dualled though.
S2 A30 west of Sutton Scotney
old A30 east of Sutton Scotney
S4 A48 near Castleton, if it is still S4
D2 Old A12 towards Copdock
D2 Old A47 at Walpole Highway
D2 Old A74 at Lesmahagow?
Not sure if these are still dualled though.
S2 A30 west of Sutton Scotney
old A30 east of Sutton Scotney
Roads and holidays in the west, before motorways.
http://trektothewest.shutterfly.com
http://holidayroads.webs.com/
http://trektothewest.shutterfly.com
http://holidayroads.webs.com/
Re: Busiest and quietest stretches of road from each width category
I believe it is, Steve. I drove it about a year ago, and it was then.