m42 help

[mccfluff]

hi need to be in Yardley for a meeting at 10.30, people are suggesting i leave by 9.15 because of traffic on m42 anyone ghave experience of this?? (sorry going from tamworth shoudl take me half hour according to auto route)

[tillie58]

It varies depending what is on at the NEC, but on a good day Tamworth (a5/M42) to Coventry Rd(a45M42) is easily done in 1/2 hour after rush hour (7:30-9:00am)

[vehelpfulguy]

As has been said, the area around the M42, M6 and A45 can get very busy during morning and evening rush hour, particularly if an event is on at the NEC.

If I was doing this trip I would come off the M42 slighlty earlier (say junction 8 near Water Orten) then head in south westerly direction through Castle Bromwich, Shard End, Stechford and approach Yardley from the North.

If you look at this map here, and zoom out a little, you can see what I mean.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&q=yardley& um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl

[vehelpfulguy]

Can I just add that the problem with staying on the M42 till the A45 turn off is that IF there are hold ups you are trapped and just have to sit there in slow moving traffic.

In fact there are times when the traffic on the M42 is stationary.

I have also known times (during major NEC events) when the queue to get OFF the M42 can be over a mile long and queueing back onto the motorway. Nightmare.

By coming off at J8 you have a number of different roads you can take to Yardley and so you can easily avoid queues (if there are any).

[vehelpfulguy]

A tip for coming home to avoid the M42 / A45 snarl up.

This is a GREAT little bag-double that I use a lot to avoid the queues on the motorway.

Leave Yardley and head eastwards towards Coventry.

Just AFTER the Birmingham airport there is a road that goes off to the left that goes north between the Airport and the NEC.

You can see it on the map above, it is just to the LEFT of J6 on the map (shown as a yellow road)

You follow this, OVER the M42, till it meets the Stonebridge Road (Green road on the map just to the right of J7).

Go NORTH on this road where it becomes the Lichfield Road (A446) past Coleshill on your right.

This comes out at a large roundabout which is J8 and here you can join the M42 back to Tamworth.

A lot of people dont know about this "yellow road" that runs at the back of the NEC and it is also a great way to get in and out of the NEC when the front entrance is busy.

[vehelpfulguy]

>Leave Yardley and head eastwards towards Coventry.

Sorry, should have said head East on the A45 Coventry Road

[mccfluff]

thanks VHG and Tillie, i left at 9.30 and got there 10.00 traffic was totally clear all the way!