Dartford Crossing by Bike

Today. I went exploring the area round the Dartford crossing which carries the A282 (and hence the M25) over the Thames. The bridge operator is required under its statutes to provide a free crossing service for bikes, and I decided to try it out. Here is a map of my ride.

I started on the North (Thurrock) side at Purfleet station, from which I made my way via London Road and Stonehouse Lane. These were busy with heavy lorry traffic. Cycle paths around the large and busy roundabout with the A282 were welcome, and care was needed to cross the various exit roads. I then joined the cycle path beside the A282 heading South and soon reached the control building. Using the phone on the wall I rang the extension number detailed on the nearby notice and requested a lift. The service vehicle turned up in about 15 minutes (it had to cross from the Dartford side). It has a bike rack for three bikes: I was the only passenger this time. The driver was helpful and chatty, and my bike was duly loaded. We set off over the QE2 bridge (it's a bridge going south, tunnel going north). By the time we had negotiated the traffic on the roundabaouts leading to the control building on the Dartford side, the whole crossing took about 15 minutes. All in all, a pretty painless experience. Obviously, if there are traffic jams on the crossing, journey times will increase accordingly.

Note that the service only operates at certain times: see photo below.

From the South side control building I made my way West through new housing estates in the shadow of Littlebrook Power Station, then up to the banks of the Thames on part of NCN125, where there are great views across the estuary. I then dropped down to Dartford station for the return by train via Waterloo East.