Barnet (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Barnet motorists are warned of six upcoming road closures on the National Highways network this week—check routes and plan detours accordingly.
The good news is that all of them are only anticipated to create minor delays of less than ten minutes.
According to National Highways’ most recent expected works list, one closure that is now in effect is anticipated to continue this week:
- M1 northbound, junction 2 to junction 3, lane closures for barrier works, minor delays (less than 10 minutes) from 10 p.m. on July 28 to 5.30 a.m. on August 9.
- Additionally, during the next two weeks, five more closures will start:
- M1 northbound, junction 2 to junction 3, lane closures for barrier works, minor delays (less than 10 minutes) from 10 p.m. on August 11 to 5.30 a.m. on August 14.
- M1 southbound, junction 4 to junction 3, lane closure for CCTV work, minor delays (less than 10 minutes) from 10 p.m. on August 12 to 5.30 a.m. on August 14.
- M1 northbound, junction 2 to junction 3, lane closures for barrier works, minor delays (less than 10 minutes) from 10 p.m. on August 14 to 5.30 a.m. on August 16.
- There will be minor (less than ten-minute) delays on the Barnet M1 northbound from junction 2 to junction 3 due to lane closures for CCTV work from 10 p.m. on August 18 to 5.30 a.m. on August 20.
There will be minor (less than ten-minute) delays on the A1 southbound from 10 p.m. on August 18 to 6 a.m. on September 13 due to lane closures for culvert work at the intersection of Bignells Corner and Rowley Lane.
Smaller road closures won’t be part of National Highways’ agenda because they are in charge of maintaining major A-roads and motorways.
How will these Barnet road closures affect usual traffic flow?
With key routes closed or partially closed, traffic volume will be diverted to alternative roads, which may have lower capacity, leading to increased congestion and longer journey times on those routes, especially during peak hours.
Drivers will change their usual routes to avoid closures, potentially causing increased traffic on side streets and secondary roads not designed for high volumes. This can lead to bottlenecks and slower speeds beyond just the closure sites.
Traffic patterns typically experience initial disruption immediately after closures begin, with increased delays and uncertainty. Over several days to weeks, drivers gradually adapt by shifting travel times, routes, or modes of transport, which stabilizes flow but may extend congestion spatially and temporally.