Editing Dartford Crossing (section)

===Congestion===
The crossing is the busiest in the United Kingdom, with an average daily use of around 160,000 vehicles.<ref>{{cite web |date=16 April 2018 |title=Dartford Crossing |website=Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) |language=en |url=https://www.ice.org.uk/what-is-civil-engineering/what-do-civil-engineers-do/dartford-crossing |access-date=8 April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Dartford-Thurrock River Crossing toll charges to rise |last=Woodman |first=Peter |work=The Independent |date=22 May 2012 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/dartfordthurrock-river-crossing-toll-charges-to-rise-7778496.html |access-date=13 July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Dartford Crossing celebrates golden milestone |work=Sevenoaks Chronicle |date=18 November 2013 |url=http://www.sevenoakschronicle.co.uk/Dartford-Crossing-celebrates-golden-milestone/story-20094476-detail/story.html |access-date=13 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714221443/http://www.sevenoakschronicle.co.uk/Dartford-Crossing-celebrates-golden-milestone/story-20094476-detail/story.html |archive-date=14 July 2014}}</ref> The crossing has high levels of congestion, especially at peak times - with high levels of air pollution impacting neighbouring [[Thurrock]] and [[Dartford]].<ref>{{cite news |date=6 March 2017 |title=Dartford Crossing excluded from pollution assessments |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-kent-39152942 |access-date=8 April 2021}}</ref>

Because the design capacity has been exceeded, the crossing is subject to major traffic congestion and disruption, particularly when parts are closed because of accidents or bad weather. Though the government was adamant that the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge should be designed to avoid closure due to high winds,<ref>{{cite web |title=Dartford-Thurrock Crossing Bill |work=[[Hansard |Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)]] |last=Couchman |first=James |date=9 July 1987 |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1987/jul/09/dartford-thurrock-crossing-bill |access-date=6 July 2014}}</ref> the bridge has nevertheless had to close on occasions. On 12 February 2014, during the [[Winter storms of 2013–14 in the United Kingdom|winter storms]], it was closed owing to {{convert|60|mph|km/h|adj=on}} winds,<ref>{{cite news |title=QE2 Bridge at Dartford Crossing reopens after closure |work=BBC News |date=12 February 2014 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-26159208 |access-date=6 July 2014}}</ref> and again on the evening of 13–14 February 2014.<ref>{{cite news |title=30mph speed restriction on QEII bridge at Dartford crossing |work=Kent Echo |date=14 February 2014 |url=http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/local_news/basildon/11012099.Drivers_warned_of_QE2_Bridge_closure_this_evening/?ref=rss |access-date=6 July 2014}}</ref>

At busy times there was significant delay at the payment booths when these existed. Because there are numerous junctions on either side of the crossing, a high proportion of local traffic mixes with long-distance traffic, for example travelling from the North and Midlands onward to Continental Europe.{{sfn|Champion|1995|pp=91–92}} In 2004, a BBC survey reported that the crossing was "the most stressful section of the M25"<ref>{{cite news |title=Most stress at Dartford crossing |work=BBC News |date=8 March 2004 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/3541515.stm |access-date=6 July 2014}}</ref> while in 2009, the crossing was listed in a [[Royal Automobile Club]] report as the fourth most congested road in Britain.<ref>{{cite news |title=Dartford's crossing misery is official! |work=Kent Messenger |date=27 April 2009 |url=http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent/news/dartfords-crossing-misery-is-of-a98426/ |access-date=7 July 2014}}</ref> Though Highways England have reported greatly improved journey times since automatic charging was introduced, former local MP [[Gareth Johnson]] claims otherwise and has insisted that the Lower Thames Crossing, along with improved signing around Dartford, are better options to reduce congestion.<ref>{{cite news |title=Kent talks over Dartford crossing 'worst motorway' |work=BBC News |date=30 September 2015 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-34398780 |access-date=8 August 2016}}</ref> In 2015, he said the crossing was Britain's worst stretch of motorway.<ref>{{cite news |title=Better signage call for Dartford crossing, MP says |work=BBC News |date=3 October 2015 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-34424478 |access-date=5 October 2015}}</ref>