Despite big economic difficulties, Vietnamese still spend money on traveling

VietNamNet Bridge – Though the May holiday will come in only one month, a lot of domestic and outbound tours have been fully booked.

The forecasts that the demand for traveling would decrease as people have to fasten their belt in the context of high inflation have not come true. Vietnamese people still spend big money on traveling and entertainment services. While the Ministry of Planning and Investment reported that more than 3000 businesses halted operation just in the first two months of the year, travel firms still have reported the sharp increases of the tourists in groups.

May holiday tours fully booked

The May holiday is believed to be a busy season for travel firms, as employees would have four days off. Therefore, though the holiday would come only in one month, travel firms now do not receive more travelers for some tours.

Quoc, an officer of a bank branch in Thu Duc district in HCM City, said that he booked the tour for the bank’s staff to the central city of Da Nang on the May holiday in February already. Now he wants to book the tour for some more officers, but the travel firm has refused to serve.

Not only the tours to Da Nang, where the international firework festival will take place, but other tourism sites also have also become the destinations of people on the May holiday. Dan tri newspaper has reported that the demand on the May holiday has increased by 15-20 percent, despite the big difficulties and high inflation.

Nguyen Minh Man, a senior executive of Vietravel said that a lot of tours for the May holiday have run out, while other tours have seen the occupancy rate of over 70 percent. He said that the travel firm expects to serve 25,000 travelers who take domestic and outbound tours this May holiday, an increase of 20 percent in comparison with the same period of 2011.

Saigontourist has reported that it has sold 65 percent of the total 16,000 seats offered for the May holiday, an increase of 10-15 percent over the last year. Fiditour, which has received bookings for the last two weeks only, has also reported that 40 percent have been booked.

Especially, travel firms all have reported the sharp increase of the travelers in groups this year. In general, businesses do not organize tours for their staffs on big holidays, because they fear the overcrowded tourism sites and low quality of services. However, things seem to be quite different this year.

A representative of Hanoi Redtours said on Lao dong newspaper that the 4 day and 3 night Da Nang – Hoi An – Ba Na tour proves to be the most favored one this year, because travelers would have the chance to attend the 2012 international firework festival.

Demand for outbound tours on the rise

Nguyen Thi Tuyet Mai, a senior executive of Fiditour, said that the travel firm now has to contact airlines to ask for more flights to Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia because of the increasing demand. Vietnamese travelers not only choose near destinations with low fees, but they tend to go to farer markets this year.

Besides the familiar tours to South East Asia countries, travelers have booked the tours to Japan, South Korea, the US and Europe. A travel firm has revealed that the number of travelers booking tours to the US for April increased by two folds in comparison with the same period of the last year.

Travel firms have said that the number of travelers keeps rising steadily, because they have been trying to keep the tour fees unchanged, or the tour fees have increased very slightly by five percent, because travel firms signed contracts before with service providers at fixed prices.

C. V

In London, Victoria’s secrets revealed

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InLondon

26 March 2012|By Lonely Planet Magazine

The ivory silk wedding dress worn by Queen Victoria in her 1840 marriage to Prince Albert is on display as part of the "Victoria Revealed" exhibition at Kensington Palace. (Matt Dunham/Associated Press)

Queen Victoria is often thought of as a solemn old lady who was unamused on a regular basis.

Once upon a time, however, she was a child princess, blithely bouncing about the gardens of Kensington Palace in west London with her pet spaniel. A new exhibition in the palace, Victoria Revealed, will put on display objects amassed during her life, spanning from her silk baby shoes to the black garments she wore as a grieving widow. At least she’d be pleased to see her childhood home looking sprightly following a £12m facelift, with new walking routes around state rooms that will have seen their fair share of royal soap operas in their time.

• Kensington Palace reopens to the public on 26 March (admission £15).
• Direct train services run to Euston from Manchester (from £35) and Birmingham (from £10).
• Stay at the St John Hotel, an eccentric residence near Leicester Square (from £150)

This article was published in partnership with Lonely Planet Magazine.

Spring skiing, Japanese-style

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InJapanSnow & Skiing

26 March 2012|By Tim Hornyak, Lonely Planet

The Japanese ski resort of Niseko is famous for the quality and consistency of its light, powdery snow. (Aaron Jamieson/Niseko Photography)

This winter may have been somewhat of a bust in much of the United States, logging the warmest temperatures since 1999, but skiers and snowboarders on the other side of the Pacific are not complaining about snow drought.

• Related blog post: The etiquette of Japanese onsen

Even in late March, the Japanese ski resort ofNiseko is still getting plenty of fresh powder. An astounding 20m has fallen thus far and snow depth reached a peak of more than four metres.

The abundant snowfall bodes very well for spring skiing in Niseko, the catch-all name for four linked resorts on the 1,308m Mount Niseko Annupuri, some 100km southwest of Sapporo, on Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost main island. Niseko has one of the longest seasons in Japan, with most of the runs staying open until early May.

Niseko became famous about a decade ago, especially in Australia, for the quality and consistency of its light, powdery snow, the result of Siberian winds interacting with moisture from the Sea of Japan. An influx of Aussie skiers and snowboarders and both local and foreign property developers transformed the centre of Hirafu from a sleepy village into an international resort town, with new accommodations and excellent dining options. Though visitors are slowly returning to Japan, deterred in the aftermath of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, the resort town has been virtually crowd free this winter, with no chairlifts lines.

On Mount Niseko, chairlifts and gondolas whisk skiers and boarders to within striking distance of the peak. Then, it is a 20-minute hike to glide down off-piste slopes that link up with groomed trails or roads near the mountain’s more remote areas. For those who want to try backcountry skiing for the first time, the Strawberry Fields forest run in the Hanazono resort provides thigh-high powder that is within easy reach of chairlifts and groomed trails. The three other areas at Niseko – Annupuri, Niseko Village and Grand Hirafu – also have a good mix of beginner, intermediate and expert trails, with a total of 48km of groomed runs. Grand Hirafu, which has the most night skiing on Niseko, features a number of ungroomed powdery trails such as Miharashi, an expert run that winds into Holiday, a wooded intermediate trail that is one of the mountain's longer runs at 2.8km.

Some serious backcountry skiers and snowboarders, however, leave Niseko altogether for powder trips. Earlier in March, powderhounds could be seen climbing five hours up and then carving giant S's back down Mount Yotei's alabaster flanks, a volcano 13km southeast of Mount Niseko Annupuri.

Apres-ski in Niseko is often just as fun as zipping through the flakes and is best enjoyed with a rental car to let you take full advantage of the area's muscle-tenderizing onsen (hot springs). The Niseko Yu Meguri pass (1,400 yen) gives you free access to any three of the participating baths in the area. If you are feeling adventurous, take the two-hour drive to Niimi Onsen, located on a remote mountain road, for  a quiet, lantern-lit outdoor bath often cocooned in winter by an overhanging snowbank.

Back in Hirafu, the unwinding continues at Ezo Seafoods, which serves up succulent snow crab legs, sweet Akkeshi oysters from the coastal region of eastern Hokkaido and a variety of fresh sashimi. Wash it all down with mulled wine or single-malt Hokkaido whisky at nearby Gyu+, a wooden, cottage-like bar accessed through an old fridge door that is nearly invisible in the snow drifts.  

When you are ready for a break from the Aussie ski set, the fishing port of Otaru on Ishikari Bay to the north seems worlds away. With a picturesque canal, glassworks studios set in vintage slate buildings and the entire street of Sushiya-dori devoted to sushi shops, it is well worth the 70-minute drive from Hirafu. A two-hour drive south from Hirafu will get you to volcano-rimmed Lake Shikotsu, the second-deepest lake in Japan, renowned for the clarity of its frigid waters. Set in a national park and blissfully undeveloped, Shikotsu has extremely panoramic onsen, including Marukoma and Ito, with outdoor baths overlooking the ancient caldera. It is the perfect way to boil the ache out of your muscles before a long flight home.

Getting there
From Narita Airport or Haneda airport outside of Tokyo, flights run to Shin-Chitose Airport outside of Sapporo, where buses take two and a half hours to reach Hirafu. Skybus runs regular services through the end of March, after which private shuttles are the best choice if you are not renting a car from the agencies at Shin-Chitose.

Can Tho

Can Tho photos

Can Tho is the biggest and most prosperous of the cities in the Mekong Delta; its central location has made it a major trading post in the region, attracting farmers from across the delta to come and sell their crops or trade for supplies.

The rivers and waterways of the delta have long acted as canals enabling farmers to cover long distances to get a better price for their produce, and in turn Can Tho has become a relatively wealthy city, with clean, smart streets and a good number of shops.

Nowadays Can Tho is a great place to experience a Vietnamese floating market, as every morning at 5am boats arrive from around the provinces to sell the fruits of their labour. Some boats are houseboats - merchants who buy in one place and sell in another - while others are simple crafts who will have left home long before dawn to trade directly and get a better price for their goods.

Every day the traders will be different and so some mornings the market will be much busier than others . The floating market is some way out of town, but trips to visit it can be organised with any of the ladies who approach you while walking alongside the river in the main town of Can Tho.

This waterfront is a great place to pass the time with a sweet little park by the side of the river, and a number of great restaurants in old villas and shopfronts. There is also a beautiful pagoda built by the
Chinese merchantmen who have long lived in the city.

Can Tho can be reached by bus from Ho Chi Minh City (around 4hrs) or by speedboat - around 2hrs, with one departure a day. Victoria Hotels also offer upmarket speedboat services through the area, though you may pay a premium to do so. Due to its central location connections from Can Tho are great, with buses and boats heading to most destinations around the Mekong Delta.

Cruise tourism development plan still awaiting inter-ministerial cooperation

VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam’s natural conditions are good enough to receive both big cruise ships and yachts. However, in order to develop cruise tourism, Vietnam would have to settle many problems in port infrastructure, port management, travel agent management and many others.

The conclusion can be found in the report on the Vietnam’s cruise tourism potentials, reflecting the viewpoints of the Singaporean mission which included private companies in the fields relating to cruise business, the Singaporean Ministry of Trade and Tourism, the Singaporean Tourism Agency and some cruise groups such as Royal Caribbean International.

The report was released after two survey trips to the ports and sea tourism areas in 2009 and 2010, funded by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism VNAT.

International yachts evade Vietnam because of high fees
The experts said that the long coastline should be seen as the great potential to develop cruise tourism. From the Ha Long Bay, travelers can travel on cruises along the coastline to enjoy the beautiful landscapes of the islands in Nha Trang, or run along the Saigon River. The tours on yachts from the Saigon River to the beach in Phan Thiet, to the islands in Nha Trang, Hoi An and beautiful bay in Da Nang and Chan May would attract high income travelers.

However, to date, Vietnam has failed to attract the high income travelers, because of the overly high fees. As there has been no perfect legal framework applied to cruises and sea tourism, the cruises have to pay a lot of different kinds of fees, if they want to dock and stay at the Vietnamese ports. As a result, regional cruises try to make a roundabout to avoid the high fees in Vietnam.

Close cooperation needed to develop sea tourism
The Singaporean experts have suggested that relevant ministries need to sit together to discuss the sea tourism development plan, and that there should be an agency in charge of considering provincial development plans, to ensure that the development plans implemented by the provinces would not badly affect other provinces.

For example, in the near future, when many bridges linking the areas in the Saigon River basin are built, this may influence the cruise tourism industry, because big cruises would not be able to go across the bridges to enter HCM City.

HCM City is really a good tourism destination for many international cruises. However, since the day the Phu My Bridge was arisen, the ships with the heights of over 37.75 meters cannot across the Saigon River to enter the central area any more. They have to go to farer ports namely Hoa Sen or Navi Oil in district 7. Meanwhile, the new cruises which are being built, all are higher.

In the sea city of Nha Trang, the telpher system has been preventing cruises to enter the harbor, while cruises now can go ashore from the north.

Tourism ports to be developed

One of the biggest barriers to the development of cruise tourism is the lack of tourism ports capable to receive big ships and located near tourism sites. Due to the lack of tourism ports, cruise ships have to stay at commercial ports or some tourism sites, where they cannot find high quality services.

However, the Singaporean experts think that in the current conditions, it would be difficult for Vietnam to build specialized ports, because the construction would be very costly. Therefore, it would be better to use the current commercial ports as tourism ports.

The report showed an interesting detail that the Singaporean experts, while seeing the great potentials of the Phu Quoc Island, have advised that it would be better for Vietnam to maintain its cultural characteristics instead of attempting to vie to become Phuket, Bali or Koh Samui.

Source: TBKTSG

Con Dao

Con Dao photos

The sun bursts through the clounds on Con Dao Beach

Con Dao beach viewed from Con Son

Fishing boats in Con Son harbour

Tropical forest covers the interior

Volcanic hills run right down to the sea

A protected Marine Nature Reserve, the Con Dao Islands (of which Con Son is the largest and where you are likely to be staying) can be difficult to get to, with irregular flights from Ho Chi Minh City or an overnight ferry from Vung Tau.. but my goodness, it's worth it!

I must confess, the highlight of any travelling around Vietnam for me is usually the food, yet the lack of any real eating options outside of the main hotels didn't still manage to disappoint, as the scenery around Con Dao is so spectacular you'll want to stay forever. I think of all the places I visited in Vietnam Con Dao was possibly one of the most beautiful I've seen.

The islands of Con Dao have a tragic history - they lay completely unoccupied until the French occupied Vietnam and used the island as one large prison complex, where prisoners were shackled, starved and beaten, forced into hard labour and subjected to some particularly cruel and unusual punishment. Sadly when the Americans arrived to 'save' Vietnam from Communism they kept the prisons running, and made good use of one of the most barbaric elements, the 'Tiger Cages'; even once their horrific nature had been exposed in the US media they simply built another set deeper in the jungle so the journalists wouldn't find them.

Today the prisons serve as a stark reminder of the horrors of war, and many of the islands residents are ex-convicts who decided to stay on the islands rather than return to the mainland. These days the main industries are fishing and shipping, and life on the island is very simple and undeveloped, though there are plans to encourage more tourism to the islands in the future.

The entire area is protected by law, so much of the islands are covered by thick forest. A visit to the rangers' station will explain a great deal about the wildlife living on the island, and they are very happy to arrange tours around the jungle or out to the other islands, to see endangered species and to go snorkelling and diving. There are also a number of diving schools on the island, particularly Rainbow Divers.

On our visit we hired a motorbike to explore the roads around the island, and went for hikes through the forest and swam on completely deserted beaches, as well as visiting the prisons and museums. It was a true escape from Saigon, a complete contrast to the concrete, traffic and noise, and one we'll remember forever.

One of the key organisations protecting the local habitat in Con Dao - as well as in many other national parks across Vietnam - is WWF. If you'd like to help support conservation efforts in Vietnam and preservation of the many endangered species there, we strongly suggest becoming a member - it doesn't cost a lot and while in Vietnam you can see for yourself the difference they are making.

Getting to Con Dao
If you want to go by boat there is a hydrofoil service from Vung Tau to Con Dao twice a week at 350,000 VND each way, and also one departing from Tra Vinh in the Mekong Delta which is run by Greenlines. The fares and timetable are no longer advertised on the Vietnamese language version of their website though, so it is worth checking before making the trip to Vung Tau.

Flights are run by VASCO but are unfortunately not bookable online.

An alternative may be to book online with Isango who are currently advertising an all inclusive two day tour to the island including flights which departs from Ho Chi Minh City. Feedback on this service would be appreciated.

Live Travel News   Tue 20 Mar 2012 23:26

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Incident	Affected	Details	Severity	Start Date	Last Updated
Closures and Lane Restrictions	M3 Surrey	One lane closed southbound at J3, Lightwater, because of roadworks during the night. Between 21:00 and 6:00 from 21:00 on the 17th to 6:00 on 24th March	Severe	17 Mar 2012 21:00	14 Mar 2012 14:44
Closures and Lane Restrictions	M4 Berkshire	One lane closed London bound between J12, Theale and J10, Wokingham, because of roadworks during the night. Between 22:00 and 6:00 until 6:00 on 15th April	Severe	12 Mar 2012 22:00	15 Mar 2012 13:58
Closures and Lane Restrictions	M62 Greater Manchester	Two lanes closed eastbound between J21, Milnrow and J22, Rishworth Moor, because of roadworks during the night. Between 22:00 and 2:00 until 31st March	Severe	12 Mar 2012 22:00	14 Mar 2012 11:11
Closures and Lane Restrictions	M180 Lincolnshire	Main carriageway closed both ways at J4, Scawby, because of roadworks during the night. Diversion in operation. Between 22:00 and 6:00 until 6:00 on 1st April	Severe	11 Mar 2012 22:00	16 Mar 2012 22:24
Closures and Lane Restrictions	M8 Renfrewshire	One lane closed both ways between J27, Arkleston and J28, Glasgow Airport, because of major roadworks. From 20:00 on 9th March to 18th May	Severe	09 Mar 2012 20:00	14 Mar 2012 13:42
Closures/ blockages	M8 Renfrewshire	Entry slip road closed eastbound at J28, Glasgow Airport, because of major roadworks. From 20:00 on 9th March to 18th May	Severe	09 Mar 2012 20:00	14 Mar 2012 13:05
Closures/ blockages	M8 Renfrewshire	Entry slip road closed eastbound at J29, St James, because of major roadworks. From 20:00 on 9th March to 18th May	Severe	09 Mar 2012 20:00	14 Mar 2012 13:06
Closures/ blockages	M8 Renfrewshire	Entry slip road closed westbound at J27, Arkleston, because of major roadworks. From 20:00 on 9th March to 18th May	Severe	09 Mar 2012 20:00	14 Mar 2012 13:06
Closures and Lane Restrictions	M4 Berkshire	One lane closed both ways between J12, Theale and J13, Chieveley, because of roadworks during the night. Between 22:00 and 6:00 until 6:00 on 31st March	Severe	05 Mar 2012 22:00	15 Mar 2012 13:54
Restrictions	M4 Berkshire	Narrow lanes both ways between J7, Slough West and J8/9, J8, speed restriction of 50 mph. Until 6:00 on 21st April	Severe	05 Mar 2012 21:00	15 Mar 2012 13:48
Closures and Lane Restrictions	M18 South Yorkshire	Two lanes closed both ways between J3, St Catherines and J2 A1(M) Wadworth, because of roadworks during the night. Between 22:00 and 10:00 until 25th March	Severe	02 Mar 2012 22:00	14 Mar 2012 06:43
Closures and Lane Restrictions	M6 West Midlands	One lane closed both ways between J6 A38(M) Aston Expressway and J8 M5, because of roadworks during the night. Between 21:00 and 6:00 until 31st March	Severe	27 Feb 2012 21:00	15 Mar 2012 12:39
Closures and Lane Restrictions	M1 Leicestershire	One lane closed southbound at J19, Catthorpe Interchange, speed restriction of 50 mph. Until 1st April	Severe	08 Jan 2012 12:00	14 Mar 2012 02:15
Restrictions	M9 City Of Edinburgh	Speed restriction of 40 mph both ways between J1, Newbridge and J2, Old Philpstoun, because of roadworks. Until 1st March 2013	Severe	07 Nov 2011 00:00	14 Mar 2012 11:55
Roadworks	M9 City Of Edinburgh	Major roadworks northbound between Kirkliston and A90. Until 8th June	Severe	04 Nov 2011 00:00	14 Mar 2012 16:10
Closures/ blockages	M90 Fife	Hard shoulder closed both ways between J3, Halbeath and A90, speed restriction of 40 mph. Until 31st May	Severe	10 Oct 2011 00:00	14 Mar 2012 12:57
Roadworks	M1 Bedfordshire	Contraflow both ways between J10, Luton Airport Spur Road and J13, Bedford, speed restriction of 50 mph. Until 31st December 2013	Severe	05 Apr 2011 00:00	14 Mar 2012 10:59
Roadworks	M25 Hertfordshire	Contraflow both ways between J21A, St Albans and J23 A1(M), narrow lanes. Until 31st July 2012	Severe	08 Aug 2010 00:00	14 Mar 2012 10:58
Closures and Lane Restrictions	M18 South Yorkshire	One lane closed northbound at J6, Thorne, because of roadworks. Between 7:00 and 17:00 until 20th March	Severe	05 Mar 2012 07:00	14 Mar 2012 13:02
Closures/ blockages	A232 Croydon, Greater London	Addiscombe Road closed both ways at the Addiscombe Road junction in Croydon, because of roadworks. From 1:30 on the 20th to 4:30 on 22nd March	Severe	20 Mar 2012 01:30	15 Mar 2012 19:55
Restrictions	A1 Borehamwood, Greater London	Restrictions on Barnet Way (Barnet By-Pass) at the Stirling Corner junction in Borehamwood, because of resurfacing work. From 22:00 on the 19th to 5:00 on 29th March	Severe	19 Mar 2012 22:00	14 Mar 2012 20:08
Closures/ blockages	A629 Halifax, West Yorkshire	Orange Street closed both ways between the Waterhouse Street junction and the Crown Street junction in Halifax, because of resurfacing work. Between 19:00 and 6:00 from 19th to 23rd March	Severe	19 Mar 2012 19:00	14 Mar 2012 08:21
Closures/ blockages	A338 Burbage, Wiltshire	Grafton Road closed both ways between the A346 junction in Burbage and the Six Acre Lane junction in Bagshot, near Hungerford, because of resurfacing work during the night. Between 19:00 and 7:00 from 19:00 on the 19th to 7:00 on 30th March	Severe	19 Mar 2012 19:00	14 Mar 2012 20:03
Closures/ blockages	A34 Monk's Heath, Cheshire	Congleton Road closed both ways between the Monks Heath Crossroads junction in Monk's Heath and the B5392 junction in Siddington, delays expected. Diversion in operation. From 19th to 23rd March	Severe	19 Mar 2012 00:00	16 Mar 2012 20:38
Closures/ blockages	A470 Llandudno, Conwy	Conway Road closed around the Charlotte Road junction in Llandudno, because of resurfacing work during the night. Between 20:00 and 6:00 from 18th to 22nd March	Severe	18 Mar 2012 20:00	16 Mar 2012 12:18
Closures/ blockages	A470 Llandudno, Conwy	Conway Road closed both ways between the Maenan Road junction and the Argyll Road junction in Llandudno, because of roadworks during the night. Between 20:00 and 6:00 from 18th to 23rd March	Severe	18 Mar 2012 20:00	14 Mar 2012 11:50
Closures/ blockages	A384 Cott, Devon	Closed both ways between the A385 junction in Cott and the Dartbridge Junction junction in Buckfast, because of resurfacing work during the night. Diversion in operation. Between 19:00 and 6:00 from 17th to 30th March	Severe	17 Mar 2012 19:00	14 Mar 2012 15:58
Closures/ blockages	A178 Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire	Queen's Square closed both ways between the Bridge Street East junction and the Gosford Street junction in Middlesbrough, because of gas main work.	Severe	15 Mar 2012 13:54	15 Mar 2012 13:54
Closures/ blockages	A1104 Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire	Alford Road closed both ways between the A1031 Theddlethorpe Road junction and the Golf Road junction in Mablethorpe, because of roadworks. Diversion in operation. Until 30th March	Severe	15 Mar 2012 00:00	15 Mar 2012 12:39
Engineering works	Blackpool Tramway Blackpool, Lancashire	No service on Blackpool Tramway due to engineering works. Until 5th April	Severe	14 Mar 2012 00:00	14 Mar 2012 22:54
Station/Port Disruption	Condor Ferries Dorset	No service on Condor Ferries at Weymouth and service instead diverted to run between Poole and Jersey / Guernsey / Channel Islands due to structural work on the ferry berth at Weymouth Port. Until 4th November	Severe	14 Mar 2012 00:00	14 Mar 2012 09:06
Closures/ blockages	A38(M) Birmingham, West Midlands	Aston Expressway closed both ways at Dartmouth Circus in Birmingham, because of roadworks during the night. Diversion in operation. Between 21:00 and 5:30 until 20th March	Severe	12 Mar 2012 21:00	15 Mar 2012 12:38
Closures/ blockages	A628 Barnsley, South Yorkshire	Dodworth Road closed at the A6133 Broadway junction in Barnsley, because of resurfacing work. Between 21:00 and 6:30 from 21:00 on 12th March to 23rd April	Severe	12 Mar 2012 21:00	14 Mar 2012 10:31
Closures/ blockages	A46 Grimsby, Lincolnshire	Weelsby Road closed both ways between the Legsby Avenue junction and the Recto Avenue junction in Grimsby, because of roadworks during the night. Between 19:00 and 7:00 from 12th March to 6th April	Severe	12 Mar 2012 19:00	14 Mar 2012 10:16
Closures/ blockages	A340 Aldermaston Wharf, Berkshire	Basingstoke Road closed both ways between the A4 Bath Road junction and the Mill Lane junction in Aldermaston Wharf, because of bridge maintenance work. Diversion in operation. From 9:00 on 12th March to 13th May	Severe	12 Mar 2012 09:00	14 Mar 2012 14:36
Closures/ blockages	A5205 Maida Vale, London	St John's Wood Road closed eastbound between the A5 Maida Vale junction and the B507 Lisson Grove junction in Maida Vale, because of water main work.	Severe	12 Mar 2012 03:45	14 Mar 2012 03:45
Closures/ blockages	A5099 Blackpool, Lancashire	Central Drive closed both ways between the B5261 Grasmere Road junction and the Chapel Street junction in Blackpool, because of resurfacing work. Diversion in operation. From 11th to 25th March	Severe	11 Mar 2012 00:00	14 Mar 2012 11:48
Closures/ blockages	A379 Aveton Gifford, Devon	Closed both ways between the B3392 junction in Aveton Gifford and the Bantham Cross junction in Venn, because of roadworks during the night. Diversion in operation. Between 18:30 and 5:00 Mondays to Fridays until 30th March	Severe	07 Mar 2012 18:30	14 Mar 2012 13:03
Closures/ blockages	A662 Clayton, Greater Manchester	Ashton New Road closed both ways between the Sportcity Junction junction and the Bank Street junction in Clayton, because of roadworks. Diversion in operation. Between 23:00 and 6:00 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from 6th March to 15th April	Severe	06 Mar 2012 23:00	14 Mar 2012 11:52
Closures/ blockages	A662 Droylsden, Greater Manchester	Droylsden Road closed both ways between the Williamson Lane junction and the Market Street junction in Droylsden, because of roadworks during the night. Between 23:00 and 6:00 until 3rd April	Severe	06 Mar 2012 23:00	14 Mar 2012 06:47
Closures/ blockages	A303 South Petherton, Somerset	Closed both ways between the A356 junction in South Petherton and the A37 junction in Ilchester, because of roadworks during the night. Diversion in operation. Between 20:00 and 6:00 until 25th March	Severe	05 Mar 2012 20:00	14 Mar 2012 16:24
Closures/ blockages	A6 Penrith, Cumbria	Corney Square closed from the A592 Brunswick Road junction to the A6 King Street junction in Penrith, delays expected. From 5th to 25th March	Severe	05 Mar 2012 00:00	14 Mar 2012 12:47
Closures/ blockages	A628 Barnsley, South Yorkshire	Dodworth Road closed both ways between the A6133 Broadway junction and the Town End Roundabout junction in Barnsley, because of roadworks during the night. Between 22:00 and 5:30 until 15th April	Severe	01 Mar 2012 22:00	14 Mar 2012 14:25
Closures/ blockages	A633 Wombwell, South Yorkshire	Closed both ways between the B6096 Station Road junction and the A6195 junction in Wombwell, because of resurfacing work. Between 20:00 and 6:00 until 31st March	Severe	01 Mar 2012 20:00	14 Mar 2012 14:30
Closures/ blockages	A618 Swallownest, South Yorkshire	Mansfield Road closed both ways between the Worksop Road junction and the Lodge Lane junction in Swallownest, because of resurfacing work. Until 30th March	Severe	01 Mar 2012 00:00	14 Mar 2012 15:21
Closures/ blockages	A501 Moorgate, London	South Place closed southbound between the A501 Finsbury Pavement junction and the A1211 London Wall junction in Moorgate, because of major Crossrail works. Diversion in operation. Until 17:00 on 22nd May	Severe	27 Feb 2012 00:00	14 Mar 2012 16:37
Closures/ blockages	A6182 Doncaster, South Yorkshire	White Rose Way closed both ways between the Balby Carr Bank junction and the Wilmington Drive junction in Doncaster, because of roadworks during the night. Between 21:00 and 6:00 until 31st March	Severe	25 Feb 2012 21:00	14 Mar 2012 14:51
Closures/ blockages	A587 Blackpool, Lancashire	Devonshire Road closed northbound between the Bispham Roundabout junction and the Oakland Avenue junction in Blackpool, because of roadworks. Diversion in operation. Until 2nd April	Severe	23 Feb 2012 00:00	14 Mar 2012 11:38
Roadworks	A4205 Marylebone, London	Roadworks on Spring Street both ways at the Paddington station junction in Marylebone. Until 16:00 on 31st December 2014	Severe	21 Feb 2012 16:30	14 Mar 2012 16:38
Closures/ blockages	B404 Central London, London	St Martin's Lane closed both ways between the A400 St Martin's Place junction and the B402 Great Newport Street junction in Central London, because of roadworks. Until 16:00 on 15th July 2013	Severe	21 Feb 2012 16:20	14 Mar 2012 16:34
Closures/ blockages	A1011 Canning Town, London	Manor Road closed southbound at the Canning Town Flyover junction in Canning Town, because of roadworks. Diversion in operation. Until 16:00 on 23rd March	Severe	20 Feb 2012 06:00	14 Mar 2012 16:36
Closures/ blockages	A232 Carshalton, Greater London	Carshalton Road closed both ways between the Harrow Road junction and the Highfield Road junction in Carshalton, because of roadworks during the night. Between 22:00 and 5:00 until 5:00 on 26th March	Severe	14 Feb 2012 22:00	14 Mar 2012 16:44
Closures/ blockages	A179 Hartlepool, County Durham	Lancaster Road closed both ways between the A1048 junction and the May Street junction in Hartlepool, because of roadworks. Until 23rd March	Severe	13 Feb 2012 00:00	14 Mar 2012 16:32
Closures/ blockages	A682 Nelson, Lancashire	Scotland Road closed both ways between the Fountain Street junction and the Clayton Street junction in Nelson, because of sewer works. Diversion in operation. Until 30th April	Severe	13 Feb 2012 00:00	14 Mar 2012 10:53
Closures/ blockages	A270 Brighton, East Sussex	Old Shoreham Road closed both ways between the The Upper Drive junction and the A2010 Dyke Road junction in Brighton, because of roadworks. Diversion in operation. Until 31st May	Severe	08 Feb 2012 00:00	14 Mar 2012 18:09
Closures/ blockages	A1 Gateshead, Tyne And Wear	Closed southbound between the Lobley Hill Interchange junction in Gateshead and the Bowes Incline (Angel Of The North junction in Lamesley, because of roadworks during the night. Between 20:00 and 6:00 until 6:00 on 26th March	Severe	06 Feb 2012 20:00	14 Mar 2012 21:30
Closures/ blockages	A1243 Great Yarmouth, Norfolk	Pasteur Road closed both ways between the Southtown Road junction and the B1141 Hall Quay junction in Great Yarmouth, because of roadworks during the night. Diversion in operation. Between 19:00 and 6:00 until 6:00 on 2nd April	Severe	06 Feb 2012 19:00	16 Mar 2012 10:25
Closures/ blockages	A1058 Wallsend, Tyne And Wear	Stephenson Road closed both ways between the Chillingham Roundabout junction and the Red Hall Drive junction in Wallsend, because of roadworks. Diversion in operation. Between 20:00 and 5:00 until 2nd April	Severe	23 Jan 2012 20:00	14 Mar 2012 13:03
Closures/ blockages	A4400 Birmingham City Centre, West Midlands	Tunnel closed on James Watt Queensway both ways at the Lancaster Circus junction in Birmingham City Centre, because of roadworks during the night. Between 19:00 and 6:00 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays until 30th March	Severe	16 Jan 2012 19:00	14 Mar 2012 22:55
Closures/ blockages	A8 City Of Edinburgh	Shandwick Place closed both ways between the A700 Lothian Road junction and the Atholl Crescent Lane junction, because of roadworks. Diversion in operation. Until 1st March 2013	Severe	14 Jan 2012 05:00	14 Mar 2012 12:23
Closures/ blockages	A6 Salford, Greater Manchester	Crescent closed both ways between the A5063 Albion Way junction and the A6042 Trinity Way junction in Salford, because of roadworks. Diversion in operation. Between 21:00 and 6:00	Severe	10 Jan 2012 07:26	14 Mar 2012 07:26
Closures/ blockages	A650 Wakefield, West Yorkshire	Bond Street closed both ways between the Bell Street junction and the Cliff Parade junction in Wakefield, because of roadworks. Until 19th April	Severe	07 Jan 2012 00:00	15 Mar 2012 10:16
Closures/ blockages	A5271 Keswick, Cumbria	Crosthwaite Road closed both ways between the Vicarage Hill junction and the B5289 High Hill junction in Keswick, delays expected. Until 26th March	Severe	03 Jan 2012 00:00	14 Mar 2012 07:15
Closures/ blockages	Ram Street (One Way Street) Wandsworth, London	Barchard Street closed southbound between the A217 Ram Street junction and the A3 Wandsworth High Street junction in Wandsworth, because of gas main work. Diversion in operation. Until 1st May	Severe	03 Jan 2012 00:00	14 Mar 2012 04:41
Closures/ blockages	A208 Petts Wood, Greater London	Chislehurst Road closed both ways between the Birchwood Road junction and the Marlings Park Avenue junction in Petts Wood, because of major roadworks. Diversion in operation. Until 18:00 on 30th November	Severe	07 Nov 2011 09:00	14 Mar 2012 16:22
Closures/ blockages	A8 Edinburgh, City Of Edinburgh	Princes Street closed both ways at the South St David Street junction in Edinburgh, because of roadworks. Diversion in operation. Until 1st July	Severe	17 Sep 2011 00:00	14 Mar 2012 11:21
Closures/ blockages	A62 Huddersfield, West Yorkshire	Manchester Road closed westbound between the A616 Chapel Hill junction and the Outcote Bank junction in Huddersfield, because of resurfacing work. Diversion in operation. On Sundays until 1st April	Severe	29 Feb 2012 00:00	14 Mar 2012 06:54
Closures/ blockages	A6 Buxton, Derbyshire	Bakewell Road closed both ways between the B5059 Dale Road junction and the Batham Gate junction in Buxton, because of roadworks. Diversion in operation. On Sundays until 25th March	Severe	05 Feb 2012 00:00	15 Mar 2012 12:39
Closures/ blockages	A487 Fishguard, Pembrokeshire	Hill Terrace closed both ways around the Tower Hill junction in Fishguard, because of roadworks. On Sundays until 8th April	Severe	05 Feb 2012 00:00	14 Mar 2012 10:25
Closures/ blockages	A662 Droylsden, Greater Manchester	Manchester Road closed at the Manchester Road junction in Droylsden, because of roadworks during the night. Between 0:00 and 5:00 until 5th April	Severe	05 Mar 2012 00:00	15 Mar 2012 07:39
Closures/ blockages	A583 Preston, Lancashire	Watery Lane closed outbound from the A5072 West Strand junction to the Swansea Street junction in Preston, delays expected. Diversion in operation. Until 30th November	Severe	09 Jul 2010 06:00	14 Mar 2012 06:48
Closures/ blockages	A607 Grantham, Lincolnshire	Springfield Road closed both ways between the Stamford Street junction and the Walton Gardens junction in Grantham, because of roadworks. Diversion in operation. Between 7:00 and 22:00 on Sundays until 25th March	Severe	03 Mar 2012 07:00	15 Mar 2012 12:39
Closures/ blockages	A2205 London	Bermondsey Street closed northbound between the A200 Crucifix Lane junction and the A200 Tooley Street junction, because of electricity work. Diversion in operation. Between 8:00 and 18:00 until 18:00 on 3rd April	Severe	30 Jan 2012 08:00	14 Mar 2012 16:48
Closures/ blockages	A151 Corby Glen, Lincolnshire	Station Road closed both ways between the B1176 junction and the A151 The Green junction in Corby Glen, because of resurfacing work during off-peak periods. Diversion in operation. Between 9:30 and 15:30 from 20th to 23rd March	Severe	20 Mar 2012 09:30	15 Mar 2012 12:38
Closures/ blockages	A607 Grantham, Lincolnshire	Springfield Road closed both ways between the Stamford Street junction and the Walton Gardens junction in Grantham, because of roadworks. Diversion in operation. Between 19:00 and 22:00 on Saturdays until 25th March	Severe	03 Mar 2012 19:00	15 Mar 2012 12:39
Closures/ blockages	A662 Droylsden, Greater Manchester	Manchester Road closed both ways between the Edge Lane junction and the Market Street junction in Droylsden, because of roadworks during the night. Between 23:00 and 6:00 from 6th March to 3rd April	Severe	06 Mar 2012 23:00	14 Mar 2012 09:37