Track A406 North Circular Traffic Car Incident & Heavy Congestion
The North Circular carries some of London's heaviest cross-town traffic, and Hanger Lane, Brent Cross and Staples Corner are where it usually backs up first. This page pulls live camera feeds and current conditions along the whole route, so an accident or a road closure shows up here before it costs you half an hour stuck in it. Updated continuously from TfL's own traffic data.
A406 — All Camera Feeds
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Overview: North Circular Road Traffic
The A406 North Circular Road is one of London's most heavily relied upon and consistently congested roads. Running from Chiswick in the west, through Finchley, Tottenham and Walthamstow, to Beckton in the east, it forms an inner orbital route carrying traffic between West, North and East London without entering central London. It is infamous for its complexity — a patchwork of dual carriageways, roundabouts, and gyratory sections. It passes through three of London's worst traffic bottlenecks: Hanger Lane, Brent Cross, and Staples Corner.
What Happened on the A406 Today?
If you are looking for A406 traffic incidents today or wondering "why is the A406 closed today?", the best way to get real-time information is by viewing the North Circular traffic cameras directly above. A406 road closures and delays are typically caused by multi-vehicle accidents at major junctions or emergency roadworks.
Rather than searching for a fatal accident A406 today north circular road closures map on separate news sites, looking at our live A406 traffic update feeds provides the quickest visual confirmation of where traffic is stationary.
Where and When North Circular Congestion Builds
The A406 has multiple severe congestion zones. Hanger Lane gyratory (A406/A40) consistently ranks among London's worst junctions — queues begin forming from 07:15 and can extend for miles in all directions by 08:00. Brent Cross (A406/A41) is the second major bottleneck, particularly eastbound in the morning and westbound in the evening. Staples Corner (A406/A5) handles the highest HGV volumes of any London junction. Further north, the stretch through Finchley and on towards Bounds Green regularly backs up during the morning school run, while the Walthamstow and Tottenham sections in the northeast see heavy queuing on weekday evenings. The eastern section through Edmonton and Beckton is generally better, though it still experiences regular A406 traffic delays.
⚠ Worst times for A406 Traffic Today (Weekdays)
Morning peak: 07:30–09:30 · Evening peak: 16:30–19:00
Outside these windows, the A406 North Circular typically flows much more freely. Saturdays can also be highly congested near Brent Cross between 11:00–15:00.
Showing 8 of 33 A406 cameras. Browse all London A406 cameras →
A406 North Circular Traffic Heatmap
Typical North Circular traffic levels by time of day. Green = free-flowing, red/orange = heavy delays and stationary traffic.
| 00–05 | 05–07 | 07–08 | 08–09 | 09–10 | 10–12 | 12–14 | 14–16 | 16–17 | 17–18 | 18–19 | 19–21 | 21–24 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon–Thu | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ |
| Friday | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ |
| Saturday | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ |
| Sunday | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ |
Journey Planning Tips for the A406
Hanger Lane is Unavoidable — Plan Around It
There is no practical shortcut past Hanger Lane — if you need to cross the A406/A40 junction, plan your time around it rather than trying to route around it.
08:00–09:00 is the Worst Hour
The North Circular peaks more sharply than most London roads — 07:45–09:15 is the absolute worst window. Before 07:15 or after 20:00 is dramatically different.
M25 for Longer Orbital Journeys
For trips covering more than a quarter of the orbital, the M25 is almost always faster than the A406, despite the longer distance.
Check Live Traffic Updates First
If Hanger Lane cameras show stationary traffic, assume the whole western A406 is affected. Ensure you verify North Circular traffic now before leaving.
A406 Alternative Routes
If you see a severe A406 closure today on the feeds, these alternatives are worth considering:
- M25 (faster for journeys of more than a few miles around the London orbital)
- A1 Hendon Way — useful for avoiding the A406 Brent Cross section for north London journeys
- A406 alternate timing — simply shifting departure by 90 minutes often makes a bigger difference than any route change
ULEZ and Charges on the North Circular
💷 A406 Charges
The entire A406 North Circular is inside the ULEZ boundary. There is no Congestion Charge to drive on the A406. ULEZ operates 24/7 with no time restrictions. Non-compliant vehicles pay £12.50 per day. Check your vehicle at tfl.gov.uk/ulez.
A406 Traffic FAQs
Why is there so much traffic on the A406 today?
The A406 North Circular carries over 100,000 vehicles daily and is one of the most congested roads in the UK. Traffic builds at several chronic bottlenecks — Hanger Lane Gyratory, Henlys Corner, Staples Corner, and the Bounds Green interchange. Any incident or A406 traffic accident today live on these sections causes queuing for miles.
What are the worst times for A406 North Circular traffic?
Peak congestion on the A406 is Monday to Friday during:
- Morning rush: 07:00–09:30 (worst around 08:00–08:45)
- Evening rush: 16:30–19:00 (worst around 17:00–18:30)
Is the A406 the same as the North Circular Road?
Yes. The A406 is the official road number for the North Circular Road. It runs approximately 25 miles in a semi-circle from Chiswick (west) to Barking (east). If you are looking for "North Circular road traffic incidents today", you are looking at the A406.