How bad is traffic on Watford Way in Finchley and Barnet?

Traffic on the Watford Way in Finchley and Barnet is heaviest during the weekday morning rush (07:30–09:30) and the evening peak (16:30–19:00). School term-time adds additional pressure in the morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up windows. The live camera above is the best indicator of current conditions at this specific point — TfL refreshes JamCam images every five minutes, giving you an up-to-date snapshot before you set off.

Is Watford Way/Great North Way inside the ULEZ?

Yes — like all roads in Greater London, this location falls inside the ULEZ boundary. The ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone) applies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year, with no time restrictions. Most petrol cars registered after 2005 and diesel cars registered after 2015 meet the emission standards and pay nothing. Older or non-compliant vehicles pay a daily charge of £12.50 (cars and light vans). This location is outside the Congestion Charge Zone, so no CC charge applies. Use TfL's free ULEZ vehicle checker at tfl.gov.uk to verify your vehicle.

Is the traffic camera at Watford Way/Great North Way working 24 hours?

Yes — TfL JamCam cameras operate and transmit images 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, at night or in low-light conditions, image quality may be reduced. The camera image refreshes every five minutes at all hours. If the feed shows an error, the camera may be temporarily offline for maintenance. TfL's network has very high uptime — try refreshing after a few minutes if the image isn't loading.

Is Watford Way/Great North Way on a bus route?

The Watford Way is served by a number of TfL bus routes. You can find the specific routes serving stops near Watford Way/Great North Way using TfL's Bus Stops and Journey Planner tools at tfl.gov.uk, or by checking the Citymapper app. Bus priority measures — including bus lanes and signal priority — on the Watford Way are designed to keep buses moving through congested periods, though they also affect traffic flow patterns visible in the JamCam above.

Watford Way Great North Way: Live CCTV Traffic Cameras Today

About This Camera

Camera Location & Hazard Overview

Watford Way meets Great North Way close to Fiveways Corner — one of the more complex multi-road interchanges in this part of Barnet, where the A1, A41 and M1 junction 2 all come together, known locally as a testing junction even for learner drivers.

Traffic Pattern & Congestion Trends

Morning peak 07:00–09:15 sees heavy converging traffic from the A1, A41 and M1 junction 2, with the pattern reversing from 16:30. Given the number of roads meeting here, congestion at Fiveways Corner can originate from any of several directions, making it one of the harder junctions to predict.

Traffic Fines & Camera Enforcement

Standard speed camera enforcement covers the approaches to this junction. Given its complexity, lane positioning matters more here than at simpler crossroads — late lane changes are a common cause of the minor incidents that contribute to congestion. ULEZ applies across Barnet 24/7; check tfl.gov.uk/ulez.

Road Closures & Alternative Routes

If Fiveways Corner is heavily congested, there's limited practical alternative given it's the primary connection point between the A1, A41 and M1 in this area — most regular users allow significant extra time, particularly during motorway-related disruption. This is genuinely one of the more collision-prone junctions covered on this site, and anyone involved in a serious incident here should speak to a road traffic accident solicitor early given how many separate roads converge at speed.

Driver Safety & Local Tips

This junction's complexity means the correct lane matters more than usual — regular users say committing to the wrong lane here, rather than the traffic volume itself, is often what turns a normal delay into a longer one.

ULEZ & Emissions

The London Borough of Barnet operates entirely within the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), which is active 24/7, every day of the year. Non-compliant vehicles (pre-Euro 6 diesel / pre-Euro 4 petrol) face a £12.50 daily charge. No Congestion Charge applies in this borough. Check your vehicle compliance at tfl.gov.uk/ulez.

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Parking near Watford Way/Great North Way, Finchley and Barnet

Fiveways Corner is a large, complex interchange connecting the A1, A41 and M1 junction 2, with no roadside parking anywhere nearby — this is purely a through-route junction. The nearest genuine parking is in Mill Hill's residential streets, within Barnet's CPZ and managed through MiPermit during weekday controlled hours. Given the scale and speed of this interchange, allow proper time to reach an actual parking street rather than attempting anything close to the junction itself, which has no safe verge space at all. barnet.gov.uk/parking for zone details. Given the scale and speed of this interchange, allow proper extra time to reach an actual parking street rather than attempting anything close to the junction itself, which has no safe verge space.

If on-street parking is hard to find, apps like JustPark and YourParkingSpace let you pre-book a private driveway or car park nearby — typically from around £2–£6 per hour or £10–£25 per day depending on how central the location is.

Compare parking near Watford Way/Great North WayLocal driveways and car parks, pre-bookable from ~£2/hr

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Compare spaces in Finchley and BarnetDaily and long-stay listings from local hosts

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Parking links are affiliate partnerships. JamCams may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Journey Planning Tips

1Check this JamCam before joining the road in London — knowing the queue length before you arrive lets you choose an alternative route
2Peak congestion near Watford Way/Great North Way is weekdays 07:30–09:30 and 16:30–19:00 — travelling outside these windows typically cuts journey times by 20–40%
3All vehicles in this area must comply with the ULEZ — check your vehicle at tfl.gov.uk/ulez before driving. Non-compliant vehicles pay £12.50 per day even outside peak hours
4View the JamCams map to see live conditions across the wider London road network and identify the clearest approach route
5Check TfL Road Disruptions for live incidents in this area
6Consider public transport if the JamCam shows heavy congestion

Live Road Delays & Incident Cameras for Watford Way Great North Way