Walking between the northbound and southbound sides of Hilton Park services on the M6 took four minutes and 50 seconds, while driving the same route took five minutes and 45 seconds - a difference of just 55 seconds, according to a test conducted by BirminghamLive.
The service station, located between Junctions 10a and 11 in Staffordshire, was once considered the busiest motorway service area in the UK. That status changed after the M6 Toll opened in 2003, diverting large portions of southbound traffic just before Junction 11.
Today, Hilton Park remains active with fast-food outlets including KFC, Burger King and Greggs, plus gaming rooms filled with slot machines. However, one notable feature is now closed to drivers: the motorway tower on the northbound services, which previously had a viewing floor and restaurants.
The walking route across the footbridge
The test began from the northbound car park, where the reporter pressed the stopwatch on a phone and headed toward the main entrance, crossing a zebra crossing along the way. After getting briefly delayed behind an elderly gentleman walking slowly through the doors, the reporter navigated across the main forecourt, resisting stops at Costa, KFC or Greggs.
The spiral staircase is located at the back of the building, behind the toilets, with lifts available for those not wishing to climb the steps. Climbing to the first floor, the remaining portion of the staircase is barricaded, and a hallway leads toward the entrance to the footbridge - a long, square-like corridor empty of seats, with heavy metal grids protecting the windows.
On the southbound side, the stairway is less intricate, resembling a generic rectangular staircase found at a shopping centre. Stepping onto the southbound car park, the timer showed four minutes and 50 seconds.
Driving route via Junction 11
For the driving portion, the reporter headed back across the bridge and started the car. Google Maps estimated the journey would take around 10 minutes, but the reporter considered that over-egging it. The route involves a short slip road back onto the M6 northbound and up to Junction 11, just over a mile away.
After being held up at two traffic lights at the motorway roundabout, the reporter headed back down the M6 southbound, pulling into the southbound car park where they had stood minutes earlier. The timer showed five minutes and 45 seconds - surprisingly close to the walking time.
Driving took just 55 seconds longer than walking, and without those two red lights on the roundabout, the car might have actually won. During peak rush hour, added traffic would easily tip the balance back in favour of walking.
Southbound to northbound would be much longer
Had the test been conducted from the southbound services to the northbound side, the result would have been very different. The nearest roundabout heading south requires driving all the way down to Junction 10 at Walsall - a nine-mile round trip that would easily take 15 minutes.
