Drivers have been warned to expect long delays when the first planned daytime closure of a stretch of the M25 takes place later this month.
The five-mile stretch of carriageway will be closed from the end of next week. National Highways have estimated that over 200,000 vehicles will be affected by the closure, particularly those travelling in and out of London.
People driving to and from Heathrow and Gatwick Airports will also be forced to divert as the road between junctions 10 and 11 close. The route usually carried between 4,000 and 6,000 vehicles in each direction per hour from 10am until 9pm at weekends.
National Highways have urged motorists to “only travel if necessary”. It is the first scheduled daytime all-lanes shutdown on the M25 since it opened in 1986 – with four more planned closures expected.
When is the M25 being closed?
The affected stretch of the M25 will be closed from 9pm on Friday 15 March until 6am on Monday 18 March.
Why?
National Highways are undertaking an improvement project on the road that will cost £317 million. They company, that is owned by the government, say that the closure is necessary so that a bridge can be demolished to allow a new gantry to be installed.
The project will increase the number of lanes and make it easier to enter and exit the M25 at junction 10 – one of the UK’s busiest and most dangerous motorway junctions.
The aim is to improve safety and make it easier to enter and exit the M25, as well as reducing pollution caused by traffic jams.
What is the expected diversion?
The diversion around the closure spans over double the length of the closure. Drivers will be forced to divert for 11 miles, going through Ottershaw and on to Sheerton in Woking, before heading towards Byfleet in Surrey, past the Botleys Mansion wedding venue.
Drivers will then have to go on to the A3 southbound, going back on themselves and heading towards RHS Garden Wisley before turning back on the M25.
A spokesperson for National Highways told Yahoo News UK that while they could not give a specific time on how long the diversion would take, it could “potentially add hours” to any journey.
What do drivers think?
The M25 is the UK’s busiest motorway and regular drivers will already be used to delays and diversions as a result of roadworks or accidents. But Steve Gooding, director of motoring research charity the RAC Foundation, said this closure will be particularly “frustrating” – and will affect surrounding local roads.
He said: “For drivers who’ve already had their patience tried by the queues at the junction 10 works, the phrase ‘you ain’t seen nothing yet’ springs to mind. National Highways’ plea for people to avoid driving in the area applies not just to trips on the M25 but also to those on surrounding local roads onto which the M25 traffic will be diverted.
“The hope must be that drivers take great care, however frustrating the delays and disruption might be. The last thing we need is shunts or crashes, however minor, because the slightest mishap will compound the misery.”
Yahoo News UK has contacted The AA for comment.
