In an unprecedented move, authorities are preparing to shut down a crucial stretch of the M25 motorway, warning drivers to brace for massive delays during the closure.
The closure, spanning from 9 pm on Friday, 15 March to 6 am on Monday, 18 March, encompasses the five-mile stretch between junctions 10 and 11 in Surrey. This strategic shutdown on the UK’s busiest motorway is poised to cause significant disruption to both commuters and travellers alike.
The closure has been necessitated to facilitate essential maintenance works, including the demolition of a bridge and the installation of a new gantry as part of a £317 million improvement project. National Highways, the government-owned company overseeing the project, aims to enhance the number of lanes and streamline access to and from the M25 at Junction 10, known as one of the UK’s busiest and most perilous motorway junctions.
The closure, the first scheduled daytime all-lanes shutdown since the M25’s inception, is expected to impact over 200,000 vehicles, including those commuting to and from London, Heathrow and Gatwick airports, and Channel ports. The disruption is anticipated to be particularly severe given that this section of the M25 typically carries between 4,000 and 6,000 vehicles in each direction per hour on weekends.
National Highways has outlined diversion routes to mitigate the impact of the closure, advising drivers to plan alternative routes or postpone non-essential journeys. The project lead, Jonathan Wade, emphasizes the importance of minimizing travel during the closure, citing heavy congestion and inevitable delays.
This closure marks the first of five planned full closures between junctions 10 and 11, with subsequent closures scheduled up to September. The ongoing project, which commenced in the summer of 2022, is slated to span three years and promises long-term benefits for motorists and other road users traversing this critical section of the M25.
Drivers are urged to stay informed about diversion routes and exercise patience and caution during this period of heightened disruption on the motorway network. Further updates on the closure and its impact will be provided as the situation evolves.
