M25 closure map shows 11-mile diversion amid weekend roadworks

Drivers have been warned to continue expecting long delays during the first planned daytime closure of a stretch of the M25.

A five-mile stretch of the motorway between junctions 10 and 11 closed in both directions at 9pm on Friday and will remain inaccessible until 6am on Monday while a bridge is demolished and a new gantry installed.

National Highways estimated that over 200,000 vehicles would be affected by the closure, particularly those travelling in and out of London, while people driving to and from Heathrow and Gatwick airports are forced to divert.

The government-owned agency urged drivers not to follow their satnavs and to instead stick to the designated diversion route in order to avoid unnecessary congestion in surrounding residential areas. A local councillor anticipated a "nightmare" on the roads and people struggling to get to their own villages.

Saturday morning saw tailbacks of two miles on the M25 in Surrey, but one business, based on the outskirts of Woking, and just off the diversion route, told Yahoo News that it was actually "really quiet" in their area. This perhaps suggests many people took the advice of National Highways project leader Jonathan Wade to stay at home and "decorate the bathroom" or "play in the garden".

However, with planned engineering works on South Western Railway's network being carried out by Network Rail on Sunday, replacement buses travelling through affected areas could mean further delays for drivers.

This weekend's closure is the first scheduled daytime all-lanes shutdown on the M25 since it opened in 1986 – with four more closures planned.

When is the M25 being closed?

The affected stretch of the M25 was closed as of 9pm on Friday and will remain shut until 6am on Monday.

Residents, holidaymakers, concertgoers and sports fans travelling to and around the capital have been urged to allow extra time for their journeys and find alternative travel arrangements. Those travelling to Gatwick and Heathrow airports and Channel ports may be affected, National Highways warned.

Why?

National Highways is undertaking an improvement project on the road that will cost £317m. The company, which is owned by the government, said that the closure was necessary so that a bridge could be demolished to allow a new overhead traffic sign 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 reduce pollution caused by traffic jams.

This weekend's closure is the first of five shutdowns between now and September 2024 under a "junction 10 improvement scheme". The project is due to be completed in summer 2025.

What is the diversion?

The diversion around the closure spans over double the length of the closure itself. Drivers are being 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 then have to join the A3 southbound, going back on themselves and heading towards RHS Garden Wisley before turning back on the M25.

According to National Highways South-East (NHSE) the estimated average journey time through the diversion route was 25 minutes on Saturday. It added that workers had made good progress during the first night of work, as it shared an image on X, formerly Twitter.

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 would 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."

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, said drivers may choose not to put up with the diversion – and will instead stay at home.

He said: "Roadworks are a necessary evil, but the full closure on this section of the M25 will feel like a new level of hell. The diversion routes will be busy, so drivers need to be prepared for delays. However, some drivers may decide that it's more trouble than it's worth and cancel their trips altogether."