Over the weekend, a five-mile stretch of the M25 in Surrey will be closed in both directions, and authorities are advising drivers to “take the train.” National Highways has recommended drivers “avoid the area entirely, change their plans, go shopping on Thursday night rather than Saturday morning, or take the train.” This shutdown is the first scheduled daytime closure of all lanes on the M25 since it opened in 1986.
The closure is necessary to demolish a bridge and install a new gantry for the junction 10 improvement scheme due to be completed in 2025. “Long-term benefits” will result from these renovations; however, Jonathan Wade from National Highways warned of “heavy congestion and delays” in the interim. National Highways is advising those who plan to travel to London and nearby areas to plan their journeys well in advance.
Patient care, too, will be affected. St. Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey, Surrey, cautioned its patients to “only visit if necessary” and be mindful of the diversions in place during the weekend. AA President Edmund King estimates that the closures will have a “significant impact” on drivers. The RAC Foundation’s Director of Motoring Research Charity, Steve Gooding, suggests that “you ain’t seen nothing yet” for drivers who have had to deal with the queues at the junction 10 improvements.
This closure marks the first of five between now and September 2022 as part of a £317m upgrade project that will affect travellers heading to Gatwick and Heathrow Airports and the Channel ports among others. The motoring organisation’s advice is for drivers to avoid the M25 in Surrey altogether, giving it a “wide berth.
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