The closure of a five-mile section of the M25 in Surrey for an entire weekend has raised concerns of gridlocked traffic, with fears that thousands of motorists could get stuck. Both carriageways between junctions 10 and 11 were closed at 21:00 GMT on Friday and will remain shut until 06:00 on Monday. National Highways says about 270,000 drivers use the stretch on a weekday. Emergency services have also warned of a difficult weekend, with some school sports fixtures scheduled in Surrey postponed due to the closure.
National Highways said the closure is to enable the demolition of a bridge and the installation of a new gantry as part of the junction 10 improvement scheme, which will be completed in mid-2025. This scheduled daytime closure of all lanes on the M25 is the first since it opened in 1986. The agency warns that vehicles would face delays of up to five hours without mitigation measures, such as urging drivers to stay away. Mr Jonathan Wade, project lead, advised drivers to “avoid the area entirely, change their plans or take the train” and to follow signs in the area, rather than relying on a sat-nav.
Travellers affected by the closure include people going to Gatwick and Heathrow Airports and the Channel ports, as well as concert-goers, sports fans, and holidaymakers travelling to London and surrounding areas. The closure will be the first of five between now and September as part of a £317m upgrade. Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, advised people who needed to catch a flight to take the train or allow plenty of time if they drive, as it is unprecedented to close the M25 for an entire weekend.
St Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey, Surrey, warns patients to “only visit if necessary,” while the Royal Horticultural Society says its garden in Wisley “will try to remain open.” South East Coast Ambulance Service said on X that “It’s likely to be a challenging weekend for our teams. Please be aware of any emergency vehicles looking to progress through any likely heavy traffic.
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