M25 five-mile closure: drivers warned to steer clear over weekend

Motorists have received a cautionary message to avoid the area, disconnect their navigation systems and comply with the authorized paths due to significant maintenance work, comparable to the ones orchestrated by the Romans, that will cause a shutdown of a section of the M25 motorway for the very first time.

Expect massive traffic congestion as a section of the London orbital motorway, which happens to be the busiest in Britain, will undergo engineering work starting at 9pm on Friday. This closure spans five miles and is bound to cause significant delays.

This weekend will be the first time the M25 will be closed during the day, which could be a very difficult experience for drivers in the south-west of London and Surrey.

The M25, which is usually very busy, will not be accessible for vehicles going both ways from junctions 10 to 11. This closure will remain in effect until 6am on Monday, as there is work to be done. Specifically, a bridge must be removed and a new gantry needs to be put in place.

National Highways has been planning extensively for months, but they are unable to predict the exact length of the traffic jams. Their estimations infer that the queues could stretch up to five hours, if they do not implement measures to reduce congestion, that is, advising drivers to avoid the area.

On this particular section of the M25, there are usually around 4,000 to 6,000 vehicles passing through every hour. However, due to certain circumstances, these vehicles will have to take a different route through smaller streets that are approximately 11.5 miles longer than their original route.

The section of the highway is frequently utilized by air travelers journeying to, from, or in transit between the UK's top two airports, Heathrow and Gatwick.

Motorists who must navigate their way in and out of the M25 are advised not to rely on their satnavs, as there are concerns that veering off the prescribed detour could result in even more severe traffic congestion.

It is anticipated that cars will congest the serpentine detour through Cobham and Woking, heading north on the A3 and south on the A245.

National Highways is optimistic that by issuing warnings, traffic will be reduced to approximately 50% of its usual volume, and travel times will only be prolonged by roughly one hour.

According to Jonathan Wade, who leads the project for the agency, it's currently challenging to assess how successful our traffic management strategies will be.

"Do try to refrain from traveling if it's possible."

The head of the RAC Foundation, Steve Gooding, stated to the PA news agency that National Highways may have exaggerated their negative outlook on the effects of satnavs, which could potentially worsen traffic conditions by diverting drivers off the main route. He expressed concern that drivers may be tempted to avoid the traffic by taking alternate routes, but the actual consequences on travel time remain uncertain.

According to the predictions of the model, individuals may experience an additional hour of travel time, however, this may seem quite positive for those who are accustomed to the exasperating experience of navigating through the M25, especially on days when there is no significant construction taking place.

There will be an additional four instances where the M25 will be closed during daytime hours between now and September.

The plan is to finish the task by summer 2025, which will expand the quantity of paths available at intersection 10.

Local officials in charge of the road diversion expressed worries about the upcoming events. According to Malcolm Cressey, a representative of Runnymede borough council, managing the situation will be a challenging task. However, he acknowledged the importance of resolving the issues with the bridges.