M25 section to close from 9pm for bridge demolition
The motorway will be closed between Junctions 10 and 11 in Surrey.
A section of the M25 will be closed from 9pm on Friday until 6am on Monday as part of a delayed £317 million project.
The motorway will be closed between Junctions 10 and 11 in Surrey to allow National Highways to demolish and remove a bridge which is no longer needed.
Diversion routes on A roads will be in place.
The project, which started in summer 2022, will increase the number of lanes at Junction 10, which is one of the UK’s busiest and most dangerous motorway junctions.
It was initially scheduled to be completed this summer, but will not finish until spring next year because of delays attributed to extreme weather.
Among the people affected by this weekend’s closure will be many of those travelling to, from and between the UK’s two busiest airports, Heathrow and Gatwick.
There were fears of severe congestion on diversion routes during weekend closures in 2024, but many drivers heeded warnings to stay away, meaning long hold-ups were avoided.
National Highways senior project manager Jonathan Wade said: “We were grateful to drivers who listened to our advice during the three weekend closures last year and I’d again urge them to only use the motorway if their journey is absolutely necessary.
“Unfortunately, it’s simply not possible to carry out this scale of infrastructure improvement, which will benefit millions of people in the long-term, without there being some degree of short-term disruption.
“We have spent months planning these closures, but they will still cause significant congestion and delays, so we are asking road users to allow extra time and use alternative routes where possible.
“Please follow our official diversion routes and not information from satnavs.”
The final weekend closure as part of the project is scheduled to take place in a fortnight.
RAC spokesperson Alice Simpson said: “Without careful planning, drivers could face some really lengthy tailbacks.
“We expect diversion routes, especially along the A3, to become heavily congested.
“Those that do decide to drive on either weekend should prepare to spend much longer on the roads and make sure they have plenty of fuel or charge for their trips.”
The March 2024 closure was the first planned daytime shutdown of the M25 since it opened in 1986.
