M25 closures – live: Drivers warned of ‘carmageddon’ as junction works to bring major delays

The shutdown of a key section of the M25 southwest of London will add substantial pressure to other motorways and roads as drivers seek ways around the closure, Simon Calder writes.

Traffic on the rest of the M25 is likely to be much heavier. For example motorists from Southampton and Bristol coming in on the M3 and M4 respectively and heading for the Channel ports or Gatwick airport would normally cut through on the southern side of the motorway.

They may decide to make the journey via the northern and eastern sections of the M25, greatly increasing the distance travelled, the environmental impact and congestion.

The western parts of the South Circular A205 may also be even worse than usual.

Unlike the North Circular Road, the southern half is simply a collection of existing roads cobbled together into a rough semi-circle, and is highly prone to congestion.

RAC breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said: “With the M25 closures and the Easter getaway both falling in March, it could be a month of double traffic trouble for drivers trying to get around London or access Gatwick and Heathrow.

“Despite fair warning, the reality is most holidaymakers seeking to use either airport will have booked their trips months ago and will have to leave a lot more time to get there – not least because the most obvious diversion routes are likely to get extremely congested.

“If you do plan to drive between the 15th and 18th, we recommend starting your car to test its battery health well in advance of travelling and remembering FORCES to check the Fuel, Oil, Rubber, Coolant, Electrics and Screen wash before making any long journey.”

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National Highways said it had “spent months planning for these closures and making sure there are diversion routes in place” – but it admits that there will still be heavy congestion and delay.

The diversion takes motorists along the A3, the A245 and the A320 – and drivers are being urged to stick to the official route rather than following their satnav.

“If people move away from diversion routes that we prescribe, it creates additional issues in different parts of the road network,” said Daniel Kittredge, National Highways senior project manager.

“The majority of the time that will be local roads, so that really impacts residents in those particular areas.”

Simon Calder advises on alternative route between Heathrow and Gatwick airports:

The easy option is to take the Elizabeth Line from Heathrow to Farringdon in central London, which has a direct connection to Thameslink trains. The journey time is about 90 minutes.

Maddeningly, National Rail does not offer fares for the whole journey. The solution is to buy one ticket from Heathrow to East Croydon and another from there to Gatwick. The total single fare is £22.30.

Drivers are being urged to ignore satnavs to prevent causing gridlock during an “unprecedented” closure of the M25 this weekend.

National Highways issued the alert as it prepares to close a five-mile stretch of the motorway in Surrey from 9pm on Friday until 6am on Monday.

The company estimates that drivers who follow signs for diversion routes on A-roads will have an hour added to their usual journey times between junctions 10 and 11, which will be shut in both directions.

Benjamin Parker, The Independent’s deputy travel editor writes:

This five-mile patch of M25 – between junction 10 and 11 – usually sees 6,000 vehicles per hour drive along it. But from 9pm tonight, in an unprecedented move, it’ll go quiet.

This is to allow National Highways to demolish the Clearmount bridleway bridge, as well as install “a very large gantry”.

It said it would be “impossible” to do this work safely without a “full closure of the M25 at this junction”.

But these are key sections of the route. The A3 links Guildford and Portsmouth to the orbital route at Junction 10 – it’s also where many drivers turn off to reach the Chessington World of Adventure theme Park.

At Junction 11 is the Chersey interchange, which connects the A320 between Staines and Woking.

The advice for drivers is clear: only use the M25 if their journey is absolutely necessary, says Jonathan Wade, National Highways project lead.

“Avoid travelling completely or find something to do at home: decorate the bathroom or something” – so says Jonathan Wade, senior project manager for National Highways, ahead of the first weekend closure of the M25.

The unprecedented shutdown of the jam-prone circuit is being talked about locally as “carmaggedon”, with 100 vehicles per minute potentially jostling for space with weekend shoppers.

Our travel correspondent Simon Calder reports: