M25 closure – live: Motorway section reopens as National Highways issues update

We’re finishing our live reporting on the M25 motorway closure.

Thanks for reading and join us again soon for all the latest traffic and travel updates.

Have a good rest of day.

Matt Mathers13 May 2024 09:21

Motorists still urged to visit Surrey despite M25 closure

Motorists are still being urged to visit Surrey this weekend despite the closure of the M25 motorway.

“Surrey is an enormous county so please carry on as you are,” National Highways project manager Jonathan Wade told BBC Radio Surrey.

He said the impact from the motorway closure was expected to be “fairly limited to certain areas”.

Matt Mathers11 May 2024 08:15

Pinned post: M25 closed in both directions between Junctions 9 and 10 - mapped

Map below shows section of M25 motorway that is closed until Monday morning.

Matt Mathers11 May 2024 09:48

Official diversion routes this weekend

Clockwise diversion for all but over-height vehicles:

Anticlockwise diversion for all but over-height vehicles:

Drivers using the signed diversion route won’t be subject to any Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) charges that may usually apply. The Ultra Low Emission Zone will remain in force on all other routes in London across the weekend.

Matt Mathers11 May 2024 10:00

Traffic flowing fairly smoothly early on Saturday

The key junction on the M25 closure diversion is the A3-A240 interchange at Tolworth in southwest London, travel correspondent Simon Calder reports.

It is a large and complex junction that is normally busy with local traffic and many bus services as well as vehicles joining and leaving the A3 trunk road between London and Portsmouth

Early on the first morning of the closure, traffic was flowing fairly freely. But the diversion route passes close to Chessington World of Adventures, which is expected to be very busy over the weekend. The RHS Garden Wisley, close to junction 10, is open as normal.

Motorists who decide to take the train instead between London and Portsmouth will find that the main railway line is partly closed due to Network Rail engineering work, with rail replacement buses running. There are also rail closures between Reading and Guildford, and between Guildford and Ash.

Traffic on the rest of the M25 is likely to be much heavier; for example motorists from Birmingham or Oxford taking the M40 to London may decide to head for Gatwick via the northern and eastern sections of the M25, increasing the distance covered by almost 100 miles.

Matt Mathers11 May 2024 10:06

Drivers urged to pack extra food and drink if planning to travel on M25

The RAC advised motorists to avoid travelling if possible and pack extra food and drink if they plan on using the M25 this weekend as stretches of the motorway shut for the entire weekend.

Alice Simpson, RAC breakdown spokesperson, said: “As this next M25 weekend closure immediately follows major national rail strikes which could see many more people take to the roads, it could be up to six days of disrupted travel for London’s drivers.

“The closures also coincide with the retrofitting of new emergency areas on all-lane-running stretches of the M25, meaning delays are likely between junctions 5 and 7 in Surrey and Kent and junctions 23-27 in Hertfordshire and Essex.

“With weekend temperatures reaching 25 degrees or even higher, it’s likely that routes around the 23-mile diversion will be busy as people make the most of the fine weather and jump in the car for day trips.

“Anyone heading to Chessington World of Adventures, which is close to the official A3 diversion route, should expect delays and pack extra food and drink in the event they’re on the road longer than expected.

“Holidaymakers heading to Gatwick or Heathrow should leave an hour earlier than usual and allow plenty of time for parking and security checks.”

Matt Mathers11 May 2024 11:00

Could the work overrun?

Most unlikely, says travel correspondent Simon Calder. The project bosses are well aware that finishing before the Monday morning rush hour is essential.

There are a series of milestones place to make sure the M25 is open for business at the start of the working week.

Last time the work was completed, and the M25 reopened, eight hours ahead of schedule.

Matt Mathers11 May 2024 11:06

ICYMI: Why is the M25 closed again this weekend and how bad is the traffic?

“Only travel if necessary”: that was the message from National Highways ahead of the second weekend shutdown of the M25.

Full report:

Matt Mathers11 May 2024 12:34

ICYMI: Traffic flowing fairly smoothly early on Saturday

The key junction on the M25 closure diversion is the A3-A240 interchange at Tolworth in southwest London, travel correspondent Simon Calder reports.

It is a large and complex junction that is normally busy with local traffic and many bus services as well as vehicles joining and leaving the A3 trunk road between London and Portsmouth

Early on the first morning of the closure, traffic was flowing fairly freely. But the diversion route passes close to Chessington World of Adventures, which is expected to be very busy over the weekend. The RHS Garden Wisley, close to junction 10, is open as normal.

Motorists who decide to take the train instead between London and Portsmouth will find that the main railway line is partly closed due to Network Rail engineering work, with rail replacement buses running. There are also rail closures between Reading and Guildford, and between Guildford and Ash.

Traffic on the rest of the M25 is likely to be much heavier; for example motorists from Birmingham or Oxford taking the M40 to London may decide to head for Gatwick via the northern and eastern sections of the M25, increasing the distance covered by almost 100 miles.

Matt Mathers11 May 2024 13:00

Update: Slow moving traffic on lead up to Junctions 9 and 10

Traffic is slow moving on the lead-up to Junction 9 on the M25, which is currently shut between Junctions 9 and 10 for maintenance work.

There was also slow moving traffic northwards on the A243, where drivers are exiting the motorway on a diversion to avoid the closure.

According to Google Maps, there was also a build-up of traffic at the end of the diversion on the A3, southwards, near Junction 10.

Matt Mathers11 May 2024 15:11