M25 closure – live: Motorway shuts as drivers warned of delays and 19-mile diversion

As a part of the M25 closes for the weekend, diversion routes will take automobiles on a 19-mile journey on A roads.

The routes will cross from Surrey into London’s Ulez space, although Nationwide Highways has assured drivers “no enforcement motion might be taken”.

However the highways authority stated anybody who ignores official diversion indicators in an try to search out shorter various routes might be accountable for the £12.50 every day Ulez payment if their car doesn’t meet minimal emissions requirements.

Failure to pay the cost when required may end up in a £180 positive, decreased to £90 if paid inside 14 days.

The RAC suggested motorists to keep away from travelling if doable and pack further foods and drinks in the event that they plan on utilizing the M25 this weekend as stretches of the motorway shut for the complete weekend.

Alice Simpson, RAC breakdown spokesperson, stated: “As this subsequent M25 weekend closure instantly follows main nationwide rail strikes which might see many extra individuals take to the roads, it might be as much as six days of disrupted journey for London’s drivers.

“The closures additionally coincide with the retrofitting of recent emergency areas on all-lane-running stretches of the M25, which means delays are probably between junctions 5 and seven in Surrey and Kent and junctions 23-27 in Hertfordshire and Essex.

“With weekend temperatures reaching 25 levels and even increased, it’s probably that routes across the 23-mile diversion might be busy as individuals profit from the positive climate and leap within the automotive for day journeys.

“Anybody heading to Chessington World of Adventures, which is near the official A3 diversion route, ought to anticipate delays and pack further foods and drinks within the occasion they’re on the street longer than anticipated.

“Holidaymakers heading to Gatwick or Heathrow ought to go away an hour sooner than regular and permit loads of time for parking and safety checks.”

Nationwide Highways says it’s obligatory for “the set up of a bridge and gantry” as a part of a £317 million challenge to enhance junction 10 – which handles 300,000 motorists per day.

“Our enhancements will cut back congestion, create a smoother movement of site visitors and supply safer journeys for 1000’s day by day,” Nationwide Highways says.

The organisation is promising:

• A bigger roundabout with further lanes to extend capability.
• Free movement left turns in any respect 4 corners of the junction.
• New and safer routes for cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders.
• Enhancements to the native atmosphere and wildlife.

The M25 is now closed in each instructions between junctions 9 and 10 in Surrey.

The street closed at 9pm on Friday and can stay shut till 6am on Monday morning whereas concrete beams for a brand new bridge are put in.

Nationwide Highways senior challenge supervisor Jonathan Wade advised drivers to depart further time, observe official diversion routes and to “solely journey if absolutey obligatory”.

Diversion routes will take automobiles on a 19-mile journey on A roads, crossing from Surrey into London’s Ulez space, although Nationwide Highways has assured drivers “no enforcement motion might be taken”.

The closure comes weeks after the motorway’s first-ever deliberate daytime closure over the weekend of March 15 which noticed two-mile queues type.

Very unlikely. The challenge bosses are properly conscious that ending earlier than the Monday morning rush hour is crucial. There are a collection of milestones place to verify the M25 is open for enterprise firstly of the working week.

Final time the work was accomplished, and the M25 reopened, eight hours forward of schedule.

Clockwise diversion for all however over-height autos:

• go away M25 at junction 8, A217 (Reigate)
• observe the A217 London, Sutton, (A240) Kingston
• after 3½ miles flip left onto the A240 Epsom, Kingston
• after 3 miles on the Esso roundabout, flip proper onto the A24 (A240) Kingston
• proceed for 3 miles and on the Tolworth interchange flip left onto the A3 Portsmouth, Guildford
• proceed for 9½ miles to the M25 and re-join the motorway at junction 10

Anticlockwise diversion for all however over-height autos:

• go away M25 at junction 10 to hitch the A3 in direction of London
• after 9½ miles on the Tolworth interchange go away the A3 turning proper onto the A240 Epsom, Reigate
• proceed for 3 miles to the Esso roundabout and switch left onto the A240 Reigate
• proceed for 3 miles then flip proper onto the A217 Reigate, M25
• after 3½ miles flip left to re-join the M25 motorway at junction 8.

Drivers utilizing the signed diversion route received’t be topic to any Extremely Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) fees that will often apply. The Extremely Low Emission Zone will stay in power on all different routes in London throughout the weekend.