Thousands of drivers are bracing themselves for a weekend of gridlocked traffic as a five-mile stretch of the M25, Britain’s busiest motorway, remains closed for demolition and construction work. The closure, between junctions 10 and 11 in Surrey, began at 9pm on Friday and is set to reopen at 6am on Monday.
With official estimates of congestion levels potentially being optimistic, motoring experts are warning of potential chaos on the roads. The M25 typically sees between 4,000 and 6,000 vehicles in each direction every hour on weekends, including travelers heading to and from Heathrow and Gatwick airports.
National Highways, the government-owned body responsible for the closure, has implemented mitigation measures to reduce traffic levels by approximately 50%. Despite this, drivers are being urged not to rely on their satnavs for alternative routes, as this could exacerbate congestion on minor roads.
Local councils in areas affected by the diversion route are anticipating significant disruption, with some school sports fixtures already being postponed. The closures are part of a larger project to increase the number of lanes at junction 10, a critical and busy interchange on the M25.
As the closures are set to continue up to September, authorities are being urged to provide ample notice to drivers and work closely with neighboring road managers to minimize the impact on traffic. The unprecedented closures have sparked concerns among residents and officials, who are bracing for a weekend of delays and congestion.