by The M25 will be closed for a full weekend for the second time this year as work continues on the £317m Junction 10 improvement scheme. National Highways closed the motorway in March and progress was made by laying a bridge and installation.
The work was completed eight hours ahead of schedule, which meant that the section between junctions 10 and 11 was reopened to traffic early. The motorway is now due to be closed for another weekend for the construction of concrete beams for the eastern cycle bridge and another major bridge, which will include the closure of another stretch of the M25.
This work will take place during a full weekend closure between junctions 9 (A243 Leatherhead) and 10 (A3 Wisley) from 9pm on Friday, May 10 to 6am on Monday, May 13. This may cause problems for drivers, including those in Essex set to travel. .
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Highways says this phase of work needs to be done in May to continue progress on the delivery of the scheme which is due to open to traffic in Summer 2025. Closure dates are subject to change and a third will be announced shortly . and possible after the works are completed on Monday, 13 May 2024.
These £317m ‘essential’ works are one of five sets of improvements to the M25 taking place this year, as part of the Government’s £24bn Roads Investment Strategy (RIS2). The Junction 10 improvement scheme will improve the number of lanes to make journeys safer and new junctions will be laid out to improve traffic flow.
It will also make it easier and safer to get on and off the M25, and reduce pollution caused by traffic jams, says National Highways. This is the second of five full weekend closures of the M25 with three more to come between July and the end of the year.
National Highways and delivery partner Balfour Beatty Atkins are continuing to liaise with key stakeholders in the run-up to this closure, including emergency services, Surrey County Council, local businesses and Gatwick and Heathrow Airports. Local residents, vacationers, concert goers and sports fans should plan their trip in advance and make sure they allow extra time or make other travel arrangements.
Diversion routes in place
For the closure of the M25 between junction 9 A243 Leatherhead and junction 10 A3 Wisley, which is planned to take place on the weekend of 11 & 12 May, there are four diversions depending on the direction of travel and the type of vehicle. Clear signs will be placed on all routes and will be as follows:
A clockwise diversion route (from Gatwick to Heathrow) for most traffic:
Leave the M25 at junction 8, A217 (Reigate). Follow the A217 London, Sutton, (A240) Kingston. After 3½ miles turn left onto the A240 Epsom, Kingston. After 3 miles at the Esso roundabout, turn right onto the A24 (A240) Kingston. Continue for 3 miles and turn left onto the A3 Portsmouth, Guildford. Continue for 9½ miles to the M25 and rejoin the motorway at junction 10.
Clockwise diversion route (from Gatwick towards Heathrow) for vehicles over 15’0 / 4.6m):
Leave the M25 at junction 9 A243 (Leatherhead). Follow A243 London, Hook, Chessington. After 6 miles, turn left onto the A309 Esher, Staines, (A3) Guildford, Portsmouth. After 1½ miles turn left onto the A307 Esher, Guildford A3. After 4½ miles, in Cobham, turn right onto the A245 M25, Guildford A3, Bridge of Wey, Woking. After ½ mile turn left onto the A3 Portsmouth Guildford. Continue for 1 mile and rejoin the motorway at J10.
Anti-clockwise diversion route (from Heathrow to Gatwick) for most traffic:
Leave the M25 at junction 10 to join the A3 towards London. After 9½ miles at the Hook junction leave the A3 turning right onto the A240 Epsom, Reigate. Continue for 3 miles to the Esso roundabout and turn left onto the A240 Reigate. Continue for 3 miles then turn right onto the A217 Reigate, M25. After 3½ miles turn left to rejoin the M25 motorway at junction 8.
Anti-clockwise diversion route (from Heathrow to Gatwick) for vehicles over 15’0 / 4.6m):
Leave the M25 at junction 10 to join the A3 towards London. After a mile at the Pearse Hill junction leave the A3 turning right onto the A245 Cobham (A307 Esher). After ½ mile turn left onto the A307 Esher. Continue for 4½ miles and then turn right onto the A309 London, Sutton. Continue for a further 2 miles to the Hook junction and turn right onto the A243 Dorking. After 6 miles, turn left to rejoin the M25 motorway at junction 9.
The carriageway between junctions 9 and 11 carries between 4,000 and 6,000 vehicles per hour in each direction between 10am and 9pm on weekends. Up to 270,000 vehicles pass through this junction every weekday and it is one of the busiest stretches of road in the UK.
National Roads Senior Project Manager Jonathan Wade said: “This is far from being a repeat of the previous closure, as the alternative routes are longer and will be different for over-height vehicles and all other traffic . Drivers heeded our advice last time which reduced motorway traffic levels by more than two thirds and limited delays. Our advice is again to only travel if absolutely necessary and make sure you give yourself extra time if you choose to use the M25.”
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