M25 closures: Dates and various routes for Gatwick and Heathrow

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“Keep dwelling weekend”: that’s the acceptable slogan between 15 and 18 March for motorists who usually use the southwest quadrant of the M25 motorway.

From 9pm on Friday 15 March to 6am on Monday 18 March 2024, Nationwide Highways is to close the M25 in each instructions between junctions 10 and 11. These are key intersections on the southwest quadrant of the motorway. Junction 10 is the place the M25 meets the A3 to Guildford and Portsmouth, with many motorists additionally accessing Chessington World of Journey. Junction 11 serves the important thing hyperlink of the A320 between Staines and Woking, in addition to the A317 to Weybridge.

Nationwide Highways says the closure is “to demolish the Clearmount bridleway bridge and set up a really giant gantry”. It says: “And not using a full closure of the M25 at this junction, it will be unimaginable to securely demolish the overbridges and set up the brand new gantry.”

Usually round 5,000 automobiles per hour would use the M25 between these junctions at weekends throughout the day.

The organisation has prescribed a diversionary route that greater than doubles the five-mile distance between the 2 junctions. Nationwide Highways is warning “solely journey is critical”.

Travellers accessing Heathrow and Gatwick airports might be affected, as will many motorists heading for Channel crossings in Kent.

How unhealthy will or not it’s? These are the important thing questions and solutions.

Why is the M25 closed?

Nationwide Highways says it’s a part of a “main undertaking to make journeys safer and cut back air pollution”.

The organisation says: “The Junction 10 enchancment scheme will see a rise within the variety of lanes to make journeys safer and enhance site visitors movement. It’ll additionally make it simpler and safer to enter and exit the M25.

“It’ll additionally cut back the air pollution brought on by site visitors jams.”

Has this occured earlier than?

Not throughout the day; there have been occasional night time closures when site visitors could be very mild.

The ultimate hyperlink within the M25 motorway round London – between London Colney and South Mimms – was opened to site visitors by then-prime minister Margaret Thatcher at 9.30am on 29 October 1986.

Since then accidents, congestion and roadworks have brought about numerous issues. But by no means has an important stretch of one in every of Europe’s busiest motorways been fully closed for a weekend.

This would be the first of 5 closures between now and September 2024.

What’s the recommendation for drivers?

Jonathan Wade, Nationwide Highways Venture Lead, says: “Drivers ought to solely use the M25 if their journey is completely mandatory.

“We’ve got spent months planning for these closures and ensuring there are diversion routes in place, however there’ll nonetheless be heavy congestion and delays.”

The diversion route entails the A3, the A245 and the A320.

“Taking the M25 within the different course to keep away from our closure can be an choice,” Nationwide Highways says.

The organisation’s senior undertaking supervisor, Daniel Kittredge, urges motorists to not comply with suggestions of their satnav, and as a substitute persist with the official diversion. The concern is that gridlock may rapidly unfold throughout northwest Surrey.

“If folks transfer away from diversion routes that we prescribe, it creates extra points in numerous elements of the highway community,” he says. “The vast majority of the time that might be native roads, so that basically impacts residents in these specific areas.”

Alice Simpson of RAC Breakdown says: “The obvious diversion routes are more likely to get extraordinarily congested.

“It’s at all times greatest to set off as early as doable and keep away from travelling throughout peak hours like late morning and lunchtime.

“Because the M25 is notoriously one of many busiest routes within the nation any improve in drivers may result in extra breakdowns, and much more jams.”

She says motorists heading for Heathrow or Gatwick airport “must go away much more time to get there”.

Earlier than the M25 opened, journeys between the UK’s two busiest airports have been extraordinarily sluggish and sophisticated by highway. Coach hyperlinks between Gatwick and Heathrow are additionally more likely to be disrupted.

Will any coaches be operating?

Sure. A spokesperson for Nationwide Specific mentioned: “Nationwide Specific will proceed to function providers alongside diverted routes throughout subsequent weekend’s closure of the M25 between junctions 10 and 11.

“Delays are anticipated and clients are suggested to permit loads of time for his or her journey.

“We’re contacting clients who’re affected by the weekend’s diversion to supply a free modification to their ticket ought to they want to change their journey plans.”

A spokesperson for FlixBus mentioned: “Nearly all our community might be unaffected by M25 closures, delivering dependable, reasonably priced transport as standard, with solely a handful of providers between Bristol and South Wales terminating at Heathrow between 15 and 18 March as a substitute of going via to Gatwick airport.

“Passengers who have been booked onto these Gatwick providers have been given the choice to both change their date of journey or obtain a full refund.”

Any various route between Heathrow and Gatwick airports?

Sure. The straightforward choice 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, Nationwide Rail doesn’t supply fares for the entire journey. The answer is to purchase one ticket from Heathrow to East Croydon and one other from there to Gatwick. The whole single fare is £22.30.

With there be different issues that weekend?

Sure. Visitors on the remainder of the M25 is more likely to be a lot heavier; for instance motorists from Birmingham or Oxford taking the M40 to London might resolve to move for Gatwick by way of the northern and japanese sections of the M25, rising congestion.

Many key rail hyperlinks throughout Nice Britain are closed – with the absence of trains from London Marylebone to Aylesbury probably exacerbating issues brought on by the M25 closure.

Extra rail closures: