M25 news – live: Motorway reopens early ahead of Monday rush hour traffic

Traffic was back to normal on the M25 in Surrey this morning after weekend works that closed a section of the motorway finished hours ahead of schedule.

A five-mile stretch between junctions 10 and 11 was shut in both directions on 9pm on Friday and wasn’t expected to reopen until 6am on Monday.

However at 10:30pm on Sunday, National Highways revealed that the road was now open in both directions following the successful demolition of the Clearmount bridge.

“We’d like to say a massive ‘thank you’ to everyone for your patience during this weekend’s closure of the M25 J10-11,” it wrote on X.

“The closure was to demolish a bridge and install a huge gantry. The road’s now open again, eight hours ahead of schedule. Thank you again for bearing with us.”

It comes after drivers were warned to stay at home as the unprecedented closure of the motorway was expected to cause a “carmageddon” of gridlock traffic over the weekend.

It was the first planned daytime closure of the motorway – which encircles London – since it opened in 1986.

Key Points

• How the M25 became a tourist attraction

• Motorway reopens ahead of schedule

• Five-mile closure already creating two miles of tailbacks on M25

• Drivers told to ‘decorate the bathroom or something’ by National Highways

Pausing our coverge

10:38 , Alex Ross

Thank you for following our blog - we’re now pausing coverage.

Facts about the M25

10:38 , Alex Ross

The M25 normally carries between 4,000 and 6,000 vehicles in each direction every hour from 10am until 9pm at weekends between junctions nine and 11.

Here are some others facts about the motorway circling the capital city:

• The M25 cost almost £1bn in the 1980s

• Two million tons of concrete were used in construction.

• It was first designed to carry up to 100,000 vehicles each day, but now covers nearly double that.

• Construction was between 1975 and 1986, with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher opening the final section

‘Better than we expected'

10:02 , Alex Ross

The closure of the M25 section between junctions 10 and 11 saw a diversion route set up through the towns of Byfleet, West Byfleet, Woking and Ottershaw.

There were concerns over traffic build-up along the route, but the situation turned out to be not as bad as first feared.

Drivers were told to avoid travelling over the weekend.

Amanda Boote, of Woking Borough Council, told the PA news agency: “It’s actually been as lot better than we expected, it’s not gridlocked in the way that we thought it would be.

“It was built up a bit, but no different to how it might normally be. Actually residents are quite happy, they’ve been sleeping well because it’s so quiet overnight.”

Drivers had ‘taken on board our advice’ - Highways England

09:30 , Alex Ross

During the closure of the M25 between junctions 10 and 11, a 11.5-mile diversion route was in operation directing traffic along A roads - while Highways England urged people to use the M25 only if “absolutely necessary”.

The removal of the bridge and installation of a gantry resulted in the closure of the motorway section. It will be the first of five closures between now and September as part of a £317m upgrade to the motorway.

National Highways project lead Jonathan Wade told the BBC that the congestion resulting from the weekend closure “wasn’t anywhere near as dire as you might expect”.

He said: “[Drivers had] taken on board our advice, which reduced traffic levels by over 50% and meant the length of time added to journeys was around 30 minutes.”

He added: “Thank you to everyone for their cooperation that has made carrying out work on this major project to make journeys safer and reduce pollution much easier.”

You won’t see the M25 like this again...

09:00 , Alex Ross

Peace on the M25 - it was a rare sight for anyone crossing over a bridge between junction 10 and 11 at the weekend. The motorway fully reopened on Sunday night.

‘Normal service resumes’

08:25 , Alex Ross

National Highways thanks people for their patience

07:45 , Sam Rkaina

National Highways has thanked drivers for their patience over the weekend during the M25 closure.

“We’d like to say a massive ‘thank you’ to everyone for your patience during this weekend’s closure of the M25 J10-11,” a spokesperson tweeted on Sunday night.

“The closure was to demolish a bridge and install a huge gantry. The road’s now open again, eight hours ahead of schedule. Thank you again for bearing with us.”

ICYMI: How the M25 became a tourist attraction

06:00 , Athena Stavrou

Our travel correspondent Simon Calder reports:

“By Byfleet station we emerged from the pine trees, and found the country calm and peaceful under the morning sunlight.”

I recalled that line – from H G Wells’s War of the Worlds – at West Byfleet station in Surrey as I emerged from the first train of the morning from London on Saturday.

In this leafy corner of the home counties, all was “calm and peaceful under the morning sunlight” – until the first Bulgarian truck came thundering through.

The lorry had been diverted from its planned trajectory by the unprecedented closure of a stretch of the M25 orbital motorway around London.

And the A245 between Byfleet and West Byfleet has become part of a diversionary route – as well, I was to discover, as a temporary tourist attraction:

How the M25 became a tourist attraction

RAC warns of a month of ‘double traffic trouble’

04:30 , Athena Stavrou

RAC breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said: “With the M25 closures and the Easter getaway both falling in March, it could be a month of double traffic trouble for drivers trying to get around London or access Gatwick and Heathrow.

“Despite fair warning, the reality is most holidaymakers seeking to use either airport will have booked their trips months ago and will have to leave a lot more time to get there – not least because the most obvious diversion routes are likely to get extremely congested.

“If you do plan to drive between the 15th and 18th, we recommend starting your car to test its battery health well in advance of travelling and remembering FORCES to check the Fuel, Oil, Rubber, Coolant, Electrics and Screen wash before making any long journey.”

In pictures: Historic M25 closure over the weekend

03:00 , Athena Stavrou

Watch: Closed M25 drone footage captures workers demolishing bridge

01:00 , Athena Stavrou

Motorway reopens ahead of schedule

Sunday 17 March 2024 23:28 , Athena Stavrou

Historic work on the M25 in Surrey has finished hours ahead of schedule, allowing the road to reopen ahead of Monday rush hour traffic.

A five-mile stretch between junctions 10 and 11 was shut in both directions on 9pm on Friday and wasn’t expected to reopen until 6am on Monday.

However at 10:30pm on Sunday, National Highways revealed that the road was now open in both directions following the successful demolition of the Clearmount bridge.

“We’d like to say a massive ‘thank you’ to everyone for your patience during this weekend’s closure of the M25 J10-11,” it wrote on X.

“The closure was to demolish a bridge and install a huge gantry. The road’s now open again, eight hours ahead of schedule. Thank you again for bearing with us.”

‘Good progress’ on M25, claims National Highways

Sunday 17 March 2024 20:08 , Athena Stavrou

Good progress has been made on the M25 in Surrey, where engineers are bringing down a bridge during the motorway’s first ever planned daytime closure.

A five-mile stretch between junctions 10 and 11 has been shut in both directions since 9pm on Friday and won’t reopen until 6am on Monday.

“We made good progress during the first night of the M25 J10 to J11 weekend closure,” NHSE posted on X at 9.05pm on Saturday.

“We will again work throughout the night to continue the demolition and gantry installations. There are minimal delays in the area at this time.”

National Highways issues fresh appeal to motorists

Sunday 17 March 2024 15:50 , Andy Gregory

National Highway has issued a fresh plea for motorists only to travel on the M25 and diversion route if necessary.

Queues remain light on approach to the diversion

Sunday 17 March 2024 14:05 , Andy Gregory

Queues remain light on either side of the M25 closure, traffic cameras show.

A camera in the run-up to Junction 10 shows cars lined up tightly on the approach to the diversion, as they have been all morning.

While the two cameras in the approach to Junction 11 are out of action, there appears to be less than 2km of congestion in the lead-up to the diversion there.

Simon Calder: Why not open stretch of closed M25 to cyclists and pedestrians?

Sunday 17 March 2024 13:36 , Andy Gregory

The Independent’s travel correspondent Simon Calder has suggested opening up part of the closed-off stretches of the M25 to cyclists and pedestrains during the four upcoming shutdowns.

He writes: “I do not suggest that visitors should play among the bulldozers as the workers energetically pursue the Monday morning reopening deadline.

“But since several miles of motorway are entirely unoccupied, I commend properly organised walks and bike rides along the empty carriageways.

“Abu Dhabi opens its Formula One circuit regularly to pedestrians, runners and cyclists, and the M25 could provide the same temporary playground. To quote H G Wells once again, “a beautiful serenity” deserves to be appreciated.

Average of 100 vehicles per minute typically fly past Byfleet on M25

Sunday 17 March 2024 12:00 , Simon Calder, Travel Correspondent

Byfleet and West Byfleet became estranged in the early 1980s. What came between them was an 80-yard-wide cutting carrying six lanes of traffic – later “densified” to eight lanes. Over a normal weekend, every minute an average of 100 cars, lorries and buses barrel through this deep divide.

Ten miles to the north: Europe’s busiest airport, Heathrow; 20 miles southeast, the UK’s main holiday airport, Gatwick. And wherever you want to go in Britain, if you can’t access it from a motorway or A-road junction on the M25, it’s probably not worth going.

Since Margaret Thatcher opened the full circuit in 1986, the M25 has become one of the most critical pieces of infrastructure in Europe. For the first time, a daytime closure is taking place. A stretch of the motorway southwest of London is shut for the weekend, until 6am on Monday.

The aim: to improve Junction 10, where the M25 meets the A3 trunk road linking London with Guildford and Portsmouth (not to mention Chessington World of Adventures). The only way to do this is to close the entire five-mile stretch to Junction 11:

How the M25 became a tourist attraction

Only minor traffic queues in run-up to diversion this morning

Sunday 17 March 2024 10:57 , Andy Gregory

Traffic cameras appear to show little traffic on the approaches to Junctions 10 and 11, where the diversion is in force.

The Evening Standard had reported an hour ago that Inrix data suggested around 2km of traffic had been building to the north of the road closure at Junction 11, near Chertsey.

How the M25 became a tourist attraction

Sunday 17 March 2024 10:04 , Andy Gregory

Our travel correspondent Simon Calder reports:

“By Byfleet station we emerged from the pine trees, and found the country calm and peaceful under the morning sunlight.”

I recalled that line – from H G Wells’s War of the Worlds – at West Byfleet station in Surrey as I emerged from the first train of the morning from London on Saturday.

In this leafy corner of the home counties, all was “calm and peaceful under the morning sunlight” – until the first Bulgarian truck came thundering through. The lorry had been diverted from its planned trajectory by the unprecedented closure of a stretch of the M25 orbital motorway around London. And the A245 between Byfleet and West Byfleet has become part of a diversionary route – as well, I was to discover, as a temporary tourist attraction:

How the M25 became a tourist attraction

Traffic along diversion not as bad as feared, councillor says

Sunday 17 March 2024 09:14 , Andy Gregory

Amanda Boote, of Woking Borough Council, has told the PA news agency that traffic along the diversion route through the towns of Byfleet, West Byfleet, Woking and Ottershaw was not as bad as feared.

Congestion stretched for two miles on Saturday morning, according to National Highways South-East, and the estimated average journey time through the 11.5-mile diversion route was 25 minutes.

NHSE said on Saturday it had made good progress during the first night of work.

Drivers warned to expect delays

Sunday 17 March 2024 08:40 , Andy Gregory

Drivers have been warned to expect delays to their journeys throughout the day.

‘Good progress’ on M25, claims National Highways

Sunday 17 March 2024 07:43 , Alexander Butler

Good progress has been made on the M25 in Surrey, where engineers are bringing down a bridge during the motorway’s first ever planned daytime closure.

A five-mile stretch between junctions 10 and 11 has been shut in both directions since 9pm on Friday and won’t reopen until 6am on Monday.

“We made good progress during the first night of the M25 J10 to J11 weekend closure,” NHSE posted on X at 9.05pm on Saturday.

“We will again work throughout the night to continue the demolition and gantry installations. There are minimal delays in the area at this time.”

In pictures: Travel chaos as stretch of M25 closed until Monday

Sunday 17 March 2024 07:00 , Athena Stavrou

Watch: Closed M25 drone footage captures workers demolishing bridge

Sunday 17 March 2024 06:00 , Athena Stavrou

Closed M25 becomes tourist attraction

Sunday 17 March 2024 05:00 , Athena Stavrou

People have flocked to an unlikely spot to take selfies as they gaze over an eerily quiet M25.

A five-mile stretch of the road has been shut until Monday while a bridge is demolished and a new gantry is installed.

Locals fear ‘nightmare’ closure

Sunday 17 March 2024 04:00 , Athena Stavrou

The first planned daytime closure of the M25 could be a “nightmare”, a councillor fears as local residents and businesses along the diversion route brace for the impact.

Daryl Jordan, of Woking Borough Council, told the PA news agency the Byfleet Road, which is close to junction 10, had been “chock-a-block” on Friday afternoon.

He said residents will be “affected massivel”, adding: “It is pulling people apart. I mean, you know, when you work full-time and then you’re going to get home tonight from work thinking ‘I must fill the fridge up’ and you can’t even get into your own village.

“It’s going to be a nightmare. Just going down the road to get milk is going to be a problem ... or picking up your dry cleaning.”

RAC warns of a month of ‘double traffic trouble’

Sunday 17 March 2024 03:00 , Athena Stavrou

RAC breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said: “With the M25 closures and the Easter getaway both falling in March, it could be a month of double traffic trouble for drivers trying to get around London or access Gatwick and Heathrow.

“Despite fair warning, the reality is most holidaymakers seeking to use either airport will have booked their trips months ago and will have to leave a lot more time to get there – not least because the most obvious diversion routes are likely to get extremely congested.

“If you do plan to drive between the 15th and 18th, we recommend starting your car to test its battery health well in advance of travelling and remembering FORCES to check the Fuel, Oil, Rubber, Coolant, Electrics and Screen wash before making any long journey.”

ICYMI: Simon Calder gives update as closure expected to cause traffic chaos

Sunday 17 March 2024 02:00 , Athena Stavrou

In pictures: Travel chaos as stretch of M25 closed until Monday

Sunday 17 March 2024 01:00 , Athena Stavrou

Train advice for anxious motorists

Sunday 17 March 2024 00:01 , Athena Stavrou

A leading railway figure has offered some advice to travellers who risk being caught up in the M25 closure over the weekend, Simon Calder writes.

Mark Hopwood, managing director of Great Western Railway, told The Independent’s daily travel podcast: “There isn’t, sadly, a railway equivalent of the M25 so we can’t necessarily replicate all the journeys – but actually one of the great things in London at Farringdon is you can interchange from the Elizabeth Line to Thameslink in about 45 seconds.”

The central London station of Farringdon will allow anyone coming from Heathrow airport or Reading on the Elizabeth Line to change to a Thameslink train to Gatwick airport, Brighton, Luton airport or Cambridge.

“I think people will find that they could maybe make their journey by train and do it in a decent amount of time,” the GWR boss said.

“If you’ve ended up on one of those strange flight itineraries where you need to get from Heathrow to Gatwick, you can do that quite easily.”

Mr Hopwood was speaking at the unveiling of a revolutionary new battery-powered train for a line in west London.

Success of diversion will depend on drivers sticking to it, warns National Highways

Saturday 16 March 2024 22:30 , Athena Stavrou

National Highways project lead Jonathan Wade has warned that how well the area copes with the M25 closure will partly depend on whether drivers stick to official diversions.

He told the PA news agency: “How many people are going to take the initiative and try and use satnavs? There’s probably a greater risk of congestion by people just doing their own thing and thinking they can perhaps beat the signs and find a shorter or quicker route.

“That will cause further congestion on some of the key junctions so please avoid doing that if at all possible.”

Watch: Closed M25 drone footage captures workers demolishing bridge

Saturday 16 March 2024 21:30 , Athena Stavrou

In pictures: Travel chaos as stretch of M25 closed until Monday

Saturday 16 March 2024 20:30 , Athena Stavrou

Business owners affected by M25 closure

Saturday 16 March 2024 19:30 , Athena Stavrou

Business owners in the areas along the diversion route have told of cuts they have made to their services in anticipation of traffic.

Mark Pollak, owner of Billy Tong, which caters for events and sells biltong at markets, told PA he expects to see 50% of the firm’s turnover for the weekend go “down the drain”.

Mr Pollak said he had to refuse a request for Billy Tong to cater an event in Guildford and had to cancel its stall at Surbiton Farmers’ Market on Saturday, with staff not wanting to face expected traffic to get to jobs.

Parts of M25 see two miles of congestion

Saturday 16 March 2024 18:30 , Athena Stavrou

Two miles of congestion was seen on the M25 in Surrey on Saturday morning after a section of it was closed.

A five-mile stretch of the motorway between junctions 10 and 11 was closed in both directions at 9pm on Friday and will remain inaccessible until 6am on Monday while a bridge is demolished and a new gantry installed.

Concerns have been raised that thousands of drivers will be stuck in gridlocked traffic over the weekend during the unprecedented closure, with one councillor calling it a “nightmare”.

National Highways South East (NHSE), in a post to X, formerly Twitter, said there were two miles of tailbacks on approach to the closure at junction 10 on Saturday morning.

Addlestone pub not expecting hit to business over M25 closure

Saturday 16 March 2024 17:09 , Andy Gregory

While some businesses have been bracing for the impact of the M25 closure, others were not expecting to be affected badly.

The Black Prince pub in Addlestone said it does not expect the diversion route to affect its business, with one of its staff members explaining customers are mostly local and in walking distance.

School cancels coding lessons due to M25 closure

Saturday 16 March 2024 17:07 , Andy Gregory

Ammara Kanwal, director of Code Kids, cancelled a coding club session due to take place at Cobham Free School on Saturday over fears she would not be able to make it there on time.

“It was a bit of a disappointment,” she told the PA news agency.

“I am the one who cancelled, it was my business, so I am having to issue a refund for tomorrow.

“I mean, nobody wants to travel somewhere for two hours if it doesn’t take that long, it’s not fair.”

‘Multiple vehicle collision’ further down M25

Saturday 16 March 2024 16:32 , Andy Gregory

Traffic is building up on a separate section of the M25 after a “multiple vehicle collision” between Junctions 5 and 6, some 35 miles away from the closure.

Watch: M25 drone footage shows workers demolishing bridge as motorway remains closed

Saturday 16 March 2024 16:11 , Andy Gregory

Drone footage has captured workers demolishing a bridge and installing a new gantry on the closed section of the M25.

Miles-long tailbacks had already begun on Saturday in the run-up to the five-mile closure between Junctions 10 and 11.

Former Green Party co-leader suggests M25 shutdown shows

Saturday 16 March 2024 15:29 , Andy Gregory

Sian Berry, former Green Party co-leader, notes that the closure of the M25 suggests people can reduce their use of cars if required to.

In an apparent riposte to those arguing against reducing the use of fossil fuel-emitting vehicles, the Brighton Pavilion candidate said: “For a few days, the busiest part of the M25 has been literally turned into a low traffic neighbourhood, and somehow the diversion route in Surrey is currently quieter than it normally is.

“Can driving behaviour ... change?”

Nothing to benchmark impact of ‘unprecedented’ shutdown against, says project lead

Saturday 16 March 2024 14:57 , Andy Gregory

National Highways said prior to the shutdown that only around an hour will be added to journeys because of the steps it has taken, which is based on a reduction in traffic of 50 per cent.

But project lead Jonathan Wade said: “Because it’s so unprecedented, we’ve got nothing to benchmark it against.”

He added: “There’s never been a closure of this nature. We really can’t be certain how many people will heed the messages which we’ve given.

“It’s very difficult to determine right now how effective all our traffic management will be. Please don’t travel if you can avoid it.”

Success of diversion will depend on drivers sticking to it, warns National Highways

Saturday 16 March 2024 14:28 , Andy Gregory

National Highways project lead Jonathan Wade has warned that how well the area copes with the M25 closure will partly depend on whether drivers stick to official diversions.

He told the PA news agency: “How many people are going to take the initiative and try and use satnavs? There’s probably a greater risk of congestion by people just doing their own thing and thinking they can perhaps beat the signs and find a shorter or quicker route.

“That will cause further congestion on some of the key junctions so please avoid doing that if at all possible.”

Weekend shutdown is one of five upcoming daytime M25 closures

Saturday 16 March 2024 14:01 , Andy Gregory

Four more daytime closures of the M25 will take place up to September.

The project, due to be completed in summer 2025, will increase the number of lanes at junction 10, which is one of the UK’s busiest and most dangerous motorway junctions.

Ambulance service warns of ‘challenging weekend’ as businesses brace for turnovers to collapse

Saturday 16 March 2024 13:37 , PA

South East Coast Ambulance Service has urged drivers to clear the way for ambulances ahead of a “challenging weekend” for crews.

And business owners in the areas along the diversion route have told of cuts they have made to their services in anticipation of traffic.

Mark Pollak, owner of Billy Tong, which caters for events and sells biltong at markets, told the PA news agency that he expects to see 50 per cent of the firm’s turnover for the weekend go “down the drain”.

Mr Pollak said he had to refuse a request for Billy Tong to cater an event in Guildford and had to cancel its stall at Surbiton Farmers’ Market on Saturday, with staff not wanting to face expected traffic to get to jobs.

What other travel issues could there be this weekend?

Saturday 16 March 2024 13:07 , Simon Calder, Travel Correspondent

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 congestion.

Many key rail links across Great Britain are closed – with the absence of trains from London Marylebone to Aylesbury possibly exacerbating problems caused by the M25 closure.

Additional rail closures:

• Exeter and Plymouth

• Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury

• Sheffield and Manchester

• West Highland Line in Scotland

Simon Calder gives update as closure expected to cause traffic chaos

Saturday 16 March 2024 12:48 , Andy Gregory

Six-mile tailbacks on relief roads

Saturday 16 March 2024 12:36 , Andy Gregory

Queues on relief roads in Cobham, where M25 traffic are being diverted due to the closures, were earlier stretching around six miles, according to data from Inrix, the Evening Standard reports.

The closed stretch of the M25 is only five miles long, while the diversion route stretches 11.5 miles.

Are there alternative routes between Heathrow and Gatwick airports?

Saturday 16 March 2024 12:22 , Simon Calder, Travel Correspondent

Yes. The easy option 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, National Rail does not offer fares for the whole journey. The solution is to buy one ticket from Heathrow to East Croydon and another from there to Gatwick. The total single fare is £22.30.