The M25 in Surrey will be shut in both directions in May for the second of five full weekend closures planned throughout 2024. This is to allow for a new bridge to be installed and comes as part of a £317 million scheme at the Wisley Interchange where the A3 meets the motorway.
Drivers have again been urged to only travel in the area if their journey is absolutely necessary. People have been told long delays can be expected after National Highways confirmed details of a 19-mile diversion route that passes Epsom, Claygate, and Cobham.
National Highways highlighted this is a different section of the London Orbital than that which had to be shut in March. The first details of a 19-mile diversion route have now been shared that will use the A3 and A243. Full mapped routes can be found here.
Here is everything you need to know about the closure.
How is this different from the previous closure?
The M25 was shut for an unprecedented first weekend closure in March (March 15 to 18) to allow for the demolition of the Clearmount bridleway bridge and the installation of a new gantry. A five-mile section of the M25 was shut during this closure between Junction 10 at Wisley for the A3 and Junction 11 for the A320 at Chertsey. There was a two-mile traffic jam as a result, but the chaos was much less than anticipated as many drivers stayed away.
The upcoming May closure will see a different seven-mile section of the motorway closed between Junction 9 for the A243 at Leatherhead and Junction 10 for the A3 at Wisley. This will be in place from 9pm on Friday, May 10 until 6am on Monday, May 13. Because the stretch of closed road is longer this time, the diversion route is also 7.5 miles longer than the one last month.
National Highways senior project manager, Jonathan Wade, said the May closure is “far from a repeat” of the one in March. He said this is because alternative routes are longer and commented: “Drivers listened to our advice last time which reduced motorway traffic levels by over two-thirds and meant delays were limited.
“Our advice again is please only travel if absolutely necessary and make sure you give yourself extra time if you do choose to use the M25.”
Why is the M25 being shut?
Upgrades at the Wisley Interchange have been ongoing since the summer of 2022 and are set to be completed for summer 2025 at a cost of £317million. The Junction 10 improvement scheme is set to see an increase in the number of lanes and a new junction layout.
It will also see bridges demolished and replaced with new ones, as well as new gantries installed to help direct traffic. All of the improvements are intended to bring safety and traffic flow benefits.
The closure in May between Junctions 9 and 10 will allow for a new bridge to be installed. This will have 68 beams, each weighing 16 tonnes, and another four beams weighing 40 tonnes.
What is the M25 diversion route?
A 19-mile diversion route around the M25 closure - between Junctions 9 and 10 - has been confirmed for the majority of drivers past Epsom, Claygate, and Cobham. This leaves the M25 at Junction 8 for Reigate and rejoins from the A3 at Junction 10 for those travelling clockwise, or in reverse for those in the anticlockwise direction.
A separate diversion route for over-height vehicles - those taller than 15’0 or 4.6m - has also been shared. This leaves or rejoins the M25 at Junction 9 for Leatherhead and rejoins from the A3 at Junction 10.
Maps and turn-by-turn directions for the diversion routes in May can be found here.
What about ULEZ?
The diversion route issued by National Highways will take drivers towards London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). However, drivers have been urged to follow the diversion and not their SatNav.
National Highways confirmed the signed diversion route will not be subject to any ULEZ charge that would usually apply. It added the Ultra Low Emission Zone will remain in force on all other routes.
Who will be affected?
National Highways has warned long delays are expected as a result of the diversion routes. This means meaning residents and businesses along the route in Epsom, Ewell, Chessington, Claygate, and Cobham will likely see an impact from extra traffic.
Passengers travelling to, from, or between Gatwick and Heathrow airports should also allow extra time for their journeys. Nationals Highways issued a similar warning in March but congestion was not as bad as feared, the agency said this was largely because people avoided the stretch and completed their journeys nin other ways.
Will there be more closures?
The weekend closure of the M25 in May is the second-ever planned closure of the London Orbital since the motorway opened in 1986. The first was scheduled earlier in 2024 from March 15 until March 18, though, the motorway reopened eight hours earlier than expected.
National Highways has warned of three more full weekend closures of the M25 in Surrey before the end of the year. No dates have been set for these, however, the roads agency said there will not be one in June.
The three further closures will therefore take place between July and December. National Highways said it would be in a position to announce the date of the next closure after work has finished in May.
What's happening with Nation Express coaches?
National Express has confirmed that coach services will continue to run during the upcoming weekend closure of the M25 between junctions 9 and 10. The National Express services operating on diverted routes during the closure are:
025 between Worthing and London via Brighton and Gatwick Airport
200 between Bristol and Gatwick Airport via Heathrow Airport
201 between Swansea and Gatwick Airport via Cardiff, Bristol and Heathrow Airport
205 between Poole and Gatwick Airport via Bournemouth and Heathrow Airport
210 between Wolverhampton and Gatwick Airport via Birmingham, Oxford and Heathrow Airport
230 between Derby and Gatwick Airport via Nottingham, Leicester, Milton Keynes, Luton and Heathrow Airport
Ed Rickard, Network Director for National Express UK and Ireland, said: “Our dedicated teams have planned our coach service diversions to ensure all of our customers are able get to their destinations safely and as quickly as possible during the full closure of the M25 between junctions 9 and 10.
“The previous M25 closure in March was unprecedented, not having been seen since the 1980s, and yet our collective efforts meant that we were able to keep our coach network moving with customers experiencing minimal disruption to their journeys.
“We are again encouraging customers to allow plenty of time for their travel and to track their service on here. We are also contacting customers who are affected by the diversion to offer a free amendment to their ticket should they wish to change their travel plans.”
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