M25 closure – stay: Thousands of drivers warned of gridlock as stretch of motorway shut all weekend

National Highways has warned of two miles of tailbacks within the lead as much as the closed part of the M25.

A five-mile stretch of the motorway between junctions 10 and 11 was closed in each instructions at 9pm on Friday and can stay inaccessible till 6am on Monday whereas a bridge is demolished and a brand new gantry put in.

Dozens of sightseers are converging on the purpose the place the principle diversion route for the weekend closure of the M25 crosses the abandoned motorway.

Cars, vehicles and coaches are being directed from Junction 10 northeast up the A3, however then go sharply left to go west on the A245 – which is carrying a heavy burden of site visitors throughout the M25.

“It’s absolutely astonishing,” says Simon Vassallo, who has lived within the space for 35 years. He is out early “to stock up on provisions” forward of the site visitors build up.

Mr Vassallo instructed The Independent: “When we came across the bridge this morning, we just had to stop, take a few pictures and take in the marvel that is an empty M25.”

Another native man, Terry Craig from West Byfleet, is savouring the sight. “It’s quite extraordinary to see the motorway, all of these lanes, just shut off. It’s incredible. Apart from Covid, I don’t think we’ve ever seen anything quite like this.”

Jill Holland, additionally from West Byfleet, is out for a motorbike trip. “This is the main road between West Byfleet and everywhere else. Avoid us completely.”

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

National Highways says the closure is “to demolish the Clearmount bridleway bridge and install a very large gantry”. It says: “Without a full closure of the M25 at this junction, it would be impossible to safely demolish the overbridges and install the new gantry.”

Our journey correspondent Simon Calder has extra particulars right here:

The first deliberate daytime closure of the M25 might be a “nightmare”, a councillor fears as native residents and companies alongside the diversion route brace for the impression.

Daryl Jordan, of Woking Borough Council, instructed the PA information company the Byfleet Road, which is near junction 10, had been “chock-a-block” on Friday afternoon.

He stated residents can be “affected massivel”, including: “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.”

Stefan Russell from West Byfleet is up and about early to take care of the closure of the M25. His village is within the center of the diversion route.

“My wife did the shopping yesterday because she knows that for the weekend she’s not going to be able to get out,” he stated. “I’m going to take my son to a football match in Kent. So this is not a good day for me at all.

“I’m going to leave in about 45 minutes, once I’ve had this coffee and I’m going to go the A3 way and hope to God that the traffic isn’t built up already.”

Mr Russell says the weekend closure is “ridiculous”, including: “It’s going to be pandemonium around here, and yeah, I just don’t think it’s very well planned.”

“Do it through the night. Just do it through the night because it’s going to be gridlocked later. I’ve got another football match to get to tomorrow in Cardiff. So again, I’m going to struggle to get out. I just think it’s crazy.”

Our travel correspondent Simon Calder reports:

Megan Goddard lives between Cobham and West Byfleet. She stated: “I feel like the traffic is going to be even worse today, so it’s not great, but yeah. People need to get to places. I’m going to be travelling to work, and then I’m going to leave enough time to get home.

“So I’m prepared to sit in traffic for a couple of hours if I need to.”

Ricus Roets from Walton on Thames is on his way to play golf at Pyrford Golf Club – without his car.

“Today the M25 is closed and the the journey back would have been very, very tough. So I’ve taken the train from Walton to West Byfleet. And then I will get a lift with a friend to the golf club.

“People aren’t able to open their shops. People are going to lose business and that. But I mean, what’s the alternative?”

“If it’s to improve the motorways and make travel better, then I think it’s all good and it’s only one weekend of the year. And I think people could make other plans for this one weekend.”

Unfortunately another four weekend closures of the same stretch are closed this year.

Drivers have been urged not to use Satnavs while a five-mile stretch of the M25 is closed while a bridge is demolished and a new gantry is installed.

National Highways senior project manager Daniel Kittredge said using the technology could create “additional issues” on the motorway.

“If people move away from diversion routes that we prescribe, it creates additional issues in different parts of the road network,” he said.

“The majority of the time that will be local roads, so that really impacts residents in those particular areas.

That’s why we’re trying to encourage people to not follow the satnav. Stick on the prescribed diversion route. It’s going to be more suitable for your journey.”

Drivers are being urged to ignore satnavs to prevent causing gridlock during an “unprecedented” closure of the M25 this weekend.

National Highways issued the alert as it prepares to close a five-mile stretch of the motorway in Surrey from 9pm on Friday until 6am on Monday.

The company estimates that drivers who follow signs for diversion routes on A-roads will have an hour added to their usual journey times between junctions 10 and 11, which will be shut in both directions.

Jonathan Wade, senior challenge supervisor for National Highways, instructed The Independent: “It’s not going to be a particularly pretty picture over the coming weekend: there aren’t any immediately obvious diversionary routes.

“ Please, if you can either avoid travelling completely, find something to do at home – decorate the bathroom or something or play in the garden.

“If you must go: travel by train, walk, use a bicycle.

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

Mr Wade urges: “Avoid driving anywhere around those diversionary routes around Painshill, Byfleet, West Byfleet on on the eastern side of Woking. It will be in your interests.”

To make matters worse, some local train lines are closed for engineering work – with passengers warned that rail replacement buses could take even longer because of getting caught up in extreme traffic jams.

Listen to The Independent’s travel podcast with Jonathan Wade – the man who is closing the M25

St Peter’s Hospital, Chertsey urged people to “only visit if it is necessary” this weekend.

It stated in a press release: “Please be aware of the diversions that will be in place and that there is likely to be considerable congestion in the local area.

“Please plan your journey allowing extra time as it is likely to take longer than usual.”

Some school sports fixtures scheduled for this weekend in Surrey have been postponed because of the M25 closure.