Those heading to the UK’s biggest airports this spring are being warned that delays to their journeys are expected as parts of M25 are due to close.
As part of upgrade works to junction 10 (Wisley), there will be some closures on entry and exit slip roads, as well as two full motorway closures in the Surrey area over the next few months.
The M25 is the busiest road in the UK, with hundreds of thousands of users travelling on it every day. But between 9pm on Friday 21 February and 6am on Monday 24 February, all slip roads off the M25 junction 10 will be closed.
While drivers will be able to drive through the junction on both the M25 and the A3, they will not be able to leave or join there.
The work to improve junction 10 includes adding extra lanes. It was scheduled to be completed this summer, but due to nine months of “extreme weather” the project is now hoping to wrap up by spring 2026.
There will also be two major closures a few weeks apart in March, affecting one of the busiest stretches of the M25 that is used by many trying to get to Gatwick and Heathrow airports.
Work is being carried out to demolish and remove old bridges. National Highways is installing several new structures for pedestrians and cyclists to cross over the motorway, including the UK’s first ‘heathland’ bridge, a passage with bushes and grasses alongside a path.
The beams for the heathland bridge were installed at the junction last month.
The closures will include the weekend of Friday 7 to Monday 10 March; the M25 will be closed in both directions between junction 10 for Wisley and junction 11 for Woking.
The same closures will happen again between Friday 21 and Monday 24 March.
Due to these works and the closure of the motorway, local roads surrounding junction 10 and the Wisley stretch of the A3 are expected to see a major increase in traffic.
After these two closures, there are no further plans to close the main carriageway of the M25.
Shaun Jones from The AA said: “As one of the busiest stretches of the M25 is subject to road works, we urge drivers to plan their journeys in advance by downloading the AA RoutePlanner and to allow plenty of extra time for their journeys.
“We advise drivers to avoid the west side of the M25 if possible, but if unavoidable to expect delays and stick to the detour routes.
“Prepare your vehicle before setting off by checking oil and coolant levels, tyres and make sure you have enough fuel or electric charge to cover the planned diversions.”
Jonathan Wade, a senior project manager at National Highways, said: “This is the final block of closures on the M25 as this scheme nears completion.
“We were grateful to drivers who listened to our advice during the three weekend closures last year and I’d again urge them to only use the motorway if their journey is absolutely necessary.
“Unfortunately, it’s simply not possible to carry out this scale of infrastructure improvement, which will benefit millions of people in the long term, without there being some degree of short-term disruption.
“We have spent months planning these closures, but they will still cause significant congestion and delays, so we are asking road users to allow extra time and use alternative routes where possible. Please follow our official diversion routes and not information from satnavs.”
National Highways has already published diversion guidance on its website for the February closures and will add details and diversion routes closer to each weekend in March.
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