What we know about the next M25 closure in May
Drivers are being warned to expect delays as a second weekend closure of the M25 has been announced.
National Highways said the seven-mile stretch of the motorway between Junctions 9 and 10 in Surrey will be closed in both directions from 10 to 13 May.
This is the second of five weekend closures of the M25, which encircles London, as part of a £317m project to improve Junction 10. The first happened last month.
Here is what we know - and don’t know - about the latest closure.
What we know
National Highways has announced the work it will be undertaking on this particular weekend: lifting into place concrete beams for a new bridge and gantry.
It will cause the closure - between Junctions 9 in Leatherhead and 10 in Wisley - in both directions from 9pm on Friday, 10 May until 6am on Monday, 13 May.
We also know this will impact thousands of motorists: at weekends, between 4,000 and 6,000 vehicles use the M25 between Junctions 9 and 11 in each direction every hour from 10am until 9pm.
And, given the location of the closures, we know that among those affected will be people travelling to, from and between the UK’s two busiest airports, Heathrow and Gatwick.
National Highways has also announced four diversion routes, including two different ones for "over height vehicles", which it has asked drivers to follow rather than their satnav systems. These routes can be found on the agency's website here.
Drivers using these signposted diversion routes will not be subject to any Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) charges that may usually apply.
What we don't know
We simply don't know how bad - if at all - delays will be.
There were widespread fears of severe congestion on diversion routes ahead of the first closure between Junctions 10 and 11 in March. But many drivers followed advice to avoid the area, meaning long hold-ups were avoided.
However, National Highways senior project manager Jonathan Wade appeared to suggest traffic may be worse this time round as he said the next shutdown will be “far from a repeat of the previous closure” as the diversion routes are “longer and will be different for over-height vehicles and all other traffic”.
He went on: “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.”
We also don't know exactly when the third, fourth and fifth closures will take place, with National Highways only saying they are "due between July and the end of the year".
