M25 junctions closure map, diversions and alternative roads to use this weekend
People have been warned not to trust their satnavs during the closures
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Drivers are being urged to ignore satnavs to prevent causing gridlock during an āunprecedentedā 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.
It is concerned that some may try to find alternative routes via minor roads.
National Highways project lead Jonathan Wade said 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: āHow many people are going to take the initiative and try and use satnavs?
M25 closures - live: Drivers warned of ācarmageddonā as junction works to bring major delays
āThereās 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.
āThat will cause further congestion on some of the key junctions so please avoid doing that if at all possible.ā

National Highways senior project manager Daniel Kittredge said: āIf people move away from diversion routes that we prescribe, it creates additional issues in different parts of the road network.
āThe majority of the time that will be local roads, so that really impacts residents in those particular areas.
āThatās why weāre trying to encourage people to not follow the satnav.
āStick on the prescribed diversion route. Itās going to be more suitable for your journey.ā
Drivers are being warned to avoid the area if possible during the closure, which will be the first scheduled daytime all-lanes shutdown on the M25 since it opened in 1986.
National Highways said the action is necessary to enable a bridge to be demolished and a new gantry to be installed.
Modelling carried out while the plans were being developed estimated that drivers would face delays of up to five hours without mitigation measures such as urging drivers to stay away and creating diversion routes.
National Highways believes 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%.
But Mr Wade said: āBecause itās so unprecedented, weāve got nothing to benchmark it against.ā
He added: āThereās never been a closure of this nature. We really canāt be certain how many people will heed the messages which weāve given.
āItās very difficult to determine right now how effective all our traffic management will be.
āPlease donāt travel if you can avoid it.ā
The M25 normally carries between 4,000 and 6,000 vehicles in each direction per hour from 10am until 9pm at weekends between junctions 9 and 11.
Four more daytime closures of the motorway will take place up to September.
The project, due to be completed in summer 2025, will increase the number of lanes and make it easier to enter and exit the M25 at junction 10, which is one of the UKās busiest and most dangerous motorway junctions.