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Jonathan Wade, senior project manager for National Highways, suggests either avoiding travel altogether or finding a task to do at home, such as decorating the bathroom. This advice was given in anticipation of the first weekend closure of the M25.
The M25, London’s circular highway, will close in both directions between exits 10 and 11 in Surrey from 9pm on March 15th to 6am on March 18th for improvement projects aimed at enhancing safety and traffic flow.
Junction 10 is the main crossing located on the southwestern part of the motorway, where the M25 intersects with the A3 leading to Guildford and Portsmouth.
During the four-day closure from 15 to 18 March, a significant portion of the construction will occur at the M25-A3 junction.
On weekends, an average of 5,000 cars travel on the five-mile portion of the M25.
The National Highways has designated an alternate route that increases the distance between the two junctions by more than double the original five miles.
During an interview on The Independent’s daily podcast about travel, Mr Wade stated that the M25-A3 junction, which was built in the 1980s, is not equipped to handle the high volume of traffic it is currently facing.
He stated that there is a sadly high rate of collisions.
In order to alleviate traffic and decrease the occurrence of accidents, National Highways is adding more lanes. To make this possible, a bridge will need to be destroyed.
According to Mr. Wade, a night-time closure would not allow enough time to take down the bridge.
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“We cannot only partially demolish the structure and return the next night, as we cannot leave it in a hazardous state where there is a possibility of debris falling onto the traffic during the daytime.”
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Unfortunately, in this situation, we do not have any other options.
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It will not be aesthetically pleasing this weekend as there are no readily apparent alternative routes.
“If possible, please refrain from travelling and instead find enjoyable activities at home such as redecorating the bathroom or spending time in the garden.”
“If you need to depart: take the train, walk, or ride a bicycle. It doesn’t matter to me, whatever you choose.”
“Please refrain from using the detour routes in the Painshill, Byfleet, and West Byfleet areas in eastern Woking. It is for your own benefit.”
Mr. Wade promised that the scheduled reopening on Monday at 6am will take place.
, return to the original plan, and reset”
In the initial phases, if we encounter any difficulties that prevent progress according to the plan, we have the option to go back to the original plan and restart the later phases.
“The closure of the M25 for a Saturday and Sunday is already troublesome enough, but the thought of it still being closed at 6am on Monday morning is unimaginable.”
We have the capability to halt subsequent stages of the project.
I have the highest level of assurance that the M25 will be accessible by 6am at the latest.
The Royal Horticultural Society’s flagship garden, Wisley, is very close to Junction 10. The society is telling prospective visitors: “RHS Garden Wisley will try to remain open as normal throughout and we look forward to welcoming you.”
Bus companies are cautioning travelers about potential delays and shortened routes.
The transportation company National Express will continue to operate services between Heathrow and Gatwick, the UK’s two busiest airports. A spokesperson has stated that delays are anticipated and customers are recommended to plan for extra travel time.
Passengers have the option to use the train to commute between the two airports. Only one train change is required at Farringdon in downtown London. The duration of the trip is approximately 90 minutes.
This weekend’s closure of the M25 will be the first of five planned shutdowns for the year. National Highways will evaluate the impact of this weekend’s project and announce future dates accordingly.
Listen to Simon Calder’s podcast on the M25 closure
The source of this information is the Independent, a British news website.
