For those of you who need to travel between Heathrow and Gatwick by road, need to hit the channel ports if you’re coming from the North, or need to travel the M25 (Chris Rea’s Road to Hell), there’s bad news as the road will be partially closed this weekend.
The M25 (the motorway that encircles London) will be closed between Junction 10 and Junction 11 from 9 pm on Friday 15 to 6 am on Monday 18 March.
National Highways advise the following
The local diversion route below will be in place which is the same for both directions:
- Junction 10 – Junction 11: Northbound A3 to Painshill Junction, A245 towards Woking, and then A320 to M25 Junction 11.
- Junction 11 – Junction 10: A320 south towards Woking, A245 towards Byfleet and Painshill junction, Southbound A3 to Junction 10.
Taking the M25 in the other direction to avoid the closure is also an option.
Their full guidance is at https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-roads/south-east/m25-junction-10/#diversion
Some estimates put major delays of hours to navigate this diversion.
Don’t use your SatNav. Follow the diversion signs
If you’re married to Google Maps, Apple Maps, Waze, TomTom or other sources, National Highways advises you to stay on the signposted diversions as local roads and services will be packed.
With a normal traffic flow between junctions 9 and 11 carries between 4,000 and 6,000 vehicles per hour in each direction between 10am and 9pm on a weekend, it’s going to be fun locally – especially as the routs have been mapped so they have minimal impact locally
Connecting between Heathrow and Gatwick by Coach? Don’t bother.
If you have a connection between Heathrow and Gatwick, the quickest way normally is to take a National Express coach for the journey or one of the other operators.
Heathrow airport advises
Passengers using public transport should also be aware that The Airline (between Heathrow and Gatwick) and RailAir (RA2), will be running amended timetables over this weekend, please check with your operator for the latest information.
Do yourself a favour – Head to the Eizabeth Line, Change at Farringdon for Thameslink and take a train to Gatwick.
It’s going to be quicker.
In Quotes
Jonathan Wade, National Highways Project Lead, said:
“Drivers should only use the M25 if their journey is absolutely necessary. This is the first of five full closures of one of the busiest junctions on our road network.
“We have spent months planning for these closures and making sure there are diversion routes in place, but there will still be heavy congestion and delays.
“These improvements will bring long-term benefits to drivers who pass through this stretch of the M25, not to mention pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders who will also see positive changes in the area.”
This is the road to hell.
Chris Rea wrote about the M25 and M4 in a song after being stuck in traffic.
With the works this weekend, this is going to make the road to hell look like a walk in the park.
Do yourself a favour – avoid the M25 this weekend.
Or just avoid the M25 in general. That’s a valid option in life.
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