A major closure will occur from 7pm on Friday 7 March until 6am on Monday 10 March with the M25 fully closed between junctions 10 (Wisley) and 11 (Woking) in both directions.
The closure is due to works on the removal of outdated bridges and some other essential upgrades. Another full closure is scheduled for 21-24 March.
Originally set for completion in summer 2025, the project to improve the busiest section of the M25 which sees more than 300,00 vehicles each day, has been beset with delays due to adverse weather conditions. It is now due to complete next spring.
Commuters have been told to prepare for delays as these weekend closures continue into spring due to the £317m upgrade of junction 10 (Wisley Interchange) with the A3 alongside the A245 and local diversion routes.
Senior project manager Jonathan Wade said: “Periods of extreme weather in 2024 delayed some elements of our work but since then we’ve worked hard to recoup that time and still complete the on-road elements on schedule.”
The work, which started in 2022, aims to improve journey times and increase accessibility along the motorway with better access for pedestrians, cyclists and horse-riders along with the UK’s first heathland bridge to protect wildlife. Additional lanes around junction 10 where the highway converges with the A3 are also in the works.
People travelling towards Heathrow should follow the A243 via Malden Rushett and Chessington and then take the A309 Kingston Bypass before re-joining the A3 at Hook Junction and continuing towards Painshill Junction through A245 to re-join the M25.
Drivers on the A3 Northbound towards London who need to join the M25 should exit at Send Barns Lane, follow the B2215 through Ripley, continue via Old Woking Road and join the M25 at Junction 11.
Those travelling southbound on the A3 towards Guildford should exit at Painshill Junction, follow the A245 through Byfleet and Sheerwater to rejoin M25 at Junction 11 via A320, which will increase journey times and chances of congestion.
Beyond the March closures, additional disruptions are planned from 11-14 April as the A3 will be completely shut between junction 10 and the Cobham Roundabout (A245) in both directions from 9pm on Friday evening to 6am on Monday morning.
Further details on diversions will be provided closer to the date but significant delays are anticipated.
Additionally, new lanes and safer junctions are being developed to reduce congestion and improve the flow of traffic, though experts warn that temporary bottlenecks may still arise during peak hours.
Previous weekend closures of the M25 and the A3 from 21-24 February restricted access at junction 10, though they remained open for travellers, causing congestions which led to delays of over an hour.
Susan Prentice, a resident of Cobham, explained that the junction 10 works have been extremely disruptive mainly on its surrounding roads as major delays on the A3 have caused by a single lane to the roundabout connecting the M25.
She said: “Byfleet Road works have been appalling, at times made what can be a 15 min journey from Cobham to Brooklands into a 40 min journey.”
She added that while few people seemed to be working on the roadworks, it was evident that not much thought was given about the impact it would have on locals.
Locals using the A3 or M25 are advised to check travel updates before setting off and allow extra time for their journeys.
The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) will remain in force during these closures with signed diversion routes designed to ensure drivers avoiding any charges, along with an appeal for road-users to check whether their vehicle is affected by visiting the Transport for London website.
