M25 closures – live: Drivers warned to steer clear this weekend as five miles of junctions closed until Monday

Stefan Russell from West Byfleet is up and about early to contend with the closure of the M25. His village is in the middle of the diversion route.

“My wife did the shopping yesterday because she knows that for the weekend she’s not going to be able to get out,” he said. “I’m going to take my son to a football match in Kent. So this is not a good day for me at all.

“I’m going to leave in about 45 minutes, once I’ve had this coffee and I’m going to go the A3 way and hope to God that the traffic isn’t built up already.”

Mr Russell says the weekend closure is “ridiculous”, adding: “It’s going to be pandemonium around here, and yeah, I just don’t think it’s very well planned.”

“Do it through the night. Just do it through the night because it’s going to be gridlocked later. I’ve got another football match to get to tomorrow in Cardiff. So again, I’m going to struggle to get out. I just think it’s crazy.”

Our travel correspondent Simon Calder reports:

Megan Goddard lives between Cobham and West Byfleet. She said: “I feel like the traffic is going to be even worse today, so it’s not great, but yeah. People need to get to places. I’m going to be travelling to work, and then I’m going to leave enough time to get home.

“So I’m prepared to sit in traffic for a couple of hours if I need to.”

Ricus Roets from Walton on Thames is on his way to play golf at Pyrford Golf Club – without his car.

“Today the M25 is closed and the the journey back would have been very, very tough. So I’ve taken the train from Walton to West Byfleet. And then I will get a lift with a friend to the golf club.

“People aren’t able to open their shops. People are going to lose business and that. But I mean, what’s the alternative?”

“If it’s to improve the motorways and make travel better, then I think it’s all good and it’s only one weekend of the year. And I think people could make other plans for this one weekend.”

Unfortunately another four weekend closures of the same stretch are closed this year.

Drivers have been urged not to use Satnavs while a five-mile stretch of the M25 is closed while a bridge is demolished and a new gantry is installed.

National Highways senior project manager Daniel Kittredge said using the technology could create “additional issues” on the motorway.

“If people move away from diversion routes that we prescribe, it creates additional issues in different parts of the road network,” he said.

“The majority of the time that will be local roads, so that really impacts residents in those particular areas.

That’s why we’re trying to encourage people to not follow the satnav. Stick on the prescribed diversion route. It’s going to be more suitable for your journey.”

Drivers are being urged to ignore satnavs to prevent causing gridlock during an “unprecedented” 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.

Jonathan Wade, senior project manager for National Highways, told The Independent: “It’s not going to be a particularly pretty picture over the coming weekend: there aren’t any immediately obvious diversionary routes.

“ Please, if you can either avoid travelling completely, find something to do at home – decorate the bathroom or something or play in the garden.

“If you must go: travel by train, walk, use a bicycle.

The diversion route involves the A3, the A245 and the A320.

Mr Wade urges: “Avoid driving anywhere around those diversionary routes around Painshill, Byfleet, West Byfleet on on the eastern side of Woking. It will be in your interests.”

To make matters worse, some local train lines are closed for engineering work – with passengers warned that rail replacement buses could take even longer because of getting caught up in extreme traffic jams.

Listen to The Independent’s travel podcast with Jonathan Wade – the man who is closing the M25

St Peter’s Hospital, Chertsey urged people to “only visit if it is necessary” this weekend.

It said in a statement: “Please be aware of the diversions that will be in place and that there is likely to be considerable congestion in the local area.

“Please plan your journey allowing extra time as it is likely to take longer than usual.”

Some school sports fixtures scheduled for this weekend in Surrey have been postponed because of the M25 closure.

Councillors whose wards are on the diversion route expressed concerns about what will happen.

Malcolm Cressey, of Runnymede Borough Council, said: “I think it’s going to be a difficult period but we have to sort out those bridges.

“I think it’s going to be very disruptive.

“I would certainly urge anybody to try and avoid the area.

“It could end up with all sorts of gridlock in our area.”

Tahir Aziz, of Woking Borough Council, said: “We’ve never experienced something like this before.

“It will have a significant impact in this area.

“It will cause huge disruption and delays, and a lot of traffic jams.”

Simon Calder advises on alternative route between Heathrow and Gatwick airports:

The easy option is to take the Elizabeth Line from Heathrow to Farringdon in central London, which has a direct connection to Thameslink trains. The journey time is about 90 minutes.

Maddeningly, National Rail does not offer fares for the whole journey. The solution is to buy one ticket from Heathrow to East Croydon and another from there to Gatwick. The total single fare is £22.30.

National Highways said it had “spent months planning for these closures and making sure there are diversion routes in place” – but it admits that there will still be heavy congestion and delay.

The diversion takes motorists along the A3, the A245 and the A320 – and drivers are being urged to stick to the official route rather than following their satnav.

“If people move away from diversion routes that we prescribe, it creates additional issues in different parts of the road network,” said Daniel Kittredge, National Highways senior project manager.

“The majority of the time that will be local roads, so that really impacts residents in those particular areas.”

RAC breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said: “With the M25 closures and the Easter getaway both falling in March, it could be a month of double traffic trouble for drivers trying to get around London or access Gatwick and Heathrow.

“Despite fair warning, the reality is most holidaymakers seeking to use either airport will have booked their trips months ago and will have to leave a lot more time to get there – not least because the most obvious diversion routes are likely to get extremely congested.

“If you do plan to drive between the 15th and 18th, we recommend starting your car to test its battery health well in advance of travelling and remembering FORCES to check the Fuel, Oil, Rubber, Coolant, Electrics and Screen wash before making any long journey.”