M25 closure: Map shows diversion route for closure between junction 10 and 11

Published

1 year ago

March 15, 2024

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Drivers are being warned of massive delays when the M25 shuts in both directions this weekend in an unprecedented move.

The closure between junctions 10 and 11 in Surrey on the UK’s busiest motorway could cause chaos.

When exactly is it going to be shut, where are the diversion routes and why is it happening? Here’s everything you need to know.

When is the closure and how long will it last?

It’s from 9pm on Friday 15 March to 6am on Monday 18 March and covers the five-mile stretch between junction 10 and 11.

What is the diversion route?

Here’s the diversion route that’s been outlined by National Highways, which maintains England’s motorways:

Junction 10 to junction 11: Northbound A3 to Painshill Junction, A245 towards Woking, and then A320 to M25 junction 11
Junction 11 to junction 10: A320 south towards Woking, A245 towards Byfleet and Painshill junction, Southbound A3 to junction 10.

You can see it on the map below:

And here are some Google Maps screenshots showing roads that are part of the diversion route:

Satnav warnings

Drivers are being urged to ignore satnavs and only follow official diversion routes to prevent causing gridlock during an “unprecedented” closure.

Jonathan Wade, National Highways project lead, said the amount of disruption will partly depend on whether drivers stick to official diversions.

“How many people are going to take the initiative and try and use satnavs?”, he told PA news agency.

“There’s 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.

“That will cause further congestion on some of the key junctions so please avoid doing that if at all possible.”

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

“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.”

How bad could it be?

It’s the first scheduled daytime all-lanes shutdown on the M25 since it opened, so it’s not yet known exactly how bad delays are going to be.

This section of the M25 normally carries between 4,000 and 6,000 vehicles in each direction per hour from 10am until 9pm at weekends, so the disruption caused by the works is expected to be significant.

More than 200,000 vehicles are expected to be affected, including many travelling in and out of London, and to and from Heathrow and Gatwick airports and Channel ports.

What advice has been issued?

“Drivers should only use the M25 if their journey is absolutely necessary,” says Jonathan Wade, National Highways project lead.

“This is the first of five full closures of one of the busiest junctions on our road network,” he adds.

“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.”

‘Motorists should decorate the bathroom’

The government-owned company’s chief also advises motorists to find something to do at home like “decorate the bathroom” or “play in the garden” ahead of the closure.

Mr Wade says how well the area copes with the closure will partly depend on whether drivers stick to official diversions – but urges people to avoid travelling altogether.

“Avoid the area totally if you can,” he told The Independent’s daily travel podcast.

“Either avoid travelling completely or find something to do at home, decorate the bathroom or something, I don’t know, or play in the garden.

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

“If you can, avoid driving anywhere around those diversionary routes.”

Airport warnings

People due to travel to Gatwick and Heathrow could also be affected by the closure.

Heathrow Airport is advising passengers planning to use this part of the M25 to allow for extra time before their flight.

“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,” their statement adds.

A London Gatwick Airport spokesperson told Sky News: “Passengers driving to the airport are advised to check diversion routes before they travel and allow extra time for potential delays.

“Gatwick’s train station is well connected and is a great alternative option for people travelling to the airport this weekend.”

‘You ain’t seen nothing yet’

Steve Gooding, director of motoring research charity the RAC Foundation, says: “For drivers who’ve already had their patience tried by the queues at the junction 10 works, the phrase ‘you ain’t seen nothing yet’ springs to mind.”

“National Highways’ plea for people to avoid driving in the area applies not just to trips on the M25, but also to those on surrounding local roads onto which the M25 traffic will be diverted,” he adds.

“The hope must be that drivers take great care, however frustrating the delays and disruption might be.

“The last thing we need is shunts or crashes, however minor, because the slightest mishap will compound the misery.”

Why is it happening?

Government-owned company National Highways said the action is necessary to enable a bridge to be demolished and a new gantry to be installed as part of a £317m improvement project.

National Highways says the project will increase the number of lanes and make it easier to enter and exit the M25 at junction 10, which is one of the UK’s busiest and most dangerous motorway junctions.

“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,” says its project lead Jonathan Wade.

Is the closure a one-off?

No – it’s just one of five planned full closures between the junctions. The other dates have not yet been confirmed.

“Three of those closures will be between junctions 10 and 11 – the A320 at Chertsey… and two of them will be between junction 9 at Leatherhead to junction 10 at Wisley,” Mr Wade said.

He said the dates of the later stages would be released in due course with motorists given plenty of notice.

“We will not just spring them on people,” he said, adding they would take place between May and December.

The project began in summer 2022 and is expected to last three years in total.

UK

MPs vote to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales

Published

2 hours ago

June 18, 2025

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MPs vote to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales

MPs have voted to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales.

The amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill, abolishing the prosecution of women for terminating their pregnancy at any stage, passed by 379 votes to 137.

It represents the biggest shake-up in reproductive rights for almost 60 years.

Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, who tabled the so-called “New Clause One” (NC1), said it would ensure women do not face investigation, arrest, prosecution or imprisonment in relation to any pregnancies.

She said the current “Victorian” laws had been used against vulnerable women, citing cases such as Nicola Packer, who was prosecuted on suspicion of having an illegal abortion. She was found not guilty in May.

“Nicola’s story is deplorable, but there are many others,” Ms Antoniazzi said.

Abortion in England and Wales is currently a criminal offence but is legal with an authorised provider for up to 24 weeks after conception. The procedure is allowed after this time in very limited circumstances.

It is also legal to take prescribed related medication at home if a woman is less than 10 weeks pregnant.

Ms Antoniazzi said NC1 was “a narrow, targeted measure” that would not change how abortion services were provided or the rules under the 1967 Abortion Act.

She said: “The 24 [week] limit remains. Abortions still require the approval of signatures of two doctors, and women would still have to meet the grounds laid out in the Act.”

The MP said that meant healthcare professionals “acting outside the law and abusive partners using violence or poisoning to end a pregnancy would still be criminalised, as they are now.”

She added: “This piece of legislation will only take women out of the criminal justice system because they are vulnerable and they need our help.

“As I have said before, and I will say it again, just what public interest is this serving? This is not justice, it is cruelty and it has got to end.”

The change will not come into effect immediately as the Crime and Policing Bill is still making its way through Parliament.

A separate amendment, put forward by Labour MP Stella Creasy, went further with a measure to “lock in” the right of a person to have an abortion while protecting those who help them.

However, her amendment was not voted on because Ms Antoniazzi’s passed, as expected.

Conservative MP Sir Edward Leigh, speaking against both amendments, described them as “not pro-woman” and argued they “would introduce sex-selective abortion”.

How did MPs vote?

MPs were given a free vote on the amendment, as is typically the case with so-called matters of conscience.

A breakdown of the vote showed it was passed overwhelmingly by Labour and Lib Dem MPs.

Just eight Conservative MPs voted in favour, while all Reform UK MPs opposed the amendment, with the exception of the party’s leader Nigel Farage, who abstained.

Sir Keir Starmer was not present for the vote as he is currently in Canada for the G7 summit, but said earlier that his “longstanding in-principle position is that women have the right to a safe and legal abortion”.

The issue of women investigated by police over suspected illegal abortions has been in the spotlight due to several recent high-profile cases.

Ms Packer was cleared by a jury last month after taking prescribed abortion medicine at home when she was around 26 weeks pregnant, beyond the legal limit of 10 weeks.

In the Commons, Ms Antoniazzi cited another case of a young mother who was jailed for two years after she was forced to take illegal abortion medication by her abusive partner. He was never investigated.

UK

UK weather: Yellow heat health alerts issued for most of England

Published

14 hours ago

June 17, 2025

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UK weather: Yellow heat health alerts issued for most of England

Yellow heat health alerts have been issued for most of England – with temperatures forecast to hit highs of 33C (91F) this weekend.

Only the North East and North West are exempt from the UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) latest warning, which comes into force at 12pm on Wednesday and expires at 6pm on Sunday.

The alert indicates that people with pre-existing health conditions, and those aged over 65, could be at higher risk.

Forecasters say the East of England is likely to see the highest temperatures, which wouldn’t be far off the June record of 35.6C (90F) set in 1976.

According to the Met Office, it will get progressively warmer as the week progresses – with the heat peaking on Sunday.

Deputy chief meteorologist Dan Holley said thundery showers may be possible heading into Saturday morning, with “tropical nights” a possibility as parts of the UK approach heatwave territory.

The forecast means we are likely to see the hottest day of the year so far – eclipsing the 29.4C (85F) recorded last Friday in Suffolk.

In a delicious twist, ice cream makers have said “it’s their Christmas time”, with some making fresh supplies around the clock.

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UK

US-UK trade deal ‘done’, says Trump as he meets Starmer at G7

Published

1 day ago

June 17, 2025

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US-UK trade deal 'done', says Trump as he meets Starmer at G7

The UK-US trade deal has been signed and is “done”, US President Donald Trump has said as he met Sir Keir Starmer at the G7 summit.

The US president told reporters in Canada: “We signed it, and it’s done. It’s a fair deal for both. It’ll produce a lot of jobs, a lot of income.”

Sir Keir said the document “implements” the deal to cut tariffs on cars and aerospace, describing it as a “really important agreement”.

“So this is a very good day for both of our countries – a real sign of strength,” the prime minister added.

Mr Trump added that the UK was “very well protected” against any future tariffs, saying: “You know why? Because I like them”.

However, he did not say whether levies on British steel exports to the US would be set to 0%, saying “we’re gonna let you have that information in a little while”.

What exactly does trade deal being ‘done’ mean?

The government says the US “has committed” to removing tariffs (taxes on imported goods) on UK aerospace goods, such as engines and aircraft parts, which currently stand at 10%.

That is “expected to come into force by the end of the month”.

Tariffs on car imports will drop from 27.5% to 10%, the government says, which “saves car manufacturers hundreds of millions a year, and protects tens of thousands of jobs”.

The White House says there will be a quote of 100,000 cars eligible for import at that level each year.

But on steel, the story is a little more complicated.

The UK is the only country exempted from the global 50% tariff rate on steel – which means the UK rate remains at the original level of 25%.

That tariff was expected to be lifted entirely, but the government now says it will “continue to go further and make progress towards 0% tariffs on core steel products as agreed”.

The White House says the US will “promptly construct a quota at most-favoured-nation rates for steel and aluminium articles”.

Other key parts of the deal include import and export quotas for beef – and the government is keen to emphasise that “any US imports will need to meet UK food safety standards”.

There is no change to tariffs on pharmaceuticals for the moment, and the government says “work will continue to protect industry from any further tariffs imposed”.

The White House says they “committed to negotiate significantly preferential treatment outcomes”.

Mr Trump also praised Sir Keir as a “great” prime minister, adding: “We’ve been talking about this deal for six years, and he’s done what they haven’t been able to do.”

He added: “We’re very longtime partners and allies and friends and we’ve become friends in a short period of time.

“He’s slightly more liberal than me to put it mildly… but we get along.”

Sir Keir added that “we make it work”.

As the pair exited a mountain lodge in the Canadian Rockies where the summit is being held, Mr Trump held up a physical copy of the trade agreement to show reporters.

Several leaves of paper fell from the binding, and Sir Keir quickly stooped to pick them up, saying: “A very important document.”

The US president also appeared to mistakenly refer to a “trade agreement with the European Union” at one point as he stood alongside the British prime minister.

Mr Trump announced his “Liberation Day” tariffs on countries in April. At the time, he announced 10% “reciprocal” rates on all UK exports – as well as separately announced 25% levies on cars and steel.

In a joint televised phone call in May, Sir Keir and Mr Trump announced the UK and US had agreed on a trade deal – but added the details were being finalised.

Ahead of the G7 summit, the prime minister said he would meet Mr Trump for “one-on-one” talks, and added the agreement “really matters for the vital sectors that are safeguarded under our deal, and we’ve got to implement that”.