Section of M25 to close again tonight – as drivers warned not to get complacent
A seven-mile stretch of the M25 is set to shut in both directions from tonight for the second of five planned weekend closures.
Motorists have been advised to avoid the area of the closure – between junctions 9 and 10 in Surrey – from 9pm on Friday to 6am on Monday morning.
Drivers have also been urged to stick to the planned 19-mile diversion route, which will send vehicles through parts of Surrey and Greater London.
It is the second of five planned closures of the motorway, and comes after a section between junctions 10 and 11 was shut in March.
On that occasion, fears diversion routes would become overwhelmed proved unfounded, as traffic levels were more than two-thirds lower than normal after a widespread awareness campaign.
However, National Highways senior project manager Jonathan Wade says there is a “very real” risk that the lack of disruption in March means some motorists will not heed warnings to replan journeys this weekend.
“We’ve upped the amount of correspondence that we’ve been sending out to try and counter that, but it remains an issue,” he says.
A map showing the M25 closure and the diversion route between junctions 9 and 10 in May 2024
Those set to be those travelling to, from and between the UK’s two busiest airports, Heathrow and Gatwick, are expected to be affected as National Highways has warned it expects long delays.
Other stretches of the M25 will also be disrupted this weekend due to ongoing work to retrofit additional emergency stopping areas on smart motorway sections.
Meanwhile, Mr Wade warned drivers will be subjected to London’s ultra low emission zone (ULEZ) rules if they move off official diversion routes during this weekend’s M25 closure.
National Highways said anyone ignoring diversion signs in an attempt to find shorter alternative routes will be liable for the £12.50 daily Ulez fee if their vehicle does not meet minimum emissions standards.
Failure to pay the charge when required can result in a £180 fine, reduced to £90 if paid within 14 days.
Diversion routes will take cars on a 19-mile journey on A roads, crossing from Surrey into London’s ULEZ area.
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National Highways senior project manager Jonathan Wade told the PA news agency: “Although the (ULEZ) cameras will be active, no enforcement action will be taken.
“However, if you ignore the diversion signs and do your own thing, then if your vehicle’s not compliant you do run the risk of getting caught.
“You’ll be perfectly safe as long as you follow the diversion routes.”
The M25 was closed in March to allow for the demolition of a bridge. Pic: National Highways South-East/X
A view of traffic approaching junction 10 of the M25 prior to the closure in March
Pic: PA
Read more from Sky News:
Everything you need to know ahead of the M25 closing
Aerial pictures show calm amid M25 gridlock fears
RAC spokesperson Alice Simpson also warned drivers not to rely on their sat navs during the closure.
“Planning ahead is absolutely vital,” she said.
“Rather than relying on a sat nav, check the planned diversion routes ahead of time and be prepared for long delays.
“It’s also a really good idea to check your vehicle’s oil and coolant levels, tyre pressure and tread depth all before setting off to reduce the chances of a very unwelcome breakdown.”
National Highways say this weekend’s closure is to allow for the installation of a new bridge between junction 9 and junction 10.
The previous closure was to allow for the demolition of Clearmount bridleway bridge between junction 10 and junction 11 and the installation of a large gantry.
Three more weekend closures of the M25 are set to take place between August and the end of the year.
The project, due to be completed in summer 2025, 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.
The crash involving a cargo ship and oil tanker off the East Yorkshire coast is bad news for the sea, fish and air in the area. What we don’t know yet is quite how bad it will be.
That depends on a few things – but the speed of the collision, clouds of filthy black smoke from the fires and the leaked fuel are certainly worrying.
Firstly, it matters what was on board those two massive vessels.
Follow live: Jet fuel spilling into sea after tanker collision
Analytics firm Vortexa estimates the 183m-long tanker was carrying about 130,000 barrels of jet fuel (kerosene), which is now leaking into the sea.
Jet fuel is not as sticky or viscous as heavier types of oil, thankfully, so it’s less likely to clog the feathers and fur of birds and seals. It can also be broken down by natural bacteria.
But it can still poison fish and kill animals and plants on the shoreline if it makes its way into the soil there.
The Marine Conservation Society has pointed out the site in the Humber estuary is close to some protected areas and is important for seabirds and harbour porpoises.
And both ships will have been powered by a dirtier, heavier kind of oil – likely marine gas oil or heavy fuel oil, though we don’t know the details yet.
Heavy fuel oil is nasty stuff.
Pic: Bartek Smialek/PA
Cheap, thick and tar-like, it can smother animals and is very dangerous if they consume it, and is extremely difficult to clean up. Let’s hope this isn’t creeping around the North Sea already.
We don’t know how much of either the jet fuel or the oil powering the ships has leaked, or how much will be burned off in the violent fires – which themselves are ploughing black smoke and filthy air pollution into the surrounding atmosphere.
And we don’t know for sure what was on the Solong cargo ship and if, or what, will go into the sea.
Cargo ship ‘had sodium cyanide on board’
It was carrying 15 containers of sodium cyanide among other cargo, according to a report from maritime data provider Lloyd’s List Intelligence.
The container vessel was also transporting an unknown quantity of alcohol, said the casualty report – an assessment of incidents at sea – citing a message from the local coastguard.
Plastic takes hundreds of years to break down, and potentially can choke or trap animals.
Many of us have seen that uncomfortable viral video of a turtle having a straw yanked out of its nose. Previous accidents on cargo ships have seen plastic Lego pieces wash up in Cornwall 25 years later.
Read more:
How UK North Sea platforms dump gas
Secondly, the impact depends on the sea and weather conditions around it.
Things like the wind and currents affect how an oil spill spreads in the sea. Scientists can draw up computer models to simulate how the oil could behave.
Thirdly, it matters how quickly this is all tackled and then cleaned up, if necessary, and if it can be.
Usually the slower the response, the worse the impact.
The coastguard has said the incident “remains ongoing” and it has started assessing the “likely counter pollution response” that will be required.
Such a response might need the help of numerous public bodies: the government environment department, the transport department, the Environment Agency and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
So for now the best we can hope for – aside from the welfare of the people involved – is that not all the oil is spilled or burnt, that conditions are calm and that rescuers and those cleaning up can work swiftly.
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