Sussex and Surrey travel: M25 reopens early following first ever planned weekend closure

The M25 between junctions 10 and 11, which was closed at 9pm on Friday (March 15) and was scheduled to be closed until 6am today (March 18), was reopened to traffic at 10pm last night.

The works saw the Clearmount bridleway bridge being demolished and a large gantry installed.

National Highways Project Lead Jonathan Wade said: “We are delighted that we have been able to complete the work early and reopen the M25 ahead of schedule.

“Drivers have taken on board our advice, which reduced traffic levels by over 50 per cent and meant the length of time added to journeys was around 30 minutes.

“Thank you to everyone for their cooperation that has made carrying out work on this major project to make journeys safer and reduce pollution much easier.

“We are extremely grateful to our delivery partners, Surrey County Council, the emergency services, and everyone else who has supported us this weekend.”

This was the first of five closures and the date of the next one is set to be announced ‘very soon’ to give people ‘as much notice as possible’, according to a spokesperson for National Highways.

The carriageway 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.

The Junction 10 improvement scheme will see an increase in the number of lanes to make journeys safer and improve traffic flow.

It will make it easier and safer to enter and exit the M25, provide safer entry roads for Wisley, Pyrford, Old Byfleet and RHS Garden Wisley. It will also reduce the pollution caused by traffic jams.

As part of the scheme, National Highways will install the new Cockcrow Green Bridge which will be the project’s centrepiece.

This will be the UK’s first ever heathland bridge connecting Ockham and Wisley commons for the first time and provide a safe, natural corridor for local wildlife.

For more information about the project and the latest updates, including the closures, visit: www.nationalhighways.co.uk/our-roads/south-east/m25-junction-10/