What Are M25 Junction 10 Closure Dates?
Motorists throughout Surrey and the South East are being advised to plan ahead of severe disruption next week as National Highways announces the next round of closures at one of the busiest road junctions in the country.
The junction links the M25 and A3 at Wisley, and a major revamp is being carried out to address congestion and enhance safety at one of the busiest motorway junctions in the UK.
The already two-year-old construction project has been hit with extreme weather adding another delay to the project taking the expected completion date to spring 2025 from summer 2024.
The closures are necessary, even with the setback; officials claim that the closures are part of the key to keeping the upgrade on schedule, thus allowing for progress with future works without further setbacks.
Major Overnight Closures This Week
The initial closure shall occur between midnight on Thursday, 21 August, and the pre-dawn, 22 August, between 10:00 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. Throughout the process, the M25 and A3 gyratory at Junction 10 will be closed 24 hours a day, along with all entry and exit slip roads.
Although a constant flow of traffic will be maintained on both the M25 and A3, motorways will not be able to leave and join the interchange as the works are in progress. Another disruption is planned between 9 pm, 22 August, and the morning, 1 September, at 6 am. This junction will be closed, leading to the Painshill junction, where drivers will only be able to make left-turn movements in each direction.
The roundabout itself will not be blocked, but the closures will cause significant congestion for people who are accustomed to passing freely through the junction. National Highways has warned motorists to allow more time and consider alternative routes, as they may experience serious delays.
Background to the Wisley Interchange Upgrade
The Wisley interchange is located in the Guildford borough and is a part of the M25 motorway interchange. The realisation of the interchange upgrade project has been necessitated by the need to upgrade the interchange because it is facing the challenge of an increase in heavy use of the interchange; thus, there is a need to upgrade its facilities so that it can increase its capacity to accommodate the high traffic that uses the interchange.
The interchange has been facing criticism of congestion caused by the heavy usage, which causes some delays to the persons using the interchange in both directions. The Wisley Interchange is widely regarded as one of the most congested and accident-prone sections of the M25, with over 270,000 vehicles passing through the interchange daily.
This upgrade aims to minimise collisions, reduce delays, and maximise the reliability of journeys. This plan involves widening parts of the motorway and the A3, constructing new bridges, and creating new safe roads and pathways that pass through areas frequented by cyclists and other pedestrians.
To complement the project, National Highways is also undertaking environmental works, including the restoration of heathland and the creation of wildlife corridors to reconnect habitats around the interchange. Although it can be tiresome to wait in a traffic jam due to roadwork, the end result will be a significant improvement in safety and efficiency.
Recent Works Already Completed
Earlier in the summer, motorists were experiencing closures around the Painshill and Ockham Park roundabouts with slip roads closed overnight to allow the area to be resurfaced and structural works to be carried out.
There were also two complete weekend closures of the A3 between Junction 10 and Painshill in June and July to undertake the installation of a major gantry and a new bridleway bridge.
These may have been very disruptive while they were happening, but National Highways claims that the works were completed successfully and have formed the foundation for the following phase of the project.
What Drivers Should Know
Closures that start on Thursday night are one of the most disturbing stages of the work. Police are warning motorists to stay up-to-date with live travel information on National Highways and Traffic England before heading out.
As overnight closures and weekend restrictions are in place, one area of concern is those who need to travel late at night and in the early morning hours, who need to allow additional travel time or consider alternate routes.
Despite being delayed until spring 2025, National Highways claims that the scheme is on track and will ultimately provide safer operations, reduced congestion and a reliable transport link through Surrey.
At this point, though, motorists are being advised to keep themselves prepared to face further road blockages and familiar irritation as this much-needed improvement takes place.