M25 closure in place as road work starts in Surrey

The M25 in Surrey is shut in both directions between junctions nine and 10 as roadworks are under way.

The planned closure from the A243 Leatherhead to the A3 Wisley started at 21:00 BST on Friday and will be in place until 06:00 on Monday.

The road is shut so a new bridge consisting of 68 beams, each weighing 16 tonnes, and a further four beams weighing 40 tonnes can be installed.

Despite the closure, National Highways told drivers to "continue to come to Surrey".

The impact from the closure was expected to be "fairly limited to certain areas", senior project manager Jonathan Wade said.

Four diversion routes are in place between Gatwick and Heathrow. Two in either direction for regular traffic and two for overheight vehicles.

Drivers have been warned they could receive penalty charges under London's ultra low emission zone (Ulez) rules if they stray off official diversion routes over the weekend.

This closure is part of a project to improve safety and reduce pollution.

Future closures

A five-mile (8km) stretch of the M25 was shut in March between junctions 10 and 11 - it was the first time there had been a scheduled daytime shutdown of all lanes since the motorway opened in 1986.

The improvement scheme, which is part of a £317m upgrade to the motorway, will see an increase in the number of lanes to attempt to make journeys safer and a new junction layout to improve traffic flow.

Three more closures are planned before the end of 2024, with the next one organised for August.

Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, and on X. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.