Drivers heading onto the M25 this week face a heavy programme of overnight engineering works, with 29 separate closures planned across the motorway on the nights between Monday and Thursday.
Both the clockwise and anti-clockwise carriageways will be affected at different points, with the shutdowns also hitting entry slip roads, link roads and the motorway services. Every closure is scheduled to run from 10pm until 5.30am the following morning, so it is late-evening and early-morning journeys that stand to be disrupted.
The works are part of a planned programme of overnight roadworks on London’s orbital motorway, and drivers are being urged to check their routes before setting off, as signposted diversions and delays are likely while the closures are in force. The works come on top of M25 disruption near Merstham, where a broken-down lorry blocked lanes.
Key facts
- 29 overnight closures planned across four nights
- When: the nights of Monday 12, Tuesday 13, Wednesday 14 and Thursday 15 October
- Hours: 10pm to 5.30am each night
- Where: clockwise and anti-clockwise carriageways, plus slip roads, link roads and the Cobham services link road
- Planned roadworks can change at short notice, especially in bad weather
At a glance: every affected junction, night by night
Here is the full list of the 29 planned closures.
Monday night into Tuesday — eight closures
Anti-clockwise
- The Cobham services link road
- The entry slip road at junction 10
- The carriageway between junction 10 and junction 9
- The junction 15 carriageway between the exit and entry slip roads
- The carriageway between junction 25 and junction 23
Clockwise
- The carriageway and link road between junction 12 and junction 13
- The carriageway and slip road between junction 21A and junction 22
- The link road from junction 30 towards the A13 east
Tuesday night into Wednesday — seven closures
Anti-clockwise
- The carriageway between junction 10 and junction 9
- The entry slip road at junction 10
- The Cobham services link road
- The carriageway between junction 25 and junction 23
- The link road from junction 15 to the M4 eastbound and westbound at junction 4B
Clockwise
- The carriageway and slip road between junction 21A and junction 22
- The link road from junction 16 to the M40 eastbound at junction 1A
Wednesday night into Thursday — six closures
Anti-clockwise
- The carriageway between junction 10 and junction 9
- The entry slip road at junction 10
- The Cobham services link road
- The carriageway between junction 25 and junction 23
Clockwise
- The carriageway and link road between junction 12 and junction 13
- The link road from junction 16 to the M40 eastbound and westbound at junction 1A
Thursday night into Friday — eight closures
Anti-clockwise
- The carriageway between junction 10 and junction 9
- The entry slip road at junction 10
- The Cobham services link road
- The junction 15 carriageway between the exit and entry slip roads
- The carriageway between junction 25 and junction 23
- The junction 2 carriageway between the exit and entry slip roads
Clockwise
- The carriageway and link road between junction 12 and junction 13
- The link road from junction 16 to the M40 eastbound and westbound at junction 1A
What this means for you
If you are travelling overnight between Monday and Thursday, the closures could add significant time to your journey — particularly if your route takes in the affected stretches around junctions 9 and 10 in Surrey, junctions 12 and 13 near Staines, the M4 and M40 interchanges at junctions 15 and 16, or the northern section between junctions 23 and 25.
Signposted diversion routes will be in place, but drivers should still allow extra time and consider whether their journey can be retimed outside the 10pm to 5.30am window. Anyone heading to or from Cobham services overnight should take particular note, as the services link road is closed on every night of the works. Those thinking of leaving the car at home should know that late-night Southeastern changes are hitting Bromley and Bexley this week.
The advice is simple: check your journey before you travel, and expect delays and diversions while the works are under way. National Highways warns that planned roadworks can change at short notice, especially if bad weather sets in, so it is worth checking the latest closure information before setting off — the current schedule is published through its road closure report — and keeping an eye on live traffic alerts while travelling.
With 29 closures packed into four nights, the M25’s overnight schedule is unusually busy this week. It is not the only disruption on the roads either — Western Avenue has seen delays after a lorry and car crash. A few minutes spent checking your route before you leave could save a much longer detour on the night.
