Roadworks at the M25’s Swanley junction will pause over Christmas and New Year, National Highways has confirmed, giving drivers some relief at the busiest time of the year.
The works at junction 3, where the M25 meets the M20 and A20, are part of a project to upgrade traffic signals at the busy interchange. Overnight restrictions are scheduled until 18 December, with diversion routes in place on the affected nights.
The restrictions affect the interchange roundabout rather than the motorway itself, and National Highways said it has not planned daytime lane closures as part of the revised arrangements.
Traffic management at the junction will be removed during the holiday period, so the planned Swanley restrictions are not expected to continue through the festive break. The announcement comes as thousands of drivers prepare to use the M25 to visit family, travel to airports and head away for Christmas.
That does not guarantee the whole M25 will be free of closures on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day. Other roadworks, emergency repairs or incidents could still affect journeys, and as of 11 November, National Highways’ published short-term closure information does not provide a complete, confirmed list of M25 closures for 24 December to 1 January. Motorists should check for updated information closer to their journey.
More works will follow after Christmas. National Highways has confirmed that additional overnight closures will be required at junction 3 between January and April 2027 as the traffic signal upgrades continue. Only one section of the roundabout will be closed at a time to minimise disruption, and exact dates for these closures have not yet been confirmed.
Drivers using the western section of the M25 should also be aware of longer-term restrictions at junction 11 near Chertsey, where Surrey County Council is carrying out improvement works as part of the A320 Housing Infrastructure Scheme. A lane closure is scheduled on the M25 clockwise exit slip road at junction 11 until February 2027, affecting traffic travelling clockwise towards Heathrow. Unlike the junction 3 works, the published information does not specify a Christmas suspension for this lane closure, so drivers using junction 11 during the festive period should check the latest restrictions before setting off.
Further works are expected at junction 15 near Heathrow Airport in 2027, where National Highways is replacing two major bridge expansion joints at the interchange between the M25 and M4. The anticlockwise works are expected to begin in January, with some overnight and weekend restrictions required, but the precise January closure dates have not yet been announced.
National Highways publishes planned motorway closures through its online daily closures service, which generally covers the next seven days, with schedules updated regularly as roadworks are confirmed. Drivers planning long-distance journeys over Christmas are advised to check the latest information shortly before travelling, as restrictions can change at short notice, and to allow additional time for journeys during busy festive travel periods, particularly when travelling to airports or connecting with other major motorways.
Overnight closures at the Swanley interchange are due to restart next week as part of the same signal upgrade project, and the same stretch of the M25 near Chertsey saw a serious crash this morning that closed lanes between junctions 11 and 12.
