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HIGH TRAFFIC

Britain’s busiest motorway to CLOSE tomorrow with two more weekends affected – check your route

All the motorway's traffic will be directed over a single roundabout
An image collage containing 1 images, Image 1 shows Highway sign indicating routes to London, Dartford, Canterbury, and Stansted Airport

THE M25 - Britain's busiest motorway - is set to close tomorrow and on two further weekends.

Motorists have been urged to check their route to avoid getting caught out by the closures.

Road closed sign with detour arrow.
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Motorists are urged to check their routes before travelCredit: Getty
Highway sign indicating routes to London, Dartford, Canterbury, and Stansted Airport.
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The M25 will close on Saturday night, and on two further weekendsCredit: Google Maps

A busy stretch of the London orbital in Kent will shut for "essential resurfacing", National highways confirmed.

Works are being done on the anti-clockwise carriageway at Junction 2 for the Darenth Interchange.

Traffic passing through Junction 2 will be redirected from 10pm on Saturday, May 26, until 7am on Sunday, May 27.

All lanes of the anti-clockwise road will be closed off between the entry and exit slip roads of Junction 2.

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This closure will add to a weekend of disruption around London as it coincides with the full closure of the Dartford Crossing - also on Saturday night.

The scale of the resurfacing required at Junction 2 means three separate closures are needed to complete it.

Exactly the same stretch will be out of action over two weekends in May.

The second closure will come on the weekend of May 10 and May 11.

Again, the short stretch of the anti-clockwise carriageway will be off limits from 10pm on Saturday night to 7am on Sunday morning.

And the road will shut for a third time on the weekend of May 17 and May 18.

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This final closure will apply for a longer period, beginning at 9pm on the Saturday night and going through to 9am on the Sunday morning.

Whilst the road is closed, drivers will need to follow a diversion route to complete their journeys.

All anti-clockwise traffic on the M25 will be directed off the motorway up the Junction 2 anti-clockwise exit slip road.

Cars will then head over the Darenth Interchange roundabout and re-join the M25 using the Junction 2 anticlockwise entry slip road.

Aerial view of the proposed Lower Thames Crossing in Dartford, UK.
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The Dartford Crossing will also be closed on Saturday nightCredit: Getty

The roundabout is not designed to deal with the full flow of motorway traffic, so delays are possible.

The Junction 2 closure will not be the only highways disruption on Saturday night.

The Queen Elizabeth II Bridge at the Dartford Crossing will also see a full closure on Saturday night.

The bridge, between Essex and Kent, will be shut from 10pm on Saturday night until 5am on Sunday morning.

Routine maintenance and safety inspections need to be carried out.

Read More on The Sun

National Highways has also warned that further disruption can be expected on the QEII Bridge between April and October for painting work.

The bridge is one of the busiest in Europe, with an average of 150,000 vehicles making the crossing every day.

Upcoming Dartford Crossing closures

  • Friday 11 April: Dartford west tunnel, 11pm to 6pm
  • Saturday 12 April: Dartford west tunnel, 10pm to 5am
  • Sunday 13 April: Dartford east tunnel, 10pm to 5am (no access for vehicles over 4.8m)
  • Monday 14 April to Thursday 17 April: Dartford east tunnel, 10pm to 5am (no access for vehicles over 4.8m)
  • Tuesday 22 April to Thursday 24 April: Dartford east tunnel, 10pm to 5am (no access for vehicles over 4.8m)
  • Friday 25 April: Dartford east tunnel, 11pm to 6am, (no access for vehicles over 4.8m)
  • Saturday 26 April: QEII Bridge closure, 10pm to 5am
  • Sunday 27 April: Dartford east tunnel, 10pm to 5am (no access for vehicles over 4.8m)

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