The first-ever planned daytime closure of the M25 this weekend could become a ‘nightmare’, with local residents and businesses braced for ‘carmageddon’ traffic.
A five-mile stretch of the motorway between junctions 10 and 11 is now shut in both directions and will remain inaccessible until 6am on Monday while a bridge is demolished and new gantry installed.
Motorists are being directed to take an 11.5-mile diversion route along A-roads, sparking concerns surrounding roads will be paralysed by ‘absolute gridlock’ as thousands are funnelled through.
People living by the route have already cancelled plans and stockpiled groceries ahead of the chaos, with Byfleet councillor Daryl Jordan saying he expects to see ‘absolute gridlock’.
Cllr Jordan, of Woking Borough Council, said the Byfleet Road, which is close to junction 10, had been ‘chock-a-block’ on Friday afternoon. He said residents will be ‘affected massively’.
‘It is pulling people apart,’ the councillor said.
‘I mean, you know, when you work full-time and then you’re going to get home tonight from work thinking ‘I must fill the fridge up’ and you can’t even get into your own village.
‘It’s going to be a nightmare.
‘Just going down the road to get milk is going to be a problem tomorrow or picking up your dry cleaning.’
