Drivers warned of M25 diversion route through ULEZ

Drivers are being warned to follow diversion signs in order to avoid ULEZ charges during three weekend-long junction closures on the M25.

Closures will be in place on the weekends of 4 October, 18 October and 1 November, when drivers won't be able to use slip roads to leave or join the M25 or the A3 at junction 10.

The roads will close at 21:00 BST on the Friday of each weekend and reopen by 06:00 on Monday, National Highways said.

A spokesperson said: "While the Ultra Low Emission Zone across London will remain in force during these closures, the signed diversion routes have been designed to ensure that drivers would avoid any charges."

The advice to drivers is to follow the signed diversion route or "check whether their vehicle would be subject to charges at the Transport for London website".

There are seven diversions listed by National Highways for the weekends, when both the M25 and the A3 will remain open.

Of the seven, two of them use the A243 going past Chessington World of Adventures, which is within the zone.

The ULEZ was expanded to cover all London boroughs in August 2023 , and ordinarily drivers of non-compliant cars anywhere within the ULEZ face a daily charge of £12.50.

The BBC has asked Transport for London for clarity on how drivers using the diversion will be monitored and those in non-compliant cars not charged on their journey.

The closures are part of a three-year £317m project to update the junctions.

Three full weekend closures of the motorway have taken place already in 2024, with more scheduled in 2025.

National Highways said junction 10 was the busiest section of the M25, with more than 300,000 vehicles passing through every day.

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