Drivers are being reminded of this weekend’s final planned closure of the Surrey stretch of the M25 which starts from tonight.

The closure will allow National Highways to safely demolish and remove an old bridge which is no longer needed

Between 9pm on Friday 21 March and 6am Monday 24 March, there will be a full closure in both directions of the M25 between junction 10 for Wisley and junction 11 for Woking.

It’s the fifth and final closure of the M25 as part of the ongoing junction 10 improvement project, which has delivered a new central gyratory to improve the capacity for vehicles moving between the M25 and A3. One of the old bridges has already been demolished, this closure is to allow the demolition of the second old bridge.

This is one of the busiest stretches of the M25, and is used by many drivers to get to Gatwick and Heathrow airports – the latter remains closed after an “unprecedented” fire hit a nearby substation, disrupting thousands of flights and expected to impact more in the coming days.

During the previous M25 closures, drivers largely heeded National Highways’ advice, but National Highways senior project manager Jonathan Wade is urging road users to avoid complacency this weekend after a notable increase in traffic a fortnight ago.

“Two weeks ago, when we last closed the motorway, we saw higher levels of traffic than in the previous three closures and it caused significant disruption and delays in local areas.”

He also stressed the importance of following signed diversions, and not sat-navs, after seeing HGVs travelling on unsuitable routes, becoming stuck and clogging up roads.

“We are now on the home straight of this complex project and we are pleased to say this is the last time the M25 will be closed over a full weekend,” Wade said.

“We obviously want people to spend time enjoying themselves, we don’t want anyone to be stuck in long traffic jams.

“If you’re travelling around Surrey this weekend, I’d again urge you to only use the motorway and surrounding areas if your journey is absolutely necessary.

“Please allow extra time and use alternative routes where possible, and make sure you follow our official diversions, and not information from sat-navs.”

Drivers travelling clockwise will be diverted from the M25 at junction 10 to use the A3 northbound travelling via the A245 at Painshill and the A320 to rejoin the M25 at junction 11.

Those travelling anticlockwise will be diverted from the M25 at junction 11 to join the A320, then the A245 to Painshill to use the A3 southbound to rejoin the M25 at junction 10.

Avoiding the closure by taking the M25 via the Dartford Crossing may also be quicker.

Latest updates on the closure and official diversion details are available on the National Highways website.