Insider warns drivers M25 57-hour closure will create 'worst traffic jam ever'

By Mieka Smiles, News Reporter

Road expert Michael Dnes says that the closure could lead to the UK's worst ever traffic jam (Image: Getty)

A road expert is warning that this weekend’s M25 closure will create traffic chaos and lead to the “worst traffic jam ever”.

National Highways has made the decision to go ahead with an unprecedented closure of the London ring road M25 this weekend.

Drivers have been warned to keep clear of the five-mile stretch of the motorway in Surrey between junctions 10 and 11 as it will be shut in both directions from 9pm on Friday until 6am on Monday.

It will be the first scheduled closure of all lanes on the motorway since it opened in 1986, with the ultimate aim being to widen it by increasing the number of lanes.

However, an insider who says he used to lead the UK government’s road planning team has totally eviscerated the plan - saying that not only will it cause traffic chaos but also be a pointless task.

He took to social media platform X - which used to be known as Twitter - to make his point in a lengthy thread.

Michael Dnes - who describes himself as a “DfT roads bod” said the country “may be about to have its worst traffic jam ever.”

He goes on to question the purpose of the closure saying that making the M25 wider will not solve any of the issues the road has.

He said: “The road isn’t just congested. It's stuffed. Most roads have two peaks of traffic – morning and evening.

“The SWQ [the section of the M25 that’s closing] doesn’t. The traffic starts at about 6am and goes constantly until about 6pm.

“And because it’s stuffed, when things go wrong there's no way to fix it. The stereotype of highways planners is that they always say ‘add another lane’. Not here.”

Mr Dnes then explains that “the worst thing you could do to this bit of the M25 is add another lane.”

He says that by widening the road, you’ll make it more attractive to motorists and increase its advantage over other routes even further - which is unhelpful if the M25 is unavailable then there is no reasonable alternative.

Meanwhile a Highways Agency chief has told drivers to find something to do at home like "decorate the bathroom" or "play in the garden".

Speaking to The Independent's daily travel podcast he said the government-owned company's project lead, Jonathan Wade, said "avoid the area totally if you can."

National Highways believes around an hour will be added to journeys because of the steps it has taken.