DRIVERS WHO IGNORE SIGNS FOR DIVERSION RISK ULEZ FINES DURING CLOSURE

•  Failure to pay the ULEZ charge when required can result in a £180 fine

Drivers who ignore signs for a 19-mile diversion during the closure of the M25 and try and find shortcuts risk being slapped with ULEZ fines, a highways boss has warned. 

National Highways warned that anyone ignoring diversion signs in an attempt to find shorter alternative routes will be liable for the £12.50 daily Ulez fee if their vehicle does not meet minimum emissions standards.

Failure to pay the charge when required can result in a £180 fine, reduced to £90 if paid within 14 days.

The M25 will be closed in both directions between Junctions 9 and 10 in Surrey from 9pm on Friday until 6am on Monday while concrete beams for a new bridge and a gantry are lifted into place. Drivers are being advised to avoid the area if possible.

Diversion routes will take cars on a 19-mile journey on A roads, crossing from Surrey into London's Ulez area.

It comes after London Mayor Sadiq Khan won a historic third term - dashing rumours that he could be ousted by a backlash over ULEZ, crime and Gaza.

National Highways senior project manager Jonathan Wade said: 'Although the [Ulez] cameras will be active, no enforcement action will be taken.

'However, if you ignore the diversion signs and do your own thing, then if your vehicle's not compliant you do run the risk of getting caught.

'You'll be perfectly safe as long as you follow the diversion routes.'

There are concerns sat navs could direct some drivers on to minor roads after leaving the M25, meaning they could be detected by other Ulez cameras as well as risk creating gridlock in residential areas.

Fears that diversion routes would become overwhelmed during the first planned closure - between Junctions 10 and 11 - in March proved unfounded as traffic levels were more than two-thirds lower than normal after a widespread awareness campaign.

Mr Wade said there is a 'very real' risk that the lack of disruption then means some motorists will not heed warnings to replan journeys this weekend.

'We've upped the amount of correspondence that we've been sending out to try and counter that but it remains an issue,' he said.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan expanded Ulez to cover the whole of the capital on August 29 last year.

This weekend will see the second of five planned closures of the M25 - which encircles London - on sections connecting with Junction 10 as part of a £317 million improvement project.

Other stretches of the M25 will also be disrupted this weekend due to ongoing work to retrofit additional emergency stopping areas on smart motorway sections.

Mr Wade explained that the Junction 10 work can be halted at various points throughout the weekend if it runs behind schedule, as 'we wouldn't jeopardise opening the M25 on Monday morning'.

RAC spokesperson Alice Simpson said drivers could face 'up to six days of disrupted travel' as the M25 closure follows national rail strikes which are expected to spark increased traffic levels.

She went on: 'While the general advice is to avoid driving if possible, people will still need to make essential journeys for work, to access medical care and to reach Gatwick and Heathrow airports.

'Planning ahead is absolutely vital. Rather than relying on a sat nav, check the planned diversion routes ahead of time and be prepared for long delays.

'It's also a really good idea to check your vehicle's oil and coolant levels, tyre pressure and tread depth all before setting off to reduce the chances of a very unwelcome breakdown.'

Three more weekend closures of the M25 will take place between August and the end of the year.

The project, due to be completed in summer 2025, will increase the number of lanes and make it easier to enter and exit the M25 at Junction 10, which is one of the UK's busiest and most dangerous motorway junctions.

In March, the M25 became an unlikely tourist attraction after the motorway closed for the weekend, leaving the road empty of cars.

A five-mile stretch of the motorway between junctions 10 and 11 was closed in both directions.

Sightseers congregated at the main diversion route to pose for selfies with the empty road.

Simon Vassallo has lived in the area for 35 years. He told The Independent that seeing the motorway empty was 'absolutely astonishing' and he 'just had to stop and take in the marvel'.

Another local told the paper 'it's quite extraordinary... I don't think we've ever seen anything quite like this'.

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2024-05-06T13:16:20Z dg43tfdfdgfd