Drivers have been warned of chaos on the roads this weekend, as football and tennis fans flock to watch sports fixtures amid M25 closures.
With the Wimbledon men’s final hitting the tournament’s last tennis balls on Sunday morning and the anticipated Euros football final featuring the England squad at 8pm, it’s a big weekend for sport.
The AA has advised sports fans travelling by car to plan alternative routes which avoid “the affected closed section of the M25” if they want to catch kick-off, the first serve and avoid traffic.
A planned closure of the M25 section between Junction 10 and Junction 11 means the stretch of road will be shut in both directions from 9pm Friday 12 July to 6am Monday 15 July.
Travel to London sports screenings, Gatwick and Heathrow airports and major ports including Hull, Dover and Folkestone will therefore be impacted by a 10-mile diversion using the A3, A240 and A245.
The journey to family attractions such as Thorpe Park and Legoland may also face lengthy delays due to the planned motorway closures.
This will be the third of five weekend closures of the M25 – which encircles London – as part of a £317 million project to improve Junction 10.
Chris Wood from The AA said: “With many football fans changing their plans following England’s victory over Holland, it’s likely to be incredibly busy in and around London, particularly the M25 Junctions 10 to 11 as well as major ports. We advise drivers to plan their journey accordingly, avoiding the west side of the M25 if possible, and to check the ferry and tunnel operator’s websites for updates before setting off.
Wood also told drivers to check their oil and coolant levels, tyres and fuel before setting off on the planned diversion and packing “plenty of cold drinks and snacks for passengers”.
Those making the last-minute journey to Berlin ahead of England’s appearance in the UEFA Euro 2024 finals should also be cautious if travelling by car after direct flights from London to the German capital completely sold out before Sunday evening.
“Our advice to drivers making a last-minute trip to Germany without tickets for the game is to make sure they have all the correct documentation and to check for parking and fan zone updates local to the area they’re heading to, as travel and visitor restrictions are highly likely to be in place,” Wood added.
According to Simon Calder, travel correspondent of The Independent, a Eurostar train from London to Brussels connecting to German Rail Brussels-Cologne-Berlin on Saturday could be the best alternative travel path for England football fans to reach the pitch.
For more travel news and advice listen to Simon Calder’s podcast.