Guide · 4 min read
Overnight motorway closures: how they work
Most roadworks on England's motorways and major A roads happen at night. Whole carriageways, single lanes and slip roads are closed in the evening and reopened before the morning rush. Here is how it works, and how to check what is closed on your route tonight.
Why closures happen at night
Traffic is at its lightest overnight, so closing a road then disrupts the fewest journeys. National Highways schedules most maintenance, resurfacing, inspections and improvement work for those hours, and reopens the road before the morning peak.
On the evening this guide was written, 273 of the 370 closures National Highways had published for England ran overnight only. Daytime closures do happen, mostly for long-running schemes and emergency repairs.
The usual hours
National Highways typically closes roads overnight from 8pm or 9pm until 5am or 6am. The published times are the window the road may be closed, not a promise: a closure can start later if traffic is still heavy, because lanes are only coned off once that can be done safely.
Full closure, lane closure, slip road closure
"Closed" covers very different journeys, so Live Roads never uses it on its own:
| Closure | What is shut | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Full closure | The carriageway in that direction, between two junctions | You leave at the junction before and follow the diversion |
| Lane closure | One or more lanes | Traffic keeps moving, usually with a lower speed limit |
| Slip road closure | An entry or exit slip road | You cannot join or leave at that junction; the main carriageway stays open |
| Link road closure | A road connecting two motorways at an interchange | You reach the other motorway by another route |
Diversions
National Highways puts a signed diversion in place for its closures, and asks drivers to follow the diversion signs rather than a satnav. The signed route is planned for the traffic it has to carry; a satnav may not know about the closure, or may send you down roads that cannot take the extra traffic.
How to check tonight's closures
- Open your road's page on Live Roads (for example the M25 or the A55) to see closures in force now, overnight closures and planned works, ordered by junction.
- Check the Closures page for every full closure in England and Wales, split into closed now, overnight and planned.
- Before a long drive at night, check again shortly before you leave: closure times can move.
Questions
- What time do motorway closures start?
- National Highways typically closes roads from 8pm or 9pm, reopening by 5am or 6am. The exact hours are published for each closure, and the start can be later if traffic is still heavy.
- Should I follow the diversion or my satnav?
- The signed diversion: National Highways asks drivers to follow it rather than a satnav, which may not know about the closure.
- Is a slip road closure the same as a motorway closure?
- No. With a slip road closure the main carriageway stays open: you just cannot join or leave at that junction.
Live now
Sources
- South East maintenance schemes· National Highways
- North West maintenance schemes· National Highways
- Road and Lane Closures data service· National Highways