England fans making mad-dash to catch Euros final face travel hell with M25 closures & train CHAOS
AN URGENT travel warning has been issued as the M25 and London Underground are in chaos with closures and no night tubes ahead of the Euro 2024 final.
Brits are being sent on a 10-mile diversion on the popular motorway – which sees around 200,000 people use the route every day.
The delays could mean issues for fans dashing to the airport in the hopes of getting to Germany in time for England taking on Spain.
Photos from today already show long queues, with motorists asked to “only travel if absolutely necessary”.
A five-mile stretch from Wisley to Chertsey in Surrey shut down from Friday night.
One side of the A3 in Wisley was stuffed up yesterday as road users tried to navigate the diversion around the closed carriageway.
The RAC advised football fans trying to access Heathrow or Gatwick across the weekend to “leave earlier than usual”.
It is the third of five such closures to allow for the construction of a new bridge near the roundabout at Junction 10 as part of a £317 million improvement scheme.
The busy motorway, which encircles London, shut between junctions 10 and 11 from 9pm Friday and will not re-open until 6am on Monday, said National Highways.
Meanwhile, many fans in London planning post-match celebrations ahead of a prospective Three Lions win could find themselves unable to get home with no late tubes running.
That’s despite pubs and bars across England being allowed to stay open until 1am on Monday morning.
British Beer And Pub Association chief executive Emma McClarkin said: “On what promises to be a hugely exciting day for the country we expect an incredible 10 million extra pints to be poured in our pubs this Sunday to toast England’s Euros final.
“A huge £48 million in additional trade for pubs and breweries will be generated by fans across the nation.”
Jonathan Wade, senior project manager for National Highways, said: “Our advice is please only travel if absolutely necessary and make sure you give yourself extra time if you do choose to use the M25.”
He added that drivers should “ignore their sat navs” as they might take them off the official diversion route, leaving them open to fines and ULEZ charges.
These penalties will be suspended alongside the official route.
That being said, Alice Simpson from the RAC said that there was “no reason why this weekend can’t go smoothly too”.
Ms Simpson urged drivers to “plan their journeys well in advance and follow the official diversion routes”.
And Chris Wood from the AA told Inews: “With potential for an upturn in the weather forecast and many football fans hoping to visit friends to cheer on their national team, it’s likely to be incredibly busy in and around London, particularly the M25 Junctions 10 to 11.
“We advise drivers to plan their journey accordingly, avoiding the west side of the M25 if possible, but if not to expect delays and stick to the detour routes.”