London Ambulance Service Vehicles. Image: LAS.

Members of the public are being advised to avoid a section of the M25 this weekend due to an emergency services exercise.

The M25 will be closed to all traffic in both directions between junction 25 (A10/Enfield) and junction 27 (M11) overnight, from 10pm tonight till 6 am tomorrow morning, the 17th of May.

Both carriageways will be closed in order to carry out routine testing on systems and equipment in the Bell Common Tunnel near Epping and the Holmesdale Tunnel near Enfield, led by Highways England.

Using the existing road closure a critical incident exercise will be conducted by the emergency services.

The Met Police say:

This exercise is designed to test emergency services response to a serious collision that blocks the M25 and involves emergency services from London, Essex and Hertfordshire.

Met Police motorcycles. Image: Met Police

Clearly signed diversions will be in place.

The authorities have set out diversions if the exercise is on your route:

1. Road users travelling clockwise between junction 25 and junction 27 will be diverted via the A10, the A406 and the M11 northbound to rejoin the M25 at junction 27.
2. Road users travelling anti-clockwise between junction 27 and junction 25 will be diverted via the M11 southbound, A406 and the A10 to rejoin the M25 at junction 25.
3. Road users wishing to use the clockwise junction 26 entry slip road will be diverted via the A121, A104, A406 and M11 to rejoin the M25 at junction 27.
4. Motorists attempting to use the anticlockwise junction 26 entry slip road will be diverted via the A121 and the A10 to rejoin the M25 at junction 25.
5. Road users travelling on the M11 northbound and wishing to join the M25 anticlockwise will be diverted onto the M25 clockwise to junction 28.
6. Then join the anticlockwise carriageway and follow the above diversion, or join the A12 southbound to join the diversion mid-way.