Phased traffic restrictions will be implemented this weekend at the Dartford Crossing, one of England's busiest transport hubs, due to maintenance and repair work. It is stated that an average of 150 thousand vehicles use the route on the M25 motorway every day, and drivers have been warned to plan their journeys accordingly.
National Highways has announced that crossings will be closed at certain times as part of the work to be carried out in the tunnels connected to the Queen Elizabeth II (QEII) Bridge. The closures are expected to affect traffic, particularly during weekend night hours.
CLOSURE SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED
According to the plan, the QEII Bridge will be closed to vehicle traffic between junctions 31 and 1a of the M25 starting from 22:30 on Saturday, October 17. During the work, southbound traffic will be diverted to the Dartford East Tunnel. The bridge is expected to reopen at 06:00 on Sunday, October 18.
The maintenance program will not be limited to this. Between 22:30 on Sunday, October 18, and 05:30 on Monday, October 19, access restrictions will also be applied in the east tunnel due to road repairs between junctions 29 and 30.
Officials reminded that similar work was carried out in the west tunnel last weekend and advised drivers to take potential delays into account. National Highways also stated that there may be changes to the work dates due to weather conditions or operational reasons, and recommended checking current announcements before setting off.
It is reported that the Dartford Crossing was designed with a daily capacity of 135 thousand vehicles, but currently serves an average of 150 thousand, and up to 180 thousand vehicles on busy days. On the route, where the annual number of crossings exceeds 50 million, periodic maintenance closures are expected to continue in the coming years to maintain safe transport.
Within the scope of the project, maintenance and renewal operations will be carried out on bridge piers, cable stays, dampers, tunnel bearings, viaduct expansion joints, lighting, security cameras, ventilation, drainage, and electrical systems. Additional improvement works are also planned for October 24 and 31 between 21:00 and 09:00.
News Source: 12punto
