THERE will be a five hour closure on the M25 in the early hours of Sunday (July 4) morning as part of ongoing work to widen the motorway.

The clockwise carriageway between Junctions 19 (Watford) and 21a (Bricket Wood) will be closed from midnight on Saturday and will reopen at 5am the following morning.

It’s the first of two closures in July which will allow for the removal of four gantries.

The widening works between Junctions 16 and 23 started in May last year and the stretch between Junctions 16 and 17 has already been widened to four lanes.

The second closure will start at midnight on Saturday, July 17, and also last for five hours.

John Martin, Highways Agency project manager, said: “Removing the gantries at night keeps delays for road users to a minimum. It is part of an overall project to increase the number of lanes on the M25, improving traffic flows to ensure reliability in journey times and safety for road users.

“A diversion route will be signposted from Junction 19 via the A41 North Western Avenue, the A405 Kingsway North Orbital Road, Junction 6 of the M1 and the A405 North Orbital Road to Junction 21a and St Albans.”

The widening work is due to be completed before the Olympics in 2012.