M25 Traffic

Information About The M25

5Accidentsreported on the M25 — and the overhead signs show M25 CLOSED J28-J29 A120 CLOSED A12 — see the signs8Roadworks activelive on the M25 right now — see details11Plannedscheduled on the M25 — see details

Live M25 traffic data from National Highways · updated 23:52 (11:52pm) Wed 11 Nov 2026

M25

Information About The M25

Welcome to the "M25 Motorway" page of facts and information about the M25.

Perhaps you are a regular M25 motorway user, commuter, delivery driver or other road user and had a few questions about the M25 motorway?

Well the aim of this section of our website is to bring you some interesting facts about the M25 motorway.

We feature some of the common questions and answers that you might be looking for.

Many of our website users are looking for information about the latest traffic delays and roadworks on the M25 or maps, but it is interesting to know some of the facts about the road you might travel on every day.

Our site features news and information about the M25 that is current today and up to the minute from reliable sources.

Our twitter page features news and information, and our site also features news and information from other Twitter users #M25. You can share your M25 news via Twitter too.

"Road to Hell"

Reportedly the well known song by Chris Rea called "Road to Hell" was about the M25 motorway.

"Road to Hell" was Chris Rea's biggest hit in the UK reaching number 10 in the charts in the UK.

Common Questions About The M25

Question: When was the M25 built?

Answer: The M25 motorway was constructed between 1975 and 1986.

Question: How long is the M25 motorway?

Answer: The M25 motorway is 117 miles long (or 188 kilometres).

Question: Which other motorways does the M25 connect to?

Answer: The M25 motorway connects to 10 other motorways. See our M25 junctions map for details.

Question: How many cars use the M25 Motorway on a daily basis?

Answer: The M25 motorway was designed in the mid 1980s to carry 100,000 vehicles a day. However, the busiest section between Junctions 13 and 14 carries around 200,000 vehicles a day.

Question: Is the M25 one of the busiest motorways in the UK?

Answer: The M25 is one of the busiest motorways in Europe and certainly in the UK.

Question: What is the busiest part of the M25 motorway?

Answer: The busiest M25 section is Junctions 13 and 14 which are in the Heathrow section on the western side of the M25. With a lot of people working at Heathrow or around the Heathrow area the western side of the M25 can get extremely busy and congested between 7am and 10am and between 3.30pm and around 7.30pm on weekdays as Heathrow area daytime workers commute to and from work. Plus there are the 52 million travellers flying to or from Heathrow Airport every year (excluding pure connecting flights) which is approximately 145,000 passengers on average per day on around 900 daily flights. 

Question: Who is responsible for operating and maintaining the M25 motorway?

Answer: "Connect Plus" is responsible for operating and maintaining the M25 motorway, which is a joint venture between Balfour Beatty, Atkins and Egis. Connect Plus has a 30 year contract with Highways England to manage and improve the M25 network on behalf of Highways England. 

 

Live example - one current item from today’s traffic news on the M25, refreshed every five minutes. It shows how our news is laid out; the full news is one click away.

  • M25 Anti-clockwise Jct 6 to Jct 5 lane 1 closure

    Active nowRoadworksAnticlockwise
    Time now: Wednesday, 11 November 2026, 23:52 (11:52pm)

    23:30 (11:30pm)11 Nov 2026reported 21 min ago

    Location
    M25 anti-clockwise between J6 and J5
    Direction
    Anticlockwise
    Lanes closed
    Lane closures
    Reason
    Road improvement or upgrading
    Schedule
    22:00 (10pm) Wed 11 Nov 2026 → 05:30 (5:30am) Thu 12 Nov 2026
    ⏳Expected to clear in ~5h 37m HA planned end: 05:30 (5:30am) Thu 12 Nov 2026
  • See all the latest M25 traffic news

    Updated 23:52 (11:52pm) Wed 11 Nov 2026

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    M25traffic.co.uk is dedicated to the latest M25 news updated every few minutes, 24 hours a day 7 days a week, 365 days of the year. More features coming. See www.trafficnewsengland.co.uk for ALL ENGLAND traffic news and M1Traffic.co.uk for M1 dedicated news.