Roadworks taking place on motorways across the nation are to be postponed to that people can travel to the capital for the Queen's funeral over the bank holiday weekend.
All motorway closures in and out of London have been paused from the start of this week until after the state funeral on Monday. This includes roads on routes such as the M25, M11, M3, M4, and M23.
Additionally, all other closures on the motorway network nationally will be postponed for the bank holiday weekend. Existing roadworks will also be removed where possible, with cones and temporary signals withdrawn from 6am on Friday, September 16, and not put back in place until Tuesday, September 20.
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A planned closure of the southbound M6, between junctions 33 and 32 north of Preston, will be among the roadworks postponed this weekend. John McNeill, National Highways head of service delivery for the East of England, said: "We expect the roads to be busy with people looking to travel into the capital and to other royal residences over the weekend.
"Our traffic officer patrols will be out on the network to help anyone who might get into difficulty, but it’s important people remember to check their vehicle before setting off. The last thing anybody wants on the way to their destination is to have a vehicle breakdown. That’s why it’s really important that people spend a few minutes checking the condition of their tyres before setting off."
The postponement of roadwork closures – both through the week and over the Bank Holiday weekend – will specifically apply to motorways. Works on A-roads will be assessed on a case-by-case basis depending on their impact. Full details of the programme are currently being finalised and will be available in due course.
Those travelling into London should check the TfL website for the latest travel information in the capital. Further travel advice from National Highways is available here.
National Highways is also urging drivers to make simple checks to make sure their vehicle is roadworthy. If people experience problems with their vehicle and can’t leave the motorway, they should always try to go left - to an emergency area, a hard shoulder, motorway services or slip road hard shoulder.
But if that is not possible and the vehicle has stopped in a live lane, or there is a risk to life, the advice is for people to stay in their vehicle with seatbelts and hazard lights on, and call 999 immediately.
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