National Highways has announced planned closures of major routes in and out of the capital will be postponed for the Queen’s funeral.

Motorway network roadworks around London will be cancelled as large numbers of people travel to the capital for ceremonial and commemorative events to mark the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

All planned roadworks will be paused from this week until after the state funeral at Westminster Abbey on Monday 19 September.

National Highways lift roadworks on M25, M11, M3, M4 AND M23

Motorways affected include the M25, M11, M3, M4, and M23.

Existing roadworks will also be removed where possible, with cones and temporary signals withdrawn from 6am on Friday 16 September and not put back in place until Tuesday 20 September.   

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, 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.