M4 closure: Full weekend closure as smart motorway works continue

Part of the M4 will be closed all weekend as work on an £848 million upgrade to add extra lanes and new technology continues.

The motorway will shut eastbound between junctions 10 at Wokingham and 8/9 for Maidenhead.

The closure is part of a "smart motorway" upgrade, which started in 2018 and is due to continue until 2022.

With much of the M4 originally built as a two lane dual carriageway that has been upgraded several times over the years, the work includes replacing eleven new bridges.

This will make room for a new lane where there is no existing hard shoulder.

At 32 miles, the works are part of the longest smart motorway project in England to date.

The M4, the main strategic route between London, the West of England and Wales, carries 130,000 vehicles a day.

Highways England says the smart motorway changes will create more reliable journeys along the route.

Between junctions 3 and 12 the hard shoulder is being converted to a traffic lane so four lanes will be available for drivers.

More weekend closures will be in place later this month.

Diversions in place this weekend

The motorway will close from Friday evening (July 3) until Monday morning (July 6).

Traffic will be diverted via the A404M, A4, A3290 and the A329M.