Drivers heading to London to pay respects to Queen urged to avoid peak times

National Highways bosses said motorists should allow themselves plenty of extra time due to motorways – and major A-roads – around the capital becoming extremely busy.

Large crowds of people are expected to travel into London whilst Her Majesty is lying in state and for the state funeral on Monday, with the roads expected to be congested.

Drivers should check their journeys before travelling and avoid peak times – and stagger journeys out of London after the state funeral to avoid the busiest mid-afternoon period.

John McNeill, National Highways service delivery manager for the east of England, said: "We are working with our partners to keep our network moving smoothly and to ensure that everyone who is planning to attend the memorial events can do so safely.

“We expect the roads to be busy with people looking to travel into the capital over the weekend. Extra 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 people spend a few minutes checking their vehicles before setting off.”

Extra traffic officers have been deployed on key routes around the capital to carry out patrols, keep traffic moving and assist emergency services to clear any incidents should they occur.

Most planned closures of motorways – and the majority of those on major A-roads – in and out of London have already been suspended until Tuesday next week to reduce congestion.

A similar postponement of planned motorway closures will also apply across the rest of the country from Friday evening and remain in place for the duration of the Bank Holiday weekend.

Service areas on motorways will remain open for people travelling with parking, toilets, fuel, food and drink will be available – although there may be reduced services at some sites on Monday.

Roads in central London will be subject to extensive closures and drivers have been warned to avoid the area. Roads around Windsor are also expected to be extremely busy as a series of closures are enforced due to the service for Her Majesty on Monday.