M3 to close this weekend as drivers told to plan ahead
Southbound entry slip roads will close at 12pm on Friday July 11 with the whole northbound carriageway shutting at 7pm and the southbound at 9pm. It will reopen in both directions by 6am on Monday July 14, once the footbridge has been put in place, with further work being carried during a series of overnight closures on the M3 before the footbridge is formally opened for use later in the summer. National Highways project manager Nick Axford said: "For the installation to be carried out safely, we need to close this section of the motorway across the weekend.
"We acknowledge there may be some disruption as a result, but we are grateful to drivers for their patience and urge them to plan their journeys in advance." During the closure, drivers heading northbound should leave the M3 at Junction 4, follow the A331 north, then the A30 heading east and the A322 heading south, before rejoining the M3 at Junction 3. Those heading southbound should follow the same diversion route in reverse.
The Bagshot Heath footbridge which crossed the motorway between Junction 3 at Lightwater and Junction 4 at Frimley is due to be replaced after it was demolished in 2023 due to inability to withstand crash impact from over height vehicles. The replacement structure, which weighs nearly 100 tonnes, is 63m long and 4m wide, will be lifted into place this weekend, after it was originally due to be installed in April but had to be delayed due to issues with concrete hardening. 
Nick Axford said: "We know how important this footbridge is to the community, and how disappointed people were when we had to postpone its installation, so we're delighted to be taking a huge step towards opening it once again.
"Putting the bridge together has required sourcing several bespoke parts, which often take months to manufacture."