Roadworks and lane closures

M42

1 closure5 booked

1 closure in force on the M42 right now. National Highways has 5 closures booked in the next 24 hours, the first due from 9pm, so it may already be in place. Its slowest recurring hour is Thu 17:00, averaging 19 mph.

Photo: Peter Whatley, Geograph, CC BY-SA 2.0, resized

Closed right now

Closure data updated 34 minutes ago2026-10-22T00:38:06.184Z

Lane 1 closure northbound (closing ERA)

2 lanes

M42 northbound between J3A and J4 and 5 more sections

14 Jul 2026 to 31 Dec 2026 · 1 lane closed, Maintenance work · 2 separate phases

Booked for today and tonight

Next 24 hours, UK time

UK time. Dark bar: the road is fully closed, so expect a diversion. Lighter bar: lanes or a slip road closed, the road stays open.

M42 northbound Jct 2 entry slip road closure

Due now

M42 J2 northbound access

What: Slip road closed
Why: Maintenance work
When: 9pm yesterday to 6am today (UK time)
Start time has passed, so it may already be in place

M6 southbound Jct 6 to Jct 5 carriageway closure

Due now

link road from M6 J4A southbound to M42 J8 northbound

What: Road fully closed
Why: Roadworks
When: 9pm yesterday to 6am today (UK time)
Start time has passed, so it may already be in place

M42 northbound Jct 7 to M6 northbound link road closure

Booked

link road between M42 J7 northbound and M6 J4 northbound

What: Link road closed
Why: Construction work
When: 9pm tonight to 6am tomorrow (UK time)

M42 northbound Jct 2 entry slip road closure

Booked

M42 J2 northbound access

What: Slip road closed
Why: Maintenance work
When: 9pm tonight to 6am tomorrow (UK time)

M42 northbound Jct 3 exit slip road closure

Booked

M42 J3 northbound exit

What: Slip road closed
Why: Maintenance work
When: 9pm tonight to 6am tomorrow (UK time)

These are closures National Highways has scheduled, mostly overnight. Plans can change on the night, and a closure only shows above as in force once our last check has seen it set up, so one that has passed its start time may already be in place.

Long-running roadworks on the M42

Lasting a week or more, soonest to end first

Lane 1 closure northbound (closing ERA)

in force

M42 northbound between J3A and J4

Due to end: 31 Dec 2026
Started: 14 Jul 2026
What: 1 lane closed, Maintenance work

End dates are National Highways’ own schedule and can move. Long-running roadworks on every road.

When the M42 is slowest

1 May 2026 to 15 June 2026

Thu 17:0019mph

70% slower than normal on this stretch · southbound · about 2,680 vehicles an hour

Measured about 200 m from junction 3A, Umberslade, in Stratford-on-Avon

Wed 17:0019mph

68% slower than normal on this stretch · southbound · about 2,758 vehicles an hour

Measured about 200 m from junction 3A, Umberslade, in Stratford-on-Avon

Thu 16:0020mph

68% slower than normal on this stretch · southbound · about 2,684 vehicles an hour

Measured about 200 m from junction 3A, Umberslade, in Stratford-on-Avon

Tue 08:0017mph

65% slower than normal on this stretch · southbound · about 3,356 vehicles an hour

Measured about 1.3 km from junction 7A, Coleshill Interchange, in North Warwickshire

Wed 16:0023mph

63% slower than normal on this stretch · southbound · about 2,756 vehicles an hour

Measured about 200 m from junction 3A, Umberslade, in Stratford-on-Avon

Wed 07:0025mph

61% slower than normal on this stretch · southbound · about 2,026 vehicles an hour

Measured about 300 m from junction 9, Dunton Interchange, in North Warwickshire

Each hour is compared with that sensor’s own free-flow speed rather than the speed limit, because some sensors sit on bends and slip roads that never reach 70 mph. Quiet hours carrying under 600 vehicles are left out, so overnight roadworks are not mistaken for congestion.

Which direction is worse

Averaged along the whole road

SouthboundWorst at Thu 16:0047 mph

NorthboundWorst at Tue 07:0049 mph

Rush hour is rarely symmetrical. The commute in and the commute out peak at different times, and rarely as badly as each other. These speeds are averaged across every sensor facing that way, so they read higher than the worst-point figures above: most of the road is moving even when one junction is not.

Every hour of the week

Darker means slower

Average speed on the M42 for each hour of the week, shaded by how far below normal it runs.
Day	00	1	2	3	4	5	06	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23
Mon	Mon 00:00, 60 mph, 2% below normal	Mon 01:00, 59 mph, 4% below normal	Mon 02:00, 59 mph, 4% below normal	Mon 03:00, 59 mph, 4% below normal	Mon 04:00, 59 mph, 4% below normal	Mon 05:00, 60 mph, 2% below normal	Mon 06:00, 58 mph, 5% below normal	Mon 07:00, 54 mph, 12% below normal	Mon 08:00, 53 mph, 14% below normal	Mon 09:00, 56 mph, 9% below normal	Mon 10:00, 57 mph, 7% below normal	Mon 11:00, 58 mph, 7% below normal	Mon 12:00, 57 mph, 7% below normal	Mon 13:00, 58 mph, 7% below normal	Mon 14:00, 58 mph, 6% below normal	Mon 15:00, 58 mph, 6% below normal	Mon 16:00, 56 mph, 9% below normal	Mon 17:00, 57 mph, 8% below normal	Mon 18:00, 61 mph, 2% below normal	Mon 19:00, 62 mph, 0% below normal	Mon 20:00, 61 mph, 1% below normal	Mon 21:00, 60 mph, 2% below normal	Mon 22:00, 59 mph, 4% below normal	Mon 23:00, 58 mph, 5% below normal
Tue	Tue 00:00, 58 mph, 6% below normal	Tue 01:00, 57 mph, 7% below normal	Tue 02:00, 57 mph, 7% below normal	Tue 03:00, 58 mph, 6% below normal	Tue 04:00, 59 mph, 5% below normal	Tue 05:00, 59 mph, 4% below normal	Tue 06:00, 57 mph, 8% below normal	Tue 07:00, 50 mph, 19% below normal	Tue 08:00, 48 mph, 22% below normal	Tue 09:00, 54 mph, 12% below normal	Tue 10:00, 57 mph, 7% below normal	Tue 11:00, 58 mph, 6% below normal	Tue 12:00, 58 mph, 7% below normal	Tue 13:00, 57 mph, 7% below normal	Tue 14:00, 56 mph, 8% below normal	Tue 15:00, 56 mph, 9% below normal	Tue 16:00, 53 mph, 15% below normal	Tue 17:00, 54 mph, 12% below normal	Tue 18:00, 59 mph, 4% below normal	Tue 19:00, 61 mph, 1% below normal	Tue 20:00, 61 mph, 1% below normal	Tue 21:00, 60 mph, 3% below normal	Tue 22:00, 59 mph, 4% below normal	Tue 23:00, 58 mph, 5% below normal
Wed	Wed 00:00, 58 mph, 6% below normal	Wed 01:00, 57 mph, 7% below normal	Wed 02:00, 57 mph, 7% below normal	Wed 03:00, 57 mph, 7% below normal	Wed 04:00, 58 mph, 6% below normal	Wed 05:00, 59 mph, 4% below normal	Wed 06:00, 58 mph, 7% below normal	Wed 07:00, 52 mph, 15% below normal	Wed 08:00, 52 mph, 15% below normal	Wed 09:00, 56 mph, 9% below normal	Wed 10:00, 57 mph, 7% below normal	Wed 11:00, 58 mph, 6% below normal	Wed 12:00, 58 mph, 6% below normal	Wed 13:00, 58 mph, 6% below normal	Wed 14:00, 57 mph, 7% below normal	Wed 15:00, 55 mph, 11% below normal	Wed 16:00, 52 mph, 16% below normal	Wed 17:00, 53 mph, 15% below normal	Wed 18:00, 57 mph, 7% below normal	Wed 19:00, 61 mph, 2% below normal	Wed 20:00, 61 mph, 2% below normal	Wed 21:00, 60 mph, 3% below normal	Wed 22:00, 58 mph, 7% below normal	Wed 23:00, 58 mph, 6% below normal
Thu	Thu 00:00, 57 mph, 7% below normal	Thu 01:00, 56 mph, 8% below normal	Thu 02:00, 57 mph, 8% below normal	Thu 03:00, 57 mph, 8% below normal	Thu 04:00, 58 mph, 6% below normal	Thu 05:00, 59 mph, 5% below normal	Thu 06:00, 58 mph, 6% below normal	Thu 07:00, 54 mph, 12% below normal	Thu 08:00, 54 mph, 13% below normal	Thu 09:00, 56 mph, 10% below normal	Thu 10:00, 57 mph, 7% below normal	Thu 11:00, 57 mph, 7% below normal	Thu 12:00, 57 mph, 8% below normal	Thu 13:00, 57 mph, 7% below normal	Thu 14:00, 57 mph, 8% below normal	Thu 15:00, 54 mph, 13% below normal	Thu 16:00, 49 mph, 21% below normal	Thu 17:00, 49 mph, 20% below normal	Thu 18:00, 57 mph, 8% below normal	Thu 19:00, 61 mph, 1% below normal	Thu 20:00, 61 mph, 1% below normal	Thu 21:00, 60 mph, 2% below normal	Thu 22:00, 59 mph, 5% below normal	Thu 23:00, 58 mph, 6% below normal
Fri	Fri 00:00, 58 mph, 6% below normal	Fri 01:00, 57 mph, 7% below normal	Fri 02:00, 57 mph, 7% below normal	Fri 03:00, 58 mph, 6% below normal	Fri 04:00, 58 mph, 6% below normal	Fri 05:00, 59 mph, 4% below normal	Fri 06:00, 59 mph, 4% below normal	Fri 07:00, 58 mph, 6% below normal	Fri 08:00, 58 mph, 5% below normal	Fri 09:00, 58 mph, 5% below normal	Fri 10:00, 57 mph, 7% below normal	Fri 11:00, 57 mph, 9% below normal	Fri 12:00, 56 mph, 10% below normal	Fri 13:00, 54 mph, 12% below normal	Fri 14:00, 53 mph, 14% below normal	Fri 15:00, 51 mph, 17% below normal	Fri 16:00, 49 mph, 19% below normal	Fri 17:00, 52 mph, 16% below normal	Fri 18:00, 57 mph, 8% below normal	Fri 19:00, 61 mph, 1% below normal	Fri 20:00, 61 mph, 1% below normal	Fri 21:00, 61 mph, 2% below normal	Fri 22:00, 60 mph, 3% below normal	Fri 23:00, 59 mph, 5% below normal
Sat	Sat 00:00, 59 mph, 5% below normal	Sat 01:00, 58 mph, 6% below normal	Sat 02:00, 58 mph, 6% below normal	Sat 03:00, 58 mph, 5% below normal	Sat 04:00, 59 mph, 4% below normal	Sat 05:00, 60 mph, 2% below normal	Sat 06:00, 62 mph, 0% below normal	Sat 07:00, 62 mph, 0% below normal	Sat 08:00, 62 mph, 1% below normal	Sat 09:00, 61 mph, 2% below normal	Sat 10:00, 59 mph, 5% below normal	Sat 11:00, 58 mph, 6% below normal	Sat 12:00, 59 mph, 5% below normal	Sat 13:00, 60 mph, 4% below normal	Sat 14:00, 61 mph, 2% below normal	Sat 15:00, 61 mph, 1% below normal	Sat 16:00, 61 mph, 1% below normal	Sat 17:00, 62 mph, 0% below normal	Sat 18:00, 62 mph, -1% below normal	Sat 19:00, 63 mph, -1% below normal	Sat 20:00, 63 mph, -1% below normal	Sat 21:00, 62 mph, 0% below normal	Sat 22:00, 61 mph, 2% below normal	Sat 23:00, 61 mph, 2% below normal
Sun	Sun 00:00, 61 mph, 2% below normal	Sun 01:00, 60 mph, 2% below normal	Sun 02:00, 60 mph, 3% below normal	Sun 03:00, 60 mph, 3% below normal	Sun 04:00, 60 mph, 3% below normal	Sun 05:00, 61 mph, 2% below normal	Sun 06:00, 62 mph, 0% below normal	Sun 07:00, 62 mph, 0% below normal	Sun 08:00, 62 mph, 0% below normal	Sun 09:00, 62 mph, 0% below normal	Sun 10:00, 61 mph, 1% below normal	Sun 11:00, 61 mph, 2% below normal	Sun 12:00, 60 mph, 3% below normal	Sun 13:00, 60 mph, 3% below normal	Sun 14:00, 60 mph, 3% below normal	Sun 15:00, 61 mph, 2% below normal	Sun 16:00, 61 mph, 2% below normal	Sun 17:00, 61 mph, 1% below normal	Sun 18:00, 62 mph, 0% below normal	Sun 19:00, 62 mph, 0% below normal	Sun 20:00, 62 mph, -1% below normal	Sun 21:00, 62 mph, 0% below normal	Sun 22:00, 60 mph, 2% below normal	Sun 23:00, 60 mph, 2% below normal

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When is the best time to drive the M42?

Roads that meet the M42

Their roadworks and closures

Questions about the M42

Is the M42 closed right now?

1 closure was in force at our last check of the National Highways feed (1:38am today, UK time): Lane 1 closure northbound (closing ERA). This covers planned roadworks and lane closures, not accidents.

Is the M42 closed tonight?

National Highways has 5 closures booked on the M42 in the next 24 hours, the first due from 9pm, so it may already be in place: M42 northbound Jct 2 entry slip road closure; M6 southbound Jct 6 to Jct 5 carriageway closure; and M42 northbound Jct 7 to M6 northbound link road closure, plus 2 more. Plans can change on the night.

When will the roadworks on the M42 finish?

One long-running scheme is listed: Lane 1 closure northbound (closing ERA), due to end 31 Dec 2026. End dates are National Highways’ own schedule and can move.