Drivers in Reading, Berkshire, have been warned to expect significant travel disruption this weekend as National Highways closes a major section of the M4 for essential maintenance. The full closure will affect both directions on the M4 between Junction 6 (Slough/Windsor) and Junction 8/9 (Maidenhead) from 10:00pm on Friday 6 February until 6:00am on Monday 9 February 2026.
National Highways says the shutdown is for “essential maintenance,” which typically includes carriageway resurfacing and bridge joint works; the department has scheduled the six-mile closure to allow that work to be completed over the weekend. Local authorities and traffic management sources warn the closure is likely to cause severe congestion on feeder routes — particularly the A33, the A4 Bath Road and the A308 — and modelling suggests more than half of habitual weekend travellers in the area could face delays of 60 minutes or more.
Official diversion routes will funnel motorway traffic onto local A roads. Reporting by Berkshire Live (GetReading) and local authorities shows those routes often become overwhelmed during full motorway closures, and BBC reporting of previous weekend closures has warned they can lead to significant delays and congestion when through-traffic is diverted onto roads not designed for those volumes.
Passengers travelling to Heathrow from the west (for example from Reading or further west) are being advised to allow at least 90 minutes extra travel time. Local residents are also being urged to avoid non-essential car journeys or use public transport where possible: investigative notes and local warnings say sat-nav apps sometimes redirect drivers through village lanes (for example Holyport and Fifield), which are unsuitable for high volumes and can become blocked.
Motorists should check the National Highways planned closures page and local travel updates before setting out, and allow extra time if travel is unavoidable.
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