A5 Stony Stratford to Portway concrete surface repairs and maintenance
We'll be carrying out repairs and maintenance on stretches of the concrete road surface on the A5 between Stony Stratford and Portway in both directions, as well as other repairs and maintenance for approximately six weeks starting January 2025. The work will include repairs to the concrete surface on the main carriageway, clearing drains, repainting road markings, and inserting new reflective road studs (cat’s eyes).
Latest updates
-
21 February 2025
Planned northbound road closure, 4 and 5 March 2025
Our work on the southbound carriageway is now complete. So we will be returning to the northbound carriageway to do final repair work and put in the permanent road markings and road studs (cat’s eyes).
To minimise disruption and number of road closures, we are coordinating our final work with other roadworks in the area.
Closure
For safety reasons, the A5 road will be closed northbound from:
- Portway Roundabout to Old Stratford Roundabout overnight from 8pm to 6am on Tuesday 4 and Wednesday 5 March, weather permitting.
In the meantime, a temporary 40mph speed restriction is in place northbound for safety reasons whilst there are temporary road markings and missing road studs (cat’s eyes).
Diversion
- exit at Portway Roundabout
- follow Portway, Watling Street, Queen Eleanor Street
- take Towcester Road to rejoin the A5 at Old Stratford Roundabout
-
10 February 2025
Updated southbound road closures: 12 to 14 February 2025
The planned nighttime road closure tonight on the A5 northbound carriageway between Portway (A509) and Stony Stratford in Milton Keynes is cancelled due to the weather. There will be a 40mph speed limit in place, for safety.
From Wednesday, the A5 southbound will be closed overnight (8pm to 6am) on Wednesday 12 February, Thursday 13 February and Friday 14 February. The road will be closed from Old Stratford Roundabout to Abbey Hill Roundabout for safety. This is to do final repairs and put in the permanent road markings and road studs (cat’s eyes).
For the A5 southbound diversion:
- exit at Old Stratford Roundabout
- follow Towcester Road, London Road, Queen Eleanor Street, Watling Street
- take Portway to rejoin the A5 at Portway Roundabout
We apologise for any inconvenience this essential maintenance work may cause, and will do our very best to complete it as quickly as possible, keeping disturbances and noise to a minimum.
-
28 January 2025
Northbound road closures, from 29 January 2025
We're working on the A5 northbound from Wednesday 29 January onwards, as planned.
Closures
There will be overnight road closures on the A5 between Abbey Hill Roundabout and Old Stratford Roundabout for approximately 3 weeks
- (8pm to 6am) weeknights only, weather permitting.
We also need to have some extra A5 northbound overnight closures from Thursday 30 January to Monday 3 February.
On these nights, the A5 northbound will be closed from Portway Roundabout to Old Stratford Roundabout.
The northbound diversion will remain the same, but local traffic will not be able to continue north on the A5 to access Abbey Hill Roundabout.
Diversion
- exit at Portway Roundabout
- follow Portway, Watling Street, Queen Eleanor Street
- take Towcester Road to rejoin the A5 at Old Stratford Roundabout
Please remember that closures can change at short notice. You can check the latest information on our daily closures page or find live travel information on our Traffic England. Our travel alerts give details of live incidents on our network.
-
20 January 2025
Planned road closures, 20 to 25 January 2025
Our work continues as planned for this week, with overnight southbound road closures from 8pm to 6am on weeknights only (weather permitting) between Old Stratford Roundabout and Abbey Hill Roundabout.
However, this coming Friday (24 January), we’ll be extending the A5 southbound closure to carry out some additional work. On this one night, the A5 southbound will be closed from Old Stratford Roundabout to Portway Roundabout. The southbound entry slip road at Abbey Hill Roundabout will be closed: traffic wanting to join the A5 will be diverted northbound to then follow the southbound diversion from Old Stratford Roundabout to rejoin the A5 at Portway Roundabout.
Our work on the northbound carriageway is still planned to start from 29 January, with road closures on the A5 between Abbey Hill Roundabout and Old Stratford Roundabout from for approximately 3 weeks (8pm to 6am weeknights only, weather permitting).
Please remember that closures can change at short notice. You can check the latest information on our daily closures page or find live travel information on our Traffic England site. Our travel alerts give details of live incidents on our network.
-
15 January 2025
Work has restarted
Following the cancelled road closures last week, we restarted work on Monday 13 January.
Our work continues as planned for this week, with overnight southbound road closures each night (8pm to 6am weeknights only, weather permitting) between Old Stratford Roundabout and Abbey Hill Roundabout until 6am on Saturday 18 January.
More information on further southbound closure dates will be issued next week, but we are still planning to have overnight road closures during the week commencing 20 January.
Our work on the northbound carriageway is still planned to start from 29 January. There will be road closures on the A5 between Abbey Hill Roundabout and Old Stratford Roundabout from 29 January 2025 for approximately 3 weeks (8pm to 6am weeknights only, weather permitting).
-
09 January 2025
No planned closures on 9 to 12 January 2025
Due to the freezing temperatures, we have cancelled our planned overnight road closures on 9 and 10 January.
The materials we use to repair and resurface the road can only work at a minimum temperature. If there is frost in a crack that we repair, it causes the repair to fail.
Apologies for any inconvenience caused.
More information on new planned closure dates will be issued next week. Please check this webpage for more information.
-
20 November 2024
Work now due to start in January 2025
We're resurfacing and repairing the concrete road surface of the A5 between Stony Stratford and Portway in both directions.
For safety and to minimise disruption, we'll work between 8pm and 6am weeknights only, weather permitting.
The A5 will remain open during the day. However, we may need a single lane closure for safety reasons while we work. This depends on our overnight progress.
Closures
We'll close the A5 in one direction at a time between Old Stratford Roundabout and Abbey Hill Roundabout:
- A5 southbound closures between Old Stratford Roundabout and Abbey Hill Roundabout, from 6 January 2025 for approximately 3 weeks
- A5 northbound closures between Abbey Hill Roundabout and Old Stratford Roundabout, from 29 January 2025 for approximately 3 weeks
Diversions
If you are traveling south:
- exit Old Stratford Roundabout onto Towcester Road
- follow Queen Eleanor Street, Watling Street and Portway
- rejoin the A5 at Portway Roundabout
If you are traveling north, follow the same diversion in the opposite direction.
Please remember that closures can change at short notice. You can check the latest information on our daily closures page or find live travel information on our Traffic England site. Our travel alerts give details of live incidents on our network.
Project information
Overview
Most of our road network is surfaced with asphalt, also known as tarmac, but some roads are built of concrete. These make up around 400 miles (4%) of England’s motorway and long-distance A-road network.
The surface of concrete roads that were designed between the 1950s and 1970s have an average life span of 50 years. Their surfaces are now reaching the stage where they will need to be repaired or replaced for safety reasons, and to help them be less noisy and better to drive on.
Around half of the old-style concrete roads will either have repairs or will be replaced over a five-year period. We’ll be using innovative techniques and new technology to provide a modern road that will last for decades to come, and which is easier and quicker for us to repair in future.
Find out more about our national concrete roads improvement programme, how we are working to improve the environment and our innovative ways of working.
Benefits
Our road repairs will help improve the safety of the road surface. It is essential that we complete repairs to the potholes and cracking to ensure a smoother and safer ride on the A5. Once complete, we expect the life of the road surface to be extended by up to five years.
Documents
Traffic information
Information about scheduled roadworks and events on our motorways and major roads.X
Manage your cookie preferences to view the content on this page
Sign up for updates!
Keep up to date with what's happening on this scheme by signing up to our updates.
