Last checked: 30 September 2026
The next full M42 closure near Birmingham Airport runs from 9pm on Friday 23 October until 5am on Monday 26 October 2026, so HS2 engineers can fit parapets to the new viaducts over the motorway. That weekend is also the start of October half-term, one of the busiest times of the autumn at BHX. If you’re flying or collecting someone that weekend, allow extra time and check your route before you set off.
This guide covers what’s happening on the M42 and which closures have already taken place. It also explains how closures affect journeys to the airport and the NEC, and how to plan an airport taxi around them.
M42 closures in 2026 at a glance
HS2 planned six weekend M42 closures between June and November 2026 to build three railway structures across the motorway. The main ones so far:
| Dates | Section closed | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 26 to 29 June | J5a to 7 northbound, J6 to 7 southbound | Completed |
| 24 to 27 July | J6 to 9 northbound, J7a to 6 southbound | Completed |
| 14 to 17 August | J6 to 9 in both directions | Completed |
| 18 to 21 September | J6 to 9 in both directions | Completed; reopened about 4am on 21 September |
| 23 to 26 October | M42 closure for viaduct parapet works | Planned |
Earlier HS2 notices listed the October closure on the M42 link from Junction 7 towards the M6. More recent announcements confirm a closure from 9pm on Friday 23 October to 5am on Monday 26 October. Check the exact junctions on the HS2 or National Highways website in the week before you travel.
Closure dates remain subject to final approvals, and they can change at short notice. We’ll keep this table updated as new dates are confirmed.
Why the M42 keeps closing
HS2 is building three major structures across the M42: a 300-metre “twin box” near the NEC, and two viaducts at Water Orton. The twin box will carry the railway over the motorway near Birmingham Business Park. The viaducts form part of a junction on the high-speed line north of Coleshill.
During the September closure, engineers finished the last beams on the twin box and lifted the final viaduct spans at Water Orton into place. The October closure is for fitting parapets, the protective edges, on the sections directly above the motorway.
National Highways has also used the closures for its own work. During the September weekend, it demolished the Bickenhill Bridge on the northern side of the Junction 6 roundabout, which had deteriorated badly. Doing both jobs together meant no extra closures were needed.
How the closures affect trips to Birmingham Airport
Junction 6 is the main motorway exit for Birmingham Airport, the NEC and Birmingham International station. What a closure means for you depends on the direction you’re coming from:
- From the south, via the M40 or southern M42: you can usually still reach Junction 6 when the section north of it is closed. Traffic on the diversion and at the junction may still slow you down.
- From the north and east, via Lichfield, Tamworth, the M6 or M6 Toll: these journeys are most affected by closures between Junctions 6 and 9. You’ll follow signed diversions instead of the direct motorway route.
- From Birmingham city centre and south Birmingham: many journeys use the A45 Coventry Road, which avoids the closed sections of the M42 altogether.
HS2 notices have also included restrictions on the M6 Toll and the M6 links to the M42 during some closures. That means your usual alternative may be affected too.
Junction 6 works outside the closure weekends
Even outside the full closure weekends, Junction 6 is a busy construction site. National Highways is spending £282 million to improve the junction, and the new Junction 5A is already open to take some of the traffic.
Earlier this year, the northern side of the Bickenhill roundabout closed because of the bridge’s condition. At the time, drivers who needed the southbound M42 were told to use the A4545 and join at Junction 5. Overnight lane and slip road closures also happen regularly, so check National Highways’ roadworks information before any early-morning trip.
How much extra time should you allow?
We can’t give a fixed figure, because delays depend on your route, the time of day and how busy the diversions are. As a general rule, on a closure weekend:
- Leave noticeably earlier than usual if your journey normally uses the M42 between Junctions 6 and 9.
- Allow more margin for flights early on Saturday morning, when holiday departures and closure traffic overlap.
- Check live traffic the night before and again just before you leave.
- Don’t rely on your usual shortcut, as local roads fill quickly when motorway traffic is diverted.
The 23 to 26 October closure needs particular care. Birmingham City Council’s half-term runs from 26 to 30 October, so many families will be flying out on Friday 23 and Saturday 24 October. The clocks also go back at 2am on Sunday 25 October. If you have an early flight on Sunday, double-check your pickup time against the new time.
Planning an airport taxi around the M42 closures
A pre-booked taxi doesn’t make a closure disappear, but it does take the route planning off your hands. Your driver can check the closure details and live traffic on the day, then choose the most practical way round.
When you book a journey for a closure weekend, a few details help us plan:
- Your flight time and airline, so we can work back from the check-in deadline.
- Your full pickup address, as the best route depends on which side of the closure you’re on.
- Any flexibility on pickup time, so we can start earlier if the diversion looks busy.
- Passengers and luggage, especially for half-term family trips.
Your fare is fixed when you book, so a longer diversion doesn’t change what you pay. Our guide to fixed-price and metered taxis explains why that matters when roads are unpredictable.
Travelling on 23 to 26 October? You can book your airport taxi now and agree an earlier pickup time to allow for the closure.
Collecting someone from BHX during a closure
For arrivals, we track the flight, so an early landing or a delay moves the pickup time with it. The driver waits inside the terminal with a name board. During a closure, the drive home may take longer than usual, so let anyone waiting at the other end know. Our Birmingham Airport transfers page explains how arrivals pickups work.
Other ways to reach BHX during a closure
By train
Birmingham International station is linked to the terminal by the free Air-Rail Link, and the rail network isn’t affected by the motorway closures. If you’re travelling light from near a mainline station, the train can be a sensible alternative on a closure weekend. For a fuller comparison, see our taxi vs public transport guide.
Via the A45
Journeys from Birmingham, Solihull and Coventry can often use the A45 instead of the M42. It gets busier on closure weekends, but it avoids the closed motorway sections. We run pickups across the area, including our Birmingham taxi service, Solihull taxis and Coventry taxis.
Getting to the NEC during M42 closures
The NEC shares Junction 6 with the airport, so the same closures affect visitors to exhibitions, concerts and events at bp pulse LIVE. For drop-off points and event-day timing, see our guide to taking a taxi to NEC Birmingham.
Areas most affected by the closures
Closures between Junctions 6 and 9 hit journeys from north Warwickshire and the northern side of the city hardest. If you’re travelling from these areas, allow extra time:
- Coleshill, close to the Water Orton viaduct works
- Sutton Coldfield, which often uses the M42 or M6 Toll for the airport
- Nuneaton and Atherstone, where routes via the A5 and M42 may need a different approach
Our coverage area page lists every town we serve.
Early flights and late arrivals
Many closures run from Friday night to early Monday morning, so they often affect the very early departures and late-night arrivals that are hardest to plan around. Our guide to late-night and early-morning taxis in Birmingham explains how these bookings work.
Businesses with staff flying regularly from BHX can use our corporate travel service, with journeys invoiced monthly.
Book your Birmingham Airport taxi
NET Airport Transfers runs pre-booked, fixed-price taxis to and from Birmingham Airport and the NEC across the Midlands, including on M42 closure weekends. Tell us your flight time and pickup address, and we’ll plan the route and pickup time around the works. Book your airport taxi online, or contact us to talk through a journey on a closure weekend.
