The A411 Elstree Road at Bushey Heath stays shut to about mid-January, Stephenson Way is due to close for 10 days from 6 October, and Packhorse Lane for six months.

The A411 Elstree Road at Bushey Heath is still closed, and on the county’s own figures it stays that way until about mid-January 2027. It is the longest live closure in the borough.

Updated 1 October: the Bushey High Street closure reaches the end of its advertised 18 days today. Four new closures are booked for the next fortnight, the largest of them on the A4008 Stephenson Way.

What is coming in the next fortnight:

  • A4008 Stephenson Way, the 2,430m link from M1 junction 5 to Watford, plus the Colonial Way roundabout at Bushey: due to close from 6 October for an advertised 10 days.
  • Packhorse Lane at Ridge: due to close from 7 October for six months, with no alternative route.
  • Summerswood Lane, Borehamwood: 1,168m, one day from 8 October.
  • The Drive, Radlett: one day from 10 October, to remove a hazardous tree.
  • Buckettsland Lane and High Canons, Borehamwood: five days from 12 October.

All five are proposed orders. The county can still move the dates, and we will update this page when it confirms them.

Falconer Road in Bushey stays shut to about 12 October. On the motorways, the M1 northbound from junction 1 to junction 5 is closed overnight to Friday, and the M25 anti-clockwise from junction 25 to junction 23 closes past Potters Bar on the nights of Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 October.

Borehamwood roadworks and those in Bushey, Potters Bar and Radlett are all listed below: the closures in force, what is coming next, the motorway nights, the trains, what council parking costs and which desk to report a fault to. Two things trip people up here. The borough council does not run the roads, Hertfordshire County Council does, and the motorways belong to National Highways, so a pothole report and a parking fine go to different places. And every council car park in the borough charges the same tariff except one.

Who fixes what

Which authority is responsible for which part of the street in Hertsmere A decision helper in three columns. Hertfordshire County Council handles roads and pavements, potholes, street lights, gritting, speed humps, road signs, roadworks and road closures, and the 155 kilometres of public rights of way. Hertsmere Borough Council handles the 14 council car parks, controlled parking zones and permits, parking enforcement and penalty charge notices, street name plates, and parks and open spaces. National Highways handles the M25, the M1 and the A1 motorway. Reporting something? Start with the right desk Three authorities share every street in Borehamwood, Bushey, Potters Bar and Radlett. Hertfordshire County Council Roads and pavements Potholes and road faults Street lighting Gritting and salting Speed humps and road signs Roadworks and road closures 155 km of public rights of way Blue Badges and bus passes Hertsmere Borough Council 14 council car parks Controlled parking zones Resident and visitor permits Parking enforcement and PCNs Pavement parking where there are waiting restrictions Street name plates Parks and open spaces National Highways M25, including junction 23 at South Mimms and junction 24 at Potters Bar M1, junctions 4 to 6 A1(M) north from Bignells Corner, South Mimms None of these appear on the county roadworks map No waiting restriction in place and a vehicle is blocking the pavement? That one goes to Hertfordshire Constabulary on 101. A planned merger of the county and borough roles into one unitary council was paused by the government in September 2026.
Hertsmere Borough Council's own guidance is blunt about this: roads, schools and gritting are the county's job.

Closures in force now

Hertfordshire County Council has made the orders below, which means they are decisions rather than intentions. Each is a temporary order under section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The dates are when each order took effect, and the durations are what the county advertised for the works.

Hertsmere closures under a made temporary traffic order, checked 1 October 2026
RoadTownLengthFromWorksRuns to about
A411 Elstree Road and Watford RoadElstree and Bushey Heath899m7 September131 days15 January 2027
Falconer RoadBushey398m14 September4 weeks12 October
A411 Chalk Hill, London Road, High Street, Sparrows HerneBushey1,840m14 September18 days1 October, today
A41 Elton WayBushey52m26 September5 daysRun ended 30 September
Potters LaneBorehamwood18m21 September5 daysRun ended 25 September

The “runs to about” column is our arithmetic from the advertised durations, not a date the county has printed. Each order is valid for 18 months, which is standard. The closure only applies on the days and at the times shown by signs on the road, so when the crew has gone, the road is open.

Bushey High Street: due to finish today

The order closing 1,840m of the A411 from the B462 Aldenham Road junction south east to the A411 Elstree Road junction took effect on 14 September for an advertised 18 days. That run ends around 1 October. The county has not published a reopening notice, and it does not normally do so, so the signs on the road are the final word.

The road does not stay clear for long. A 193m stretch of Sparrows Herne, from Chestnut Rise to Police Station Lane, is due to close except for access for a single day from Sunday 4 October for utility works. Sunbelt Rentals is named for queries.

Falconer Road, Bushey: to about 12 October

398m of Falconer Road, from Finch Lane south west to the A411 High Street, is closed for utility service works. The advertised duration is four weeks from 14 September. Alternatives are published via Herkomer Road and Melbourne Road, or via Finch Lane, The Avenue and the B462 Aldenham Road. SB Civil Engineering Ltd is named for queries.

The ones that have finished

  • A41 Elton Way, Bushey, 52m from a point 148m south east of the Hartspring Lane roundabout. The county’s 25 September notice confirms the order was made, from 26 September for five days, so the run ended around 30 September.
  • Potters Lane, Borehamwood, 18m from its northern junction with Well End Road, for cabling and pole testing. Made, from 21 September for five days.
  • Allum Lane at Elstree, Well End Road, Buckettsland Lane, Common Lane at Letchmore Heath and Cowley Hill all reached the end of their advertised runs in the week of 14 September.
  • The A111 junction in Potters Bar (Southgate Road, Hill Rise and Park Avenue) finished around 13 September on the county’s own figure.

Coming next

Bar chart of advertised closure durations in Hertsmere, October 2026. Packhorse Lane at Ridge about 182 days from 7 October, proposed. A411 Elstree Road 131 days from 7 September, made. Falconer Road 28 days from 14 September, made. A4008 Stephenson Way 10 days from 6 October, proposed. Buckettsland Lane 5 days from 12 October, proposed.
The Elstree Road closure is already a month in. Packhorse Lane, if confirmed, will outlast it. Chart by The Borehamwood Post
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Every closure in this section is a proposed order. The county “intends to make” each of them, so the dates can still move.

A4008 Stephenson Way, Bushey and Watford: 10 days from 6 October

This is the biggest of the new batch. The county intends to close:

  • 2,430m of the A4008 Stephenson Way, from the M1 junction 5 and A41 North Western Avenue roundabout through to the A411 Waterfields Way roundabout in Watford
  • the Colonial Way roundabout at Bushey, for its whole length
  • the 459m Stephenson Way link road at Bushey, the 190m Beechen Grove link and the 169m link to Waterfields Way in Watford

Waiting is banned on both sides of all of them while work is under way. The order takes effect on 6 October and the works are scheduled to take 10 days.

The signed diversion matters to Bushey. It sends traffic along the A41 Elton Way and Tylers Way, then down the A411 Elstree Road, Sparrows Herne, High Street, London Road and Chalk Hill, which is Bushey High Street. Hertfordshire County Council is named for queries, on 0300 123 4047.

Packhorse Lane, Ridge: six months from 7 October

The county intends to close 1,203m of Packhorse Lane, from the B556 St Albans Road junction round to the Mimms Lane junction, except for access. The notice says plainly that there is no alternative route available, and that access will be maintained wherever possible. The works are scheduled to take six months, the longest job booked anywhere in the borough. Ringway is named for queries, on 0300 123 4047.

Summerswood Lane, Borehamwood: one day from 8 October

1,168m of Summerswood Lane, from Crossoaks Lane south east to Buckettsland Lane, is due to close except for access, for utility works and tree cutting. The works are booked for one day. The published alternative is long: Crossoaks Lane, Blanche Lane, Earls Lane, Mimms Lane, Harris Lane, the B5378 London Road, Silver Hill, High Canons, Well End Road, Rowley Lane and Holmshill Lane.

The Drive, Radlett: one day from 10 October

94m of The Drive, from its junction with the A5183 Watling Street, is due to close except for access while a hazardous tree is removed. There is no alternative route, and access will be kept up wherever possible. Chevron Traffic Management is named for queries.

Buckettsland Lane and High Canons: five days from 12 October

Back to Well End again. The county intends to close, except for access:

  • 745m of Buckettsland Lane, from Well End Road north east to Holmshill Lane, with an alternative via Well End Road, Rowley Lane and Holmshill Lane
  • 502m of High Canons, from Well End Road round to Buckettsland Lane, with an alternative via Well End Road and Buckettsland Lane

The works are scheduled to take five days. The same order covers roads in Abbots Langley and Watford.

The A411 at Elstree: made, and booked for 131 days

This is the longest closure in force, and the one most likely to catch you out, because the road it shuts is the way from Elstree and Borehamwood towards Watford.

Hertfordshire County Council made the order on 4 September. It came into effect on 7 September for advertised works of 131 days. Counted from the day it took effect, that runs to about 15 January 2027.

What the order does:

  • closes 899m of the A411 Elstree Road and Watford Road, running south west, north west and south west again from the junction with Aldenham Road
  • drops the speed limit to 30mph, once signs are in place, on a further 1,470m of the A411, from the A41 Tylers Way and North Western Avenue roundabout round to Schubert Road
  • drops the limit to 30mph on 207m of the A41 Tylers Way roundabout itself at Bushey Heath

The signed diversion runs via the A411 Watford Road, the A5135 High Street and Elstree Hill South, the A41 North Western Avenue (the Watford Bypass) and back onto the A411 Elstree Road. The works are utility service works and Brownes is named in the notice for queries.

The motorways: M1 to Friday, and the M25 past Potters Bar next week

Nothing on the motorways appears on the county’s roadworks map. National Highways’ seven day closure report runs from Wednesday 30 September to Tuesday 6 October. It lists these within reach of Hertsmere, all overnight only:

  • M1 northbound, junction 1 to junction 5. Carriageway closure for surfacing, on the nights of Wednesday 30 September and Thursday 1 October, 10pm to 5.30am, and Friday 2 October, 11pm to 6am. Junction 4 at Elstree sits inside the closed stretch. Diversion via the local road network.
  • M25 clockwise, junction 22 to junction 23 at South Mimms. Carriageway closure for repairs, Wednesday 30 September and Thursday 1 October, 10pm to 5.30am.
  • M25 anti-clockwise, junction 25 to junction 23. Carriageway closure for testing works on the nights of Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 October, 10pm to 5am. That takes in junction 24 at Potters Bar, whose anti-clockwise entry slip is closed on the same nights.
  • M25 clockwise, junction 24 at Potters Bar. Exit and entry slips both closed for routine maintenance, Tuesday 6 October, 10pm to 5.30am.
  • A1(M) southbound, junction 4 exit slip. Closed for safety fence repairs, Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 October, 10pm to 5.30am.

National Highways’ statutory notice for overnight closures on the M1 southbound between junctions 6a and 5 gave a start of 26 September and a run of about two weeks. Those closures do not appear in the current seven day report, so we cannot confirm which nights, if any, are still booked.

Trains: Bushey and Potters Bar this weekend

Bushey has a reduced service from 22:00 on Saturday 3 October until 12:00 on Sunday 4 October. Engineering work between North Wembley and Watford Junction closes some lines. Some London Northwestern Railway trains will call at Bushey to let passengers off only, which means you can get off but not on. On the Sunday evening, the 23:40 London Euston to Northampton will not call at Bushey.

Potters Bar loses its overnight trains north on the same weekend. From the end of Saturday service, about 01:20 on Sunday 4 October, until about 03:00, buses replace trains between Potters Bar or Hertford North and Letchworth Garden City. Engineering work is taking place in the Stevenage area.

The following weekend, Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October:

  • Thameslink runs a reduced number of trains at the end of Saturday service between Kentish Town or West Hampstead Thameslink and Bedford. That stretch includes Elstree & Borehamwood and Radlett.
  • Bushey loses these London Euston to Northampton calls: the 22:21 and 23:30 on Saturday, and the 00:13, 21:40, 22:53 and 23:40 on Sunday. Until 12:00 on the Sunday, trains from Euston will either skip Bushey or call there to set down only.
  • London Northwestern Railway will not run its trains between London Euston and Tring only on the Saturday. Trains running beyond Tring operate as usual.

Then from Monday 12 to Friday 16 October, late night trains at Bushey change:

  • Monday to Thursday, the 22:09 and 23:42 from Euston call at Bushey to set down only, and the 22:39 does not call
  • Tuesday to Friday, the 00:09 and 00:39 from Euston do not call at Bushey
  • on the Friday, the 23:42 does not call at Bushey

St Pancras lifts

Thameslink’s lifts to the below-surface platforms A and B at St Pancras International were taken out of use for refurbishment from 15 June, with a return given only as “mid-September”. On 1 October Thameslink’s page would not load outside a browser, so we could not confirm whether they are back. If you cannot manage stairs or escalators, Thameslink’s own advice has been to travel via Farringdon and use the Circle, Hammersmith & City or Metropolitan line to reach King’s Cross St Pancras. Check with the operator before you set off.

The engineering work above comes from National Rail’s own incident pages, because Thameslink’s and Great Northern’s planned engineering work listings still load only inside a browser. Short-notice work does not always reach these pages, so check your operator before you travel.

New resident parking proposed in six Borehamwood roads

Hertsmere Borough Council has published a proposal to add resident parking places in Ashdown Drive, Boreham Holt and Drayton Road, and waiting restrictions in Lexington Close, Croxdale Road and Broughinge Road. Comments and objections close on 15 October 2026. Our full report, with the eligible house numbers and the permit charges, is here: resident parking plan for six Borehamwood roads.

A 2004 speed limit order revoked at Elstree

One permanent change took effect on Monday 31 August. The county has revoked The Hertfordshire (A5183 Watling Street, Elstree and Aldenham) (50 mph Speed Limit) Order 2004, on the stated grounds that it is no longer relevant. It is one of ten orders revoked in the same notice, most of them 1950s to 1990s trunk road orders for roads that have since been renamed or rebuilt, so this is housekeeping rather than a change to what the signs say. The papers can be viewed until 8 October on the county’s traffic orders page, under St Albans and Hertsmere, reference J00126. A second revocation notice, filed under Watford with the same reference, removed The Trunk Road (Barnet By-Pass, Potters Bar) (Prohibition of Right-Hand Turn) Order 1971 on the same day.

Newberries Car Park, Radlett

Hertsmere Borough Council confirmed on 5 August 2026 that installation of electric vehicle charging bays at Newberries began in the week beginning 3 August 2026, and that a full resurfacing is programmed to start in early September 2026. That remains the council’s most recent statement on the work, rechecked on 1 October, and no firm start date has been published. Early September has come and gone without one, and nothing newer appears on the council’s news page. It has said the job will reduce the number of available spaces for the duration, that traffic management will be in place, and that notices will be displayed in the car park.

Newberries has 196 spaces and no charging points at all, so this fills the largest gap in the borough’s electric vehicle provision. It is also Radlett’s only council car park, which is why the works bite harder there. The nearest council alternatives are Highview Close, Manor Road and Salisbury Close, all in Potters Bar, so in practice the choice is on-street parking in Radlett village or working around the timetable.

Elstree Way and the Civic Offices

Hertsmere Borough Council’s offices on Elstree Way were evacuated and closed on 19 August 2026 after two suspicious envelopes were found, and a 100 metre police cordon was put in place. The council has since confirmed that specialist officers established the envelopes were non-hazardous, that the remaining cordons were lifted and that the offices are open as normal. The Civic Offices car park, at 391 spaces the largest in the borough, is open again with them. Our report is here: Civic Offices reopen after the envelopes were found non-hazardous.

What council parking costs

Every Hertsmere car park charges Monday to Saturday, 8am to 6.30pm. There is no charge on Sundays or bank holidays. You must register your session at the machine or through PayByPhone every time you park during charging hours, and the council’s own guidance is that you must display a ticket even when the parking is free. Blue Badge holders do not pay, but the badge must be displayed with the clock set.

The tariff is identical across the borough, with one exception:

Hertsmere Borough Council car park tariff, August 2026
StayAll car parksNewberries, Radlett
Up to 1 hour£1.20£1.20
1 to 2 hours£2.35£2.35
2 to 3 hours£3.55£3.55
3 to 4 hours£4.80£4.80
4 to 5 hours£5.90£5.90
Over 5 hours£7.50£9.00

So a full day out costs £7.50 anywhere in Borehamwood, Bushey, Bushey Heath or Potters Bar, and £9.00 in Radlett. Under five hours the two are identical. Paying by phone adds a service charge on top of all of these.

Every council car park in Hertsmere

Fourteen car parks, 1,766 spaces and 76 Blue Badge bays between them.

Hertsmere council car parks by town, with spaces and electric vehicle charging
Car parkTownSpacesBlue BadgeEV charging
Civic Offices, Elstree WayBorehamwood391124 fast (7kW)
Furzehill Road multi-storeyBorehamwood2086None
Brook RoadBorehamwood13211None
Clarendon RoadBorehamwood4232 AC, 4 DC rapid
Bushey Country Club, High StreetBushey22310None
Kemp PlaceBushey12064 AC
Opposite St Peter's Hall, High RoadBushey Heath5032 DC rapid
The Rutts, High RoadBushey Heath4932 AC, 2 DC rapid
Manor Road, off Darkes LanePotters Bar12234 DC rapid
Wyllyotts Place, off Darkes LanePotters Bar1005None
Salisbury Close, off High StreetPotters Bar5724 AC, 4 DC rapid
Highview Close, off High StreetPotters Bar452None
Barnet RoadPotters Bar3134 AC
Newberries, Watling StreetRadlett1967None, being installed

Three things follow from that table. Borehamwood has by far the most spaces, 773 of the borough’s 1,766, and 391 of them are at the Civic Offices on Elstree Way. Radlett has exactly one council car park, which is why the Newberries works matter more there than the same job would elsewhere. And six of the fourteen have no electric vehicle charging at all, including the two biggest in Borehamwood and Bushey.

One operational detail worth knowing: Furzehill Road multi-storey is locked overnight. Every other council car park is accessible 24 hours. If you are leaving a car in Borehamwood after a late train, that is the one to avoid.

Getting around without the car

The four towns are each built around a station, and all four have a fast London service. Journey times, operators and season ticket prices for Elstree & Borehamwood, Bushey, Potters Bar and Radlett are set out on our trains to London page.

Station car parks are run by the train operators, not by Hertsmere Borough Council, so none of the tariffs above apply to them and Sunday is not free. Check the operator’s own station page before you rely on a space.

For walking, the borough has 155 kilometres of public rights of way, including footpaths, bridleways, byways open to all traffic and restricted byways. The whole network is managed by Hertfordshire County Council, not the borough.

Concessionary bus passes, which give free off-peak travel on local buses across England for older and disabled residents, are issued by Hertfordshire County Council rather than Hertsmere.

Checking roadworks yourself

The borough council does not hold the roadworks register. There are two places to look, depending on the road:

  • Hertfordshire County Council’s roadworks map covers every county road in Borehamwood, Bushey, Potters Bar, Radlett and the villages, and is the right place for resurfacing, utility works and temporary closures. It is built from Department for Transport Street Manager permit data, so it updates as permits are granted.
  • National Highways covers the M25 at junction 23 (South Mimms) and junction 24 (Potters Bar), the M1 between junctions 4 and 6, and the A1(M). Nothing on those roads appears on the county map.

If you are organising an event that needs a road closed, that request does go to Hertsmere Borough Council rather than the county.

Frequently asked questions

Which roads are closed in Potters Bar?

Nothing in Potters Bar itself is under a live county order as of 1 October 2026. The nearest closures are on the M25: anti-clockwise between junction 25 and junction 23 on the nights of Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 October, 10pm to 5am, with the junction 24 anti-clockwise entry slip shut on the same nights, and both junction 24 clockwise slips shut on the night of Tuesday 6 October. In the same parish, Packhorse Lane at Ridge is due to close for six months from 7 October.

How much is parking in Borehamwood?

£1.20 for up to an hour and £7.50 for over five hours in any Hertsmere Borough Council car park in Borehamwood. Charges apply Monday to Saturday, 8am to 6.30pm only. Sundays and bank holidays are free, though you still need to display a ticket.

Is parking free on Sundays in Hertsmere?

Yes. There is no charge in council car parks on Sundays or bank holidays. The council still asks you to register your session at the machine and display a ticket.

Why does Newberries car park in Radlett cost more?

Newberries is the only Hertsmere car park with a different top tariff: £9.00 for over five hours against £7.50 everywhere else. Up to five hours the charges are identical to the rest of the borough.

Who do I report a pothole to in Borehamwood?

Hertfordshire County Council. Roads, pavements, street lights, gritting, speed humps and road signs are all county responsibilities. Hertsmere Borough Council handles car parks, parking permits and parking enforcement.

Which Hertsmere car parks have electric vehicle charging?

Eight of the fourteen: Clarendon Road and the Civic Offices in Borehamwood, Kemp Place in Bushey, The Rutts and Opposite St Peter’s Hall in Bushey Heath, and Manor Road, Salisbury Close and Barnet Road in Potters Bar. Charging bays are being installed at Newberries in Radlett.

How long is the A411 at Elstree closed for?

About 131 days. Hertfordshire County Council made the order and published it on 4 September 2026. It came into effect on 7 September and closes 899m of the A411 Elstree Road and Watford Road running south west from the Aldenham Road junction, with a 30mph limit on a further 1,470m of the A411 and on 207m of the A41 Tylers Way roundabout at Bushey Heath. Counted from the day it took effect, 131 days runs to about 15 January 2027. The restriction applies only on the days and at the times shown by signs on the road.

Is Bushey High Street open again?

It should be about now. The order closing 1,840m of the A411 from the B462 Aldenham Road junction to the A411 Elstree Road junction took effect on 14 September 2026 for an advertised 18 days, which runs to about 1 October. The county does not publish a reopening notice, so check the signs. A separate 193m stretch of Sparrows Herne, from Chestnut Rise to Police Station Lane, is due to close except for access for one day from Sunday 4 October.

When is Stephenson Way closed?

From 6 October 2026, for an advertised 10 days, if the county confirms its proposed order. It would close 2,430m of the A4008 Stephenson Way from the M1 junction 5 roundabout to the A411 Waterfields Way roundabout in Watford, plus the Colonial Way roundabout at Bushey and three short link roads. The signed diversion runs through Bushey on the A411.

How long is Packhorse Lane at Ridge closed for?

Six months, on the county’s own advertised duration. Hertfordshire County Council has published its intention to close 1,203m of Packhorse Lane, from the B556 St Albans Road junction to the Mimms Lane junction, except for access, from 7 October 2026. The notice states that there is no alternative route available and that access will be maintained wherever possible. This is a proposed order rather than a made one, so it can still change.

Are there trains from Bushey this weekend?

Yes, but fewer. From about 22:00 on Saturday 3 October until 12:00 on Sunday 4 October, a reduced London Northwestern Railway service calls at Bushey, and some trains call to let passengers off only. The 23:40 London Euston to Northampton on the Sunday will not call at Bushey.

Are there roadworks at Newberries car park in Radlett?

Hertsmere Borough Council said on 5 August 2026 that electric vehicle charging bay installation was starting that week, with a full resurfacing programmed for early September 2026. It has published no firm resurfacing date since. Expect fewer spaces while the work runs.

Sources

Closures and tariffs were checked against the sources above on 1 October 2026. A made order is a decision; a proposed order is an intention and may change. Hertfordshire publishes its traffic notices on a Wednesday and Thursday cycle, so orders made this week may not appear here yet. Confirm before you travel.

Corrections

21 September 2026. An earlier version of this page, published on 17 September, said we could find no made order for the A411 Elstree Road and Watford Road closure and that readers should treat it as an unconfirmed proposal. That was wrong. Hertfordshire County Council had already made the order and published it in its notice of 4 September 2026, which we had not read. The closure took effect on 7 September for an advertised 131 days. The page has been rewritten to say so and the error is not being hidden.