As National Highways ramps up work to upgrade one of the busiest junctions in the country – junction 10 on the M25 in Surrey – Roads Minister Richard Holden was welcomed on site on Thursday (16 March) for a guided tour and to see the progress so far.
Junction 10 - the M25 interchange with the A3 at Wisley in Surrey - is one of busiest in the country and experiences large queues and heavy congestion on a daily basis. It also has one of the highest recorded collision rates across England’s motorway and major A roads nationally; this project will reduce collisions at this junction by around a third.
As well as reducing collisions, the £317m project will create better connections and smoother traffic flows for the 300,000 drivers who use it every day. The scheme also features some of the most extensive environmental work ever carried out by National Highways, restoring over 14 hectares of heathland as well as planting new woodland. The UK’s first ever heathland green bridge will link Ockham and Wisley commons for the first time since the A3 was built in the late 1970s and will link walkers and cyclists to these important habitats.
On Thursday, National Highways Executive Director of Major Projects, Nicola Bell, welcomed Roads Minister Richard Holden to site to give him a tour of the site and outline what work is to come.
Nicola Bell, National Highways Executive Director of Major Projects said:
“Junction 10 on the M25 is one of the busiest in the country and experiences congestion and delays on a regular basis. This scheme is a vital upgrade to improve safety and reliability for almost 300,000 drivers a day and generate more than 400 jobs.
“It was a pleasure to welcome Mr Holden to site so that he could see the great work we’re doing to improve this junction. I’m sure having seen the works first-hand; he shares my confidence in the benefits this improvement will bring to people and businesses once complete in 2025.”
Roads Minister Richard Holden said:
“Our road network is a vital component of our economy and investing over £300 million in this major upgrade will create hundreds of high-quality jobs, significantly reduce congestion at one of the busiest intersections of the strategic road network and enhance safety for thousands of motorists each day.
“These improvements will boost links to major economic hubs like Heathrow or the ports in Kent, making it easier for businesses moving goods across the country as well as small businesses across Surrey and the Southeast and families going on holiday too.”
Once complete, the scheme will:
Improve safety and journey times
Reduce congestion
Smooth the flow of traffic
Increase capacity of the junction
Provide better journey connections
Improve access for cyclists, pedestrians and horse-riders
Support local and national economic growth
The improvements to the junction include:
A new elongated roundabout to increase capacity
Four new dedicated free-flowing left turn slip roads to reduce queuing between the M25 and the A3
Widening the M25 from three to four lanes through the junction
Widening the A3 from three to four lanes either side of J10 and improving the A245 at Painshill
Better routes for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders
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