M25 improvement works enter new stage

A scheme that will see extra capacity added to the M25 on the Kent/Surrey border is about to move to a new phase.

Work on the project to open up the hard shoulder as a permanent running lane for traffic will move from the central reservation to the verges. This will take place in stages, with the first starting later this month, near junction 5.

In preparation for this, the road layout will need to be changed. This will take place overnight for, up to eight nights, with work starting on Saturday (15 June).

John Payne, Highways Agency project manager, said: “This scheme is progressing well, and we are now ready to start main construction work on the verges. While we have worked on the central reservation traffic has been using the hard shoulder as a temporary running lane. Now as we move to the verges we need to take traffic back to the main carriageway.

“Because of the scale of the operation, this move will take a few nights to complete, and so we do urge drivers to drive with extra care until they become accustomed to the new layout.”

For this next phase the road layout will change in both directions over about five miles, between junction 5 and Brasted, which is roughly half way between junction 5 and the Clacket Lane service area.