I must have been dreaming it - because I thought the 29-30 works had been abandoned due to the overspending saga.

Nope, that was all lumped in with the J27-29 stuff. You may be thinking of the J23-27 proposals, which I think were similar to the current works, but have now been 'downgraded' to hard shoulder running. Work starts there 2013-16.

Coming down the M25 towards J28 clockwise today, they've opened a small section of the widened clockwise bit with the concrete surface partially 'black topped', for about a mile or two, to within a mile of j28, though the rest of the restriction to j29 is still fenced off for the moment. Works at the top of the restrictions already appear to be underway to work on the central reserve.

As of today the clockwise widening from j27 to j29 is now complete. The road surface has also been blacktopped, and I think the clockwise contraflow lane has been moved further across the anticlock carriageway, where the hard shoulder is back in use for the current layout, so no more driving on M25 Essex concrete now (the outside lanes both ways, now sealed off whilst the rip up the centre of the road).

I'm telling you, they got it wrong. They should have been spending the money widening J15-16. It is always clogged. Even at 4 lanes, speeds are slower than 16-21 despite its roadworks.

It's the busiest D4M in the country, and I think the busiest road in the country apart from J14-15, which has two extra lanes.

Is there ATM planned for this stretch? Would be a bit weird as it would be an isolated section (on the M25, at least), but better than nothing. They'd have to replace a handful of bridges, but it would still be a lot cheaper than full widening.

But yes, I agree that they should have widened this section 'properly' instead of some of the others. The same goes for J5-7 (which is just getting ATM).

Yes, I would like to see J15-16 upgraded to 5 lanes, however of all the times I have been on this stretch, I have nearly never ran into problems.

Does anyone know if J21-23 is being widened according to the original schedule (i.e. work to start this summer)? It still says that on the HA page but CBRD futures mentions that some recent gantries don't look big enough.

Of the sections being widened this is the section which I think least needed it, but I still hope it goes ahead as. If it's cut, it won't be because the money's being redirected to J5-7 and J15-16, as it should've been.

Of course maybe an even better alternative would be to upgrade the A312 (see my Project Yawgnir 3 thread) so it is a credible alternative to traffic inside the M25. The advantages would be:

• Reduction in distances for many journeys within London making use of trunk roads to avoid city streets.
• Great robustness of the road network; one accident doesn't cripple both roads.
• Greater versatility in the long term; if population and with it traffic peaks in the next couple of decades, widening the M25 leaves us with a single oversized roads in the decades beyond, whereas having two more moderately sized trunks are still useful in a reduced traffic situation.

Nice thought, but if they'd widened that to D5, then let it run straight into the D3 16-19 section you wouldn't get the full benefit of the widening. There'd be a bit more room to park the queuing traffic though!

Simon

Perhaps. The heavy traffic certainly seems to clear after junction 16 these days now that the works have moved on. Filtering off two lanes for the M40 might work though.

One thing that would be an absolute necessity though would be widening the bridge through junction 15. Widening a four level stack interchange shouldn't be too expensive surely.

I wonder how many have noticed that adding a single incremental lane to the M25/M1 seems to cost, even adjusted for inflation, about as much per mile as building a complete 3 lane motorway from scratch used to cost in simpler times.

It would be interesting to know where the money goes.

If there was every a road that could do with some ATM, J15-16 is it (and it's somewhat easier, given it's got VSL already - usually at 50 during the daytime).

J21a-23 is still due to start in June, once the bit from J19-21a is complete.

Actually it isn't easier as there are discontinuous hardshoulders.

It has already started in fact, the contraflow went in from J21a-22 a few weeks ago and the earthworks are well underway.

Thanks for that. I heard this morning it was shut for longer than expected along that bit overnight, not opening until 6:30 and causing huge congestion for miles. Were they tearing down old gantries or something?


Drove along last night, and contraflow is completely removed now.

Quite impressed with the speed of the central reserve clear-out, almost all done apart from the last 1/4 mile north of j29. Even over a mile of concrete central barrier is in place, heading southwards from the end of the phase 1 works between j27-28, with a mile and a half to go before the A12 junction.
Would be quite pleasing if they're making an effort to open the section down to J28 completely as early as possible, as the works are causing a big hold-up on the A12 Brentwood bypass. They'll still have to black top the concrete outside lanes both ways but for less than three miles that won't take long.

Also pleased that much of the nasty clockwise surface from J28-29 has been relaid. Much smoother along there now. A pity they didn't do that anticlockwise, though they may come back to that once the barrier works are done.

Driving through J28-27 yesterday and as I suspected the restrictions are being slowly reduced. The 50mph clockwise starts at least half a mile later, maybe more, and vice-versa going the other way.

Some of the outside edge of the carraigeway anticlockwise from J28-27 that was still partly concrete has been black topped as well, possibly all of it, and I think the white lining has been done too, so maybe the retrictions will be lifted here very shortly? Certainly the anticlock entry slip at J28 is finally back to two lanes again, which is a good sign.

Not much has happened clockwise so far to the concrete former lane three soon-to-be lane four. Not that I'm impatient! Central reserve fully cleared down to j29 though.

Between 21 and 19, they've nicely resurfaced and painted three lanes while the works are on. The only thing, that includes the hard shoulder. You'd expect the hard shoulder to be in use during works like this, but not painted as a running lane. What happened to the yellow cats eyes?

Instead of widening J23 to 27, I would concentrate on upgrading Junction 25 drastically. It has been at a complete stand still the last three times I have driven past it. The A10 is quite a major road and for that simple roundabout interchange to remain is just beyond me.

The SOX thru J21 has been disconnected, but not removed, and most of the SON is up. Interestingly however, the SOX on the slips have not been removed (yet). Works are now up to halfway between J21 and J22.

Does anyone else think the northbound onslip from junction 18 is now pretty scary fr all involved?