M25 Roadworks - Maple Cross area

[M4 Cardiff]

Noticed some works off the side of the M25 near Maple Cross (between J16 and J17) earlier this week. Sign boards indicate that the works will take approx 18 months. At the moment, there's a 50 limit northbound, but no special limit southbound and it only goes on for about a mile at most.

Anyone local know what is being done?

[frediculous_biggs]

Roadworks.org suggests it is this. They have it for 1 month for HS2 enabling works (is that starting already?!)

[Glom]

How exciting! It must about the only section of HS2 that's above ground.

[Haydn1971]

At this stage, it's probably geological and ecology related surveys rather than anything physical - there's a series of pylons nearby that may need moving as part of the HS2/M25 crossing, could also be related.

[Haydn1971]

Just had a nosy at the HS2 parliamentary plans - there's two bits of work that look suspiciously like temporary slip roads to a large site area just to the east of the M25 - My educated guess is that the current 1 month works are the geotechnical investigations for these temporary slip roads, with the 18 month works period to build them and an associated temporary bridge. The slips being used as direct access to the eastern end of the tunnel that extends 13.5km to the northwest of the tunnel portal just east of the M25

[ChrisH]

Just had a nosy at the HS2 parliamentary plans - there's two bits of work that look suspiciously like temporary slip roads to a large site area just to the east of the M25 - My educated guess is that the current 1 month works are the geotechnical investigations for these temporary slip roads, with the 18 month works period to build them and an associated temporary bridge. The slips being used as direct access to the eastern end of the tunnel that extends 13.5km to the northwest of the tunnel portal just east of the M25

That's my understanding as well.

[c2R]

I drove past today, there's definitely a temporary sliproad being constructed.