M25 junction 25 expanded with new lanes, slip roads and pedestrian access, reports James Cracknell

M25 Junction 25 has been expanded with extra lanes and slip roads (credit National Highways) — *M25 junction 25 has been expanded with extra lanes and slip roads (credit National Highways)*

Work to upgrade and expand junction 25 of the M25 on the Enfield-Hertfordshire border has been completed “on time and on budget” according to National Highways.

The notoriously busy roundabout, where the A10 between Enfield and Cheshunt meets the motorway, has been upgraded to include a new slip road for clockwise M25 drivers heading north and an extra lane for anti-clockwise drivers heading south, as well as a widening of the roundabout itself.

Around 6,300 drivers use the junction every hour at peak times and research had shown that, if improvements were not carried out, journey times could have doubled by 2037.

Construction began in January 2021 and was due to finish by the end of summer 2022, with a projected cost of between £25million and £50m. The new parts of the roundabout were all opened by 15^th September and, although National Highways has not confirmed the final cost, it is “well within” the budget originally earmarked.

Project manager Indy Grewal says the main benefits will be felt by those heading north from the M25, but told the Dispatch this week that all drivers using the junction will notice an improvement.

“The most amount of difference is felt by people driving north to Broxbourne but there are knock-on benefits for all drivers,” Indy said. “As soon as you fix one arm of the junction, there are benefits to everyone.

“Those drivers going north are no longer in competition for road space with people heading south into Enfield.”

At busy times, anti-clockwise drivers joining the A10 towards Enfield and central London have frequently been forced to queue to exit the motorway, leading to lines of traffic through the Holmesdale Tunnel which lies immediately to the east of junction 25. Part of the motivation for the upgrade was to prevent this from happening.

Indy said: “The main driver for the project was the alleviation of congestion and safety. Those people queuing into the tunnel are a significant fire risk, so what we have done is introduce a third lane so we have stacking capacity there. I cannot say hand-on-heart there will never be queueing into the tunnel, but the risk is reduced.”

National Highways claims there will be other benefits for local people, including those who don’t drive. Relieving congestion on the A10 could see a boost to bus journey times, while anyone wishing to walk or cycle between Cheshunt and Enfield now has an extra option for navigating the roundabout over the motorway.

“The benefits are incremental – this is not the ultimate solution for local traffic,” said Indy. “But in order to solve the congestion and traffic problems locally we have to work with local stakeholders such as Transport for London.”

He added: “One of the things we found out during the consultation for this project was that some people didn’t realise we already had an underpass for pedestrians under the roundabout. We have improved that now with new lighting and upgrading the subway, but we have also introduced a pedestrian crossing point alongside the roadway.

“Although out title is National Highways we are also keen to see what we can do with other sustainable modes.”

While a number of trees were cut down to accommodate the new lane on the south-east corner of the junction, at least as many new trees have been planted in their place, with a new noise barrier also being erected to reduce disturbance for local residents in Bullsmoor.

The roundabout as a whole will be kept “under review” by National Highways and there remains a possibility of overnight closures if any further issues arise with the junction.

Feedback on the upgrade of junction 25 is being welcomed by National Highways. To find out more and to get in touch:
Email [email protected]
Visit nationalhighways.co.uk/our-roads/south-east/m25-junction-25-improvements/

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