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March 17 2016

Government launches study to improve M25 infrastructure

The Government has instigated a major study to assess the M25 between junctions 10 and 16, the result of which will inform the case to consider investment into transport infrastructure in the South East. 

The investigation forms part of a £15 billion project to find long-term solutions to the problems affecting the road network in one of the busiest parts of the UK and could well lead to an influx of highway recruitment opportunities, as work gets underway.

Road recruitment

Improvement plans for the M25 

The M25 has always been a point of contention for motorists, with its frequent traffic congestion, accidents and roadworks frustrating drivers travelling into and out of the capital. 

Now, Highways England has appointed planning consultants GL Hearn, Steer Davies Gleave and WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff to carry out a study that aims to improve the performance of the road. 

Due for completion by the end of the year, the M25 study will incorporate a range of options to ensure that public transport and the local road network are able to effectively resolve the issues that regularly blight vehicles travelling on this busy motorway.

The M25 is part of a wider government initiative to establish improvements in the country’s transport infrastructure, a move that is expected to help economic growth between 2020 and 2025.

One of the more major motorways in the country, the M25 encompassing London is the last strategic review to be introduced, with work already underway on the following roads:

• Northern Trans-Pennine

• A66 and A69 corridors; Trans-Pennine tunnel - linking Manchester to Sheffield

• Manchester north-west quadrant

• M60 from junctions 8 to 18; A1 east of England

• M25 to Peterborough and the Oxford to Cambridge expressway

Investing in UK roads 

The Government will contribute £15 billion towards constructing 1,300 additional miles of lanes over the next four years. This investment is key to achieving the largest road upgrade work in a generation. 

Road minister Andrew Jones said: “We are making a £15 billion investment in our roads – the biggest in a generation – to deliver better journeys and put the infrastructure in place for our economy to grow.

“We have a long-term plan for Britain so we are carrying out six strategic studies to decide what further improvements we can make. We are looking at this section of the M25 as it is one of the busiest sections of the road network.”

The M25 project, like the other improvement projects earmarked by the Government, will result in infrastructure works creating employment opportunities for those involved in civil engineering and the road sector. Ensuring the successful delivery of this project will be largely rooted in the skills of those tasked with producing a plan that can improve on the road network in its current state and ensure it will continue to sustain traffic for many years to come.

Image Credit: Ray Jones (geography.org)

 

To see the job options in the road sector for yourself, please visit our highway recruitment page.

 

• Northern Trans-Pennine
• A66 and A69 corridors; Trans-Pennine tunnel - linking Manchester to Sheffield
• Manchester north-west quadrant
• M60 from junctions 8 to 18; A1 east of England
• M25 to Peterborough and the Oxford to Cambridge expressway

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