6:23pm Saturday 13th March 2010
By Amie Mulderrig
A public exhibition marking the next stage of a major construction project to widen the M25 in Hertfordshire has been held.
The Highways Agency is widening the motorway from three lanes to four between junction 16, Uxbridge, for the M40, and junction 23, Barnet, for the A1M.
The M25 will also have an extra lane in both directions between junctions 27, Stansted, and 30, Thurrock.
About 90 people turned out to the event at the Hunton Bridge Hotel in Hunton Bridge, Abbots Langley today, with more than 150 attending the day before.
At the meeting, visitors were given the opportunity to hear the plans for junctions 18, Rickmansworth, and 21A, Watford, and see how an extra lane could help to ease traffic on a motorway used by up 200,000 cars a day.
John Martin, Highways Agency project manager, said: "Increasing the number of lanes will improve the M25's reliability in both journey times and safety for road users.
“The two widening projects on either side of the motorway north of the capital represent a major challenge for the Highways Agency. We are keeping three lanes open in both directions during the work to minimise disruption to road users.
"The exhibition is just one way of explaining to local residents and others about how the work is progressing and how we will keep traffic flowing during the widening, to answer questions and highlight the benefits an extra lane will bring."
Work on the project, part of a major Government investment to improve journey time reliability and safety on “Europe’s busiest motorway”, started at junction 16 in April 2009.
The Highways Agency is about to complete the first stage of this widening on time, with work between junctions 18 and 21 starting June.
The two widening schemes and refurbishment of the Hatfield Tunnel on the A1(M), are being carried out by Connect Plus on behalf of the Highways Agency, employing up to 4,000 people.
Widening both sections of the M25, to the north-west and north-east of London, is due to be completed before the Olympics in 2012.
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