Today 12 May, the Secretary of State for Transport has granted a Development Consent Order (DCO), to improve the M25 junction 10/A3 Wisley interchange.
This junction is one of the busiest on our network, with almost 300,000 journeys every day. Due to the volume of traffic and the resulting queues, the junction and the surrounding roads have a high number of incidents. The improvement proposals will deliver much needed additional capacity, better connectivity for people and businesses, and safer journeys for everyone. Work is planned to start autumn 2022.
Full details are available on the Planning Inspectorate’s website here, and also on the National Highways website here.
The DCO as applied for would grant development consent for the alteration and upgrading of the existing roundabout junction between the M25 (junction 10) and A3 (Wisley Interchange) – referred to below as ‘Junction 10’ – the elements of which (collectively referred to as ‘the Development’) are:
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- alteration and upgrading of the existing M25 Junction 10 roundabout, including: elongation and widening of the circulatory carriageway to increase capacity for right-turning traffic; realignment, lengthening and widening of the junction entry and exit slip roads; and demolition of redundant bridge structures;
- provision of four new dedicated free-flow slip lanes at Junction 10, to enable all left-turning traffic to pass through the junction unimpeded by traffic signals;
- conversion of the existing hard shoulders on the M25 through Junction 10 to provide an additional running lane for traffic in both directions, including emergency refuge areas and associated modifications to the M25’s gantries, signage and road markings;
- widening of the A3 to dual four lanes between the Ockham Park junction and the Painshill junction, except where the A3 crosses over Junction 10, where the overbridge will remain as two lanes in each direction;
- new sign gantries on the A3 to provide variable speed limits and lane control between the Ockham Park and Painshill junctions;
- widening of the A245 Byfleet Road to dual three lanes between the Painshill junction and the Seven Hills Road junction to the west;
- provision of two new dedicated slip lanes at the Painshill junction, to enable traffic leaving the northbound A3 to join the westbound A245 and traffic leaving the eastbound A245 to join the northbound A3 to avoid having to use the roundabout;
- improvement of the Ockham Park junction, including installation of traffic signals at the entries to the roundabout and for new crossing facilities for pedestrians and cyclists;
- modification of A3 side road junctions, including: improvement of the Old Lane junction; closure of the Wisley Lane junction and construction of a new road bridging over the A3 to connect Wisley Lane directly with the A3 at Ockham Park junction; and closure of the Elm Lane junction and provision of an alternative access to Elm Corner via Old Lane and an improved section of byway open to all traffic;
- closure of private accesses from the A3 carriageways and the provision of substitute local access arrangements, including: a substitute access for properties between Redhill Road and Seven Hills Road (South) via a new highway running alongside the A3 northbound carriageway;
- a substitute access for properties on the edge of Painshill park via the A3 southbound on-slip; and a substitute access for properties at Wisley Common from Old Lane and crossing the A3 via the replacement Cockcrow Overbridge;
- provision of new and improved facilities for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders, including: a new 6.3 kilometre (km) long route along the A3 corridor between the Ockham Park and Painshill junctions; new and replacement bridges for the benefit of non-motorised users to cross both the M25 and the A3; and new and upgraded public rights of way in the area around M25 Junction 10;
- provision of 39.8 hectares (ha) of replacement common land (‘CL’) and open space (‘OS’) in exchange for that needing to be acquired for the Development; and
- extensive areas of habitat creation and enhancement and other environmental mitigation work including: measures to compensate for the impacts of the Development on the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area (‘SPA’) and on Bolder Mere; the provision of a new wildlife bridge crossing over the A3 as part of a replacement Cockcrow Overbridge; and the reinstatement of landscape and habitats on land used temporarily for Development construction.