Multi-million pound road improvements for South East
Plans for major upgrades to give drivers better journeys on some of the South East’s busiest roads are to go on public display.
Seven schemes, part of the Government’s record £15bn investment in roads, will be carried out to improve the M25, M271, A2, A27 and A31.
They include:
- junction and A27 upgrades between Lewes and Polegate
- three major junction upgrades on the M25, at junction 10 in Surrey, junction 25 in Hertfordshire and junction 28 in Essex
- widening the A31 near Ringwood to improve journeys in Hampshire and Dorset
- further junction upgrades linked to local grown plans on the M271 near Southampton and the A2 in Kent
Each scheme will reduce congestion, improve safety and boost the economy and over the next few months public consultations will be held to give drivers, residents and businesses their chance to comment to ensure the best possible improvements are taken forward.
The schemes, worth up to £605 million, were announced in the Government’s Road Investment Strategy in November 2014 as part of a £2.2bn package of 26 different projects across the South East.
The first consultation, due to start on Thursday 27 October, will be about an upgrade worth up to £75m on the A27 between Lewes and Polegate in East Sussex.
Regional Director for Major Projects in the South East, Ken Simmonds, said:
These improvements, which are being made possible by the Government’s record £15 billion investment in major roads, will help drivers who make up the 237 million journeys on these sections of road every year. Each scheme has been developed by working with local partners and now you can have your say. I encourage anyone with an interest in these roads – whether they drive on them, live near them or depend on them for trade – to get involved and give us their views.
Public consultations on plans for the latest schemes will launch in the coming months and will be publicised in advance.
| Scheme | Description | Expected date |
|---|---|---|
| A27 East of Lewes | Junction and A27 upgrades between Lewes and Polegate | October 2016 |
| M25 junction 28 | Upgrade of the junction between the M25 and the A12 in Essex, potentially including the provision of dedicated left-turn lanes and improvement of the roundabout | November 2016 |
| M271 Redbridge | Creation of dedicated left-turn lane for traffic leaving the M271 for Southampton docks and city centre, plus an improved roundabout layout for traffic from the docks turning onto the M271 | November 2016 |
| M25 junction 10/A3 Wisley interchange | Improvement of the Wisley interchange to allow flowing movement in all directions, together with improvements to the neighbouring Painshill interchange on the A3 to improve safety and congestion across the two sites | December 2016 |
| M25 junctions 25 | Upgrade of the between the M25 and the A10 at Cheshunt, providing greater capacity for traffic | January 2017 |
| A2 Bean and Ebbsfleet | Improvements to junctions on the A2 near Bluewater to enable major developments in the vicinity of Ebbsfleet | January 2017 |
| A31 Ringwood | Widening of the A31 at Ringwood to three lanes, providing more capacity for traffic using the road to cross the Avon, plus adjustments to the nearby road network to allow for improvements for pedestrians in Ringwood | March 2017 |
General enquiries
Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.
Media enquiries
Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.