Press release: M25 Wisley improvements set out

Under the plans, the interchange between the M25 and the A3 will be redesigned to create four dedicated link roads for all drivers making left turns at the junction while drivers turning right will use a new enlarged junction roundabout.

The A3 will also be widened from three lanes to four between Ockham and Painshill in both directions with two lanes remaining over the M25. The improvements will create extra capacity at the junction and, on opening, will shave up to seven minutes off journeys made at the junction during the morning peak.

Two options were put to the public for views between December 2016 and February 2017, and today’s announcement considers feedback made during the consultation and ongoing discussions with key stakeholders and residents.

The plans also include improved routes for pedestrians and cyclists, a green bridge linking Wisley and Ockham Commons, and better, safer access to RHS Garden Wisley via a new bridge and link road to the east of the A3. The proposals minimise the impact on trees within RHS Garden Wisley and ancient woodland near Ockham.

Highways England Regional Delivery Director for the South East Chris Welby-Everard said:

This busy junction is used by more than 96,000 drivers every day, and the M25 and the A3 which run through it have a further 173,000 and 57,000 journeys respectively every day. The plans we are putting forward today will make a real difference to all those journeys while respecting the protected environments nearby. I would like to thank everyone who took part in our consultation and helped shape these proposals.

We will continue to work with stakeholders and residents in working up the details of our design and t here will be a further opportunity for people to have their say in another consultation next year.

The M25/A3 interchange is a key congestion pinch point on the strategic road network and has one of the highest recorded collision rates across the Highways England network. The proposed plans will help to reduce delays, make journeys more reliable, ease congestion and improve safety.

The plans being taken forward include:

• an elongated roundabout to add more road capacity and improve safety with provision of dedicated free-flow left turns for all traffic leaving and joining the M25. The existing roundabout will be retained for walkers, cyclists and horse riders.
• widening of the A3 between Ockham and junction 10, and Painshill and junction 10, in both directions
  The proposals were referred to as Option 14 during the consultation. The other proposal, known as Option 9, was a four-level flyover with dedicated free-flow slip roads for traffic accessing the M25 from the A3 and was rejected due to strong concerns about the negative impact on the surrounding environment.

Anyone interested in the scheme can sign up to receive updates via the project page on the Highways England website, where they can also download the consultation report, announcement flyer and see visualisations outlining the preferred option.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

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Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.