The £170m plan to end traffic misery on UK's busiest motorway

A major multi-million pound improvement to part of the UK's busiest motorway aimed at reducing traffic jam misery is underway.

The M25 junction 28 plays a vital role in connecting the A12, which runs through Essex to Norfolk, and the orbital motorway, as well as providing access to Brentwood via the A1023.

Up to 7,500 vehicles per hour pass through the junction roundabout at peak times, making it a key area for bottlenecks during rush hour.

If action to improve traffic flow is not taken, it is likely to worsen over the next ten to 13 years.

A National Highways spokesperson said: "As it is operating at capacity, vehicles using the junction face congestion and delays, which effects local air quality.

"Our research shows that traffic is expected to increase in the area by around 30 percent by 2037, which means that more than 9,000 vehicles could be passing through it by this date."

As major work takes place this weekend the M25 clockwise exit slip road at junction 28 will close this Friday, October 4, from 11pm to Monday October 7 until 5am.

A signed diversion will be in place by the M25 clockwise to junction 29, returning on the anticlockwise carriageway to junction 28.

The spokesperson added: "We need the weekend closure for work on the base that will support the gantry."

The planned improvements to the junction include building a new two-lane loop road, for traffic travelling from the M25 anti-clockwise onto the A12 eastbound towards Brentwood.

This includes the construction of several new bridges to take the loop road over or under the other road links.

It will also involve significant changes to the landscape changing the position of A12 eastbound exit slip road and M25 anti-clockwise entry slip road to allow for the new loop road and widening the M25 anti-clockwise carriageway to provide more space for traffic leaving for the A12 eastbound.

The spokesperson added: "Our improvement scheme will increase capacity and reduce congestion at the junction and on the approaches and exits.

"(It will) improve safety by redesigning the existing roundabout layout and reducing traffic levels, provide better connections between the M25 and A12, reduce annual collision rates through additional capacity (and) improve average journey times and reliability for all passing traffic through the junction."

They said it would also minimise the impact of air and noise pollution in the local area by smoothing the traffic flow, reduce traffic queuing back onto the M25 and help economic growth in the area by providing improvements to cater for future traffic demands.

It is hoped to complete the works by the end of 2025.