Closing stretch of M25 for years, to build new Heathrow runway, is ‘unthinkable’ and a ‘non-starter’

Both locations for a new Heathrow runway,  suggested by the Airports Commission, involve building a runway over a particularly wide and busy section of the M25. As the map below shows. The Standard reports that the UK’s main motoring organisations are united in horror at the prospect of closing this stretch of the M25 for up to 5 years to build  a runway.  The plans would mean the six-lane motorway having to be sunk into a tunnel for at least a half-a-mile south of junction 14.  In its runway submission to the Commission in July, Heathrow just said the M4/M25 motorway junction requires “major reconfiguration” but did not add further detail. A spokesman for the AA said: “If you thought the protests from residents was bad just wait for the howls from motorists if this goes ahead. They are already stuck in daily traffic jams on this stretch of the M25 and the prospect of something on this scale doesn’t bear thinking about. For the millions of drivers who use the M25 regularly this is a non-starter. The M25 is the artery on which millions of commuters and businesses rely. Any suggestion of large-scale disruption there will cause major backlash.” Another said: “A five year closure borders on the unthinkable.  It’s a hugely busy section of motorway where are they going to put all the vehicles?”
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Heathrow and the M25

 

The Heathrow north west option, from http://www.heathrowairport.com/static/Heathrow/Downloads/PDF/a-new-approach_LHR.pdf

The other suggested runway option is extending the current  northern runway, over the M25

Heathrow north west runway option 31.7.2013


Closing stretch of M25 to build new Heathrow runway is ‘unthinkable’

Tunnell needed: Junction 14 of the M25 Picture: Google Streetview
by SIMON FREEMAN  (Evening Standard)

 18 December 2013

Britain’s leading motoring organisations were today united in horror at the prospect of closing the busiest stretch of the M25 for up to five years to build a third runway at Heathrow.

The proposal for a new runway to the north-west of the existing airport – the ‘preferred option’ of three shortlisted in a report by the Airports Commission yesterday – requires the six-lane motorway to be sunk into a tunnel for at least a half-a-mile south of junction 14.

The new 3,500-metre runway would run alongside the M4, crossing the current highway.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson, whose dream of an island airport in the Thames estuary is hanging by a thread, estimated the associated roadworks would take five years.

While his estimation has been called into question, the construction of a 1.2-mile four-lane tunnel on the A3 near Hindhead in Surrey, took more than four years to build before opening in May 2011.

In its proposal, Heathrow Airport admits the M4/M25 motorway junction requires “major reconfiguration” but does not add further detail.

A spokesman for the AA said: “If you thought the protests from residents was bad just wait for the howls from motorists if this goes ahead.

“There are already stuck in daily traffic jams on this stretch of the M25 and the prospect of something on this scale doesn’t bear thinking about. For the millions of drivers who use the M25 regularly this is a non-starter.

“The M25 is the artery on which millions of commuters and businesses rely. Any suggestion of large-scale disruption there will cause major backlash.”

Peter Rodger, chief examiner at the Institute of Advanced Motorists, said: “Closing that stretch of the M25 would have a substantial impact not only on west London but also quite a chunk of Berkshire.

“Any attempt to dislodge that amount of traffic is a massive enterprise. It’s not long since that stretch of the motorway had major widening work so Londoners will be familiar with the disruption any closure causes.

“The congestion implications are substantial, and the economic impact of that would be considerable to say the least.

“It would require substantial realignment of roads along what is already a complicated piece of motorway. It would simply become a building site yet again. A five year closure borders on the unthinkable, It’s a hugely busy section of motorway where are they going to put all the vehicles?”

David Bizley , the RAC’s technical director, said: “It’s hard to imagine what would happen during the five-year construction period if this were to go ahead. The M25 is an important part of the strategic road network and it is essential that any construction to reconfigure it would be managed in such way as to ensure any significant disruption to traffic was kept to an absolute minimum.”

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/closing-stretch-of-m25-to-build-new-heathrow-runway-is-unthinkable-9012049.html

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