Welcome to our latest newsletter.
A3 weekend closure - 9pm Friday 13 to 5.30am Monday 16 October 2023
View of the A3 towards Guildford where the new Wisley Lane bridge is taking shape.
We’re building eight new bridges as part of our scheme to ease congestion and create safer journeys for everyone using junction 10 on the M25.
Our new bridge at Wisley Lane has made great progress and is ready to have its beams installed. We were due to do this last month but had to change the date because of an unexpected problem on our delivery route.
Weekend closure information
We’ll need to close the A3 in both directions between the B2215/A247 and the M25 junction 10 from 9pm on Friday 13 to 5.30am on Monday 16 October 2023.
The existing pedestrian footbridge across the A3 at Wisley Lane will also be closed at this time.
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Please make sure you leave plenty of extra time, follow the signs and plan your journey. For more details and diversion information, visit our website.
Our new bridge will make journeys safer between the A3 and Wisley Lane.
When complete, this bridge will provide a new, safer route for walkers, cyclists, horse-riders and drivers between Wisley Lane and the A3 via Ockham Park roundabout.
The new route will travel over Stratford Brook near Ockham Park roundabout and continue to Wisley Lane.
Just a stone’s throw away from Wisley Lane is another one of our bridges – Stratford Brook. This bridge will take the new route from Ockham Park over the brook and link up with Wisley Lane.
While it may be the smallest bridge on our scheme, it was the first to have all its beams lifted into place. Each of the nine pre-cast concrete beams weighs an impressive 45 tonnes – that’s roughly six adult elephants per beam, or a total of eight adult whales!
You can watch all the action in our time-lapse video and read the full story on our website.
Inside the launch chamber: Ada Florence pictured here before setting off on her mission under the A3.
Our improvements will see the A3 widened from three lanes to four in both directions either side of junction 10 to Ockham Park in the south and Painshill in the north. These extra lanes will help ease congestion and create safer journeys in the future.
However, before this work can begin, we first need to divert a major gas main that runs alongside the A3. This is no mean feat – not to mention avoiding the array of electricity and water supplies that crisscross this area too.
Say hello to Ada Florence, our tunnel boring machine (TBM). At 100m long and with a diameter of 1,200mm, our TBM is perfect for the job and just recently finished her travels 40 feet underneath the A3 and has now reached the other side.
In case you missed it, we posted a story about Ada Florence on our Facebook page for you to like and share.
Heather growing on Wisley Common near junction 10 on the M25.
As well as making a number of safety improvements around junction 10, we’re also restoring up to 25 hectares of rare heathland across Wisley and Ockham Commons.
That’s roughly the size of 47 full-sized football pitches!
The area around junction 10 is dominated by Scots pine, which was originally planted for timber after the Second World War. Over time, this area has become overcrowded, resulting in a uniform woodland, supressing the ancient heathland below.
You may have seen us clearing overgrown areas, which will encourage heathland plants and wildlife to flourish here once more. The impact may seem quite dramatic and this is just the first step. It will take some time for this landscape to be fully restored but the results will be worth the wait.
Find out more about the rare and wonderful invertebrates, reptiles, and birds that will benefit from our project in our heathland restoration factsheet or answers to some commonly asked questions on our website.
A snapshot of the walking, cycling and horse riding routes we're improving around the junction, including towards Painshill and Ockham Park roundabouts.
Another long-term legacy of this project will be the improvements we’re making to several walking, cycling and horse-riding routes around junction 10.
In the future, a new 5km route will connect Ockham Park and Painshill roundabouts with lots of other bridleways and footpaths, making it easier to travel by foot, bike or horse.
To keep everyone safe, we’ve had to temporarily close some sections of footpaths and bridleways to deliver our improvements.
Current footpath and bridleway closures:
- Bridleway 8 and Footpath 11
- Footpath 13a
- Portsmouth Road between Ripley (B2215) and Temple of Bacchus
- Bridleway 12 and a National Highways footpath
Click here to view the routes on a map.
You may wish to use the Surrey County Council Interactive Map to help plan alternative routes using the “Countryside - Rights of Way” filter.
Find out more about the new and improved non-motorised user routes in our pedestrian, cycling and horse riding factsheet.
Sheet Piling works taking place at the A245.
Our improvements around the A245 Painshill roundabout and Seven Hills Road junction are progressing well.
In the last few months, we’ve finished installing the permanent sheet pile wall alongside the A3. A sheet pile wall is used to hold back soil and earth behind it which will give us space to build the new widened section of road.
We've nearly completed our excavation work in the verge and have started to install new drains to keep the carriageway free from any surface water.
We’ve been working very closely with Surrey County Council and now have agreement to keep the westbound lane closure on the A245 until the work to widen this stretch of road is completed.
For more information, take a look at our A245 improvements factsheet.
Get ready for Autumn
It’s now officially autumn and with changing seasons comes differing weather conditions and temperatures.
There are a few simple things you can do to make sure you have a safe journey. Topping up anti-freeze in your car and checking your tyres are inflated to the correct air pressure are just two important things you can do.
And don’t forget: TRIP is a handy way of remembering to:
- Top-up your fuel, oil and screen wash
- Rest by taking regular breaks
- Inspect your tires and air pressure
- Prepare for whatever the weather
For more information and advice, please visit www.nationalhighways.co.uk/article/are-you-ready-for-autumn-driving-conditions
Where can I find out more?
Keep up to date with the project on our website www.nationalhighways.co.uk/m25j10.
If you have any questions, please email M25j10@nationalhighways.co.uk or call our Customer Contact Centre on 0300 123 5000.
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