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Civils relief over new M25 plans
00:00 06 Apr 1995
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Contractors have given a muted welcome to the Government's decision
to limit widening of the M25 to 12 lanes between junctions 12 and
16.
The original plan to widen the busiest parts of the M25 to 14 lanes, including parallel link roads for local traffic, between junctions 10 and 21, was thrown out this week by Transport Secretary Brian Mawhinney in favour of a more limited programme of widening.
In a Commons statement this week, Mawhinney said the M25 would be widened to 10 lanes between junctions 12-14 and 15-16 and to 14 lanes between junctions 14-15. A spur road from the M25 to the proposed Heathrow Terminal Five will also be built.
Work could start on the œ75 million scheme as early as 1997 since the widening will occur within the existing motorway boundaries and therefore will not need to go to public inquiry.
Mawhinney also pledged that a 'high level group' would be set up to examine the scope for improving road and rail transport links to London's airport. Mawhinney said the group would concentrate on privately financed improvements.
Amey chairman, Neil Ashley, welcomed the Government's decision. 'It's a half-way house. They've had to soften the original proposals,' he said. 'But at least they're going to do something rather than nothing and if it is in the confines of the existing land, it should come on to stream quite quickly.'
Costain civils managing director, George May, echoed Ashley's view. 'We're just pleased to see they are making a decision now on that section and we hope they get on with it as soon as possible.'
But the Federation of Civil Engineers said it was disappointed that the government had not been more specific about when the work would actually start.
FCEC industrial affairs director, Maurice Webb, said: 'I suppose at least we have a decision but it's a concern that no time scale has been given. It is also worrying that Mawhinney is putting the onus on the private sector to raise the money to finance improvements to and from London's airports.'
The original plan to widen the busiest parts of the M25 to 14 lanes, including parallel link roads for local traffic, between junctions 10 and 21, was thrown out this week by Transport Secretary Brian Mawhinney in favour of a more limited programme of widening.
In a Commons statement this week, Mawhinney said the M25 would be widened to 10 lanes between junctions 12-14 and 15-16 and to 14 lanes between junctions 14-15. A spur road from the M25 to the proposed Heathrow Terminal Five will also be built.
Work could start on the œ75 million scheme as early as 1997 since the widening will occur within the existing motorway boundaries and therefore will not need to go to public inquiry.
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Mawhinney also pledged that a 'high level group' would be set up to examine the scope for improving road and rail transport links to London's airport. Mawhinney said the group would concentrate on privately financed improvements.
Amey chairman, Neil Ashley, welcomed the Government's decision. 'It's a half-way house. They've had to soften the original proposals,' he said. 'But at least they're going to do something rather than nothing and if it is in the confines of the existing land, it should come on to stream quite quickly.'
Costain civils managing director, George May, echoed Ashley's view. 'We're just pleased to see they are making a decision now on that section and we hope they get on with it as soon as possible.'
But the Federation of Civil Engineers said it was disappointed that the government had not been more specific about when the work would actually start.
FCEC industrial affairs director, Maurice Webb, said: 'I suppose at least we have a decision but it's a concern that no time scale has been given. It is also worrying that Mawhinney is putting the onus on the private sector to raise the money to finance improvements to and from London's airports.'
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