Roads Minister Mike Penning today heralded the 25th anniversary of the M25 as a significant milestone in the evolution of one of Europe’s busiest motorways.
On 29 October 1986 the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher opened the final 13-mile section of the motorway.

On the eve of the anniversary, Mike Penning hailed the economic benefits of London’s Orbital route and looked ahead to plans for the continuing improvement of the motorway for road users, when he visited the Highways Agency’s regional control centre at South Mimms.
He said:

“The M25 has been and continues to be a catalyst for economic growth. The opening of the M25 in 1986 was a celebration of engineering excellence, and since then communities, businesses and millions of road users have benefited from the vastly improved transport connections it provides for them.

“Today as we mark this significant milestone we can look forward to continued government investment to further improve traffic flows and reduce congestion. The M25 will be a vital transport link during the London 2012 Games next summer, when the current widening work has finished.

“Before 2015 we aim to start work on two major schemes to open up sections of the hard shoulder on the M25 as an additional running lane, benefiting all road users, including freight traffic and commuters, and boosting the economy.

“Today is a proud day for all who have ensured the M25 continues to provide its vital operation for the nation.”

The Minister visited the Highways Agency’s East Regional Control Centre, one of the two hubs from which the M25 is managed on a day-to-day basis.

The Highways Agency’s uniformed on-road traffic officers and control centre staff, backed up by information systems using the latest technology, work around the clock 365 days a year to keep traffic moving and ensure the safety of road users.

On average 150,000 to 200,000 vehicles use the busiest sections of the M25 each day.

The M25 has continued to evolve, and currently the final phases of schemes to add a fourth lane in each direction between junctions 16 and 23, and between junctions 27 and 30 are being carried out; they will be completed ahead of the 2012 London Games.

To further improve traffic flows, the hard shoulder will be opened up on two further sections of the motorway as an additional traffic lane. Work to introduce this system to the M25 between junctions 5 and 7 and junctions 23 and 27 will begin before 2015 subject to the completion of statutory processes.

In another milestone, Sunday (30 October 2011) marks the 20th anniversary of the completion of the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge at Dartford. Opened by Her Majesty the Queen in 1991 to relieve the pressure on the Dartford Tunnel, the structure forms an integral part of the Dartford Crossing and is a prominent landmark on the London Orbital route.