Brentwood M25 junction: Work begins on £150m 'loop road' project

The £150m project for a two-lane loop road is due for completion by summer 2025

Work will start on Thursday on major upgrades to one of the busiest junctions on the M25 in Essex.

Contractors are building a loop road and bridges at Brentwood, which will link the motorway anti-clockwise and the A12 eastbound at junction 28.

The project is expected to cost up to £150m.

National Highways said up to 7,500 vehicles use the junction every hour at peak times, which they estimate will increase to 9,000 by 2037.

"These improvements will provide safer journeys for thousands of drivers, cyclists and walkers as part of our wider investment to enhance capacity at this vital junction," said project manager Zach Pepper.

"There will also be less likelihood of traffic queuing back on to the M25 once this upgrade and reconfiguration of the junction is complete."

Drivers trying to join the M25 from the A12 eastbound will be diverted down to the A127 junction on Thursday and Friday nights, where they can then join the motorway

Engineers from the contractor Graham are planning to change the position of the A12 eastbound exit slip road and the M25 anti-clockwise entry slip road, to allow for the new loop.

The anti-clockwise entry to the M25 will be completely closed for two nights - starting at 22:00 BST on Thursday until 05:00 on Friday, and the same again starting on Friday night into Saturday morning.

Drivers will have to use a diversion south via junction 29 (the A127 for Basildon and Southend) before heading north back to junction 28.

Workers are starting by laying fibre optic cables to connect cameras.

The scheme is scheduled to be completed by summer 2025.