Skanska Balfour Beatty, a construction joint venture working on behalf of Connect Plus for the Highways Agency, has today delivered a 12 mile section of all lanes running motorway in England nearly six months early.
The M25 scheme between junctions 5 and 7 in Kent and Surrey is part of a new generation of the technology-driven improvements on the strategic road network known as ‘smart motorways’ aimed at achieving increased overall capacity, shorter journey times and reduced congestion. An overhead technology system provides drivers with optimum driving speeds to ensure that these goals are achieved.
The scheme is contributing to making the M25 the most technologically advanced motorway system in Europe, with hard shoulder running and variable speed limits combining to make a permanent all-lane running smart motorway.
In order to achieve completion 22 weeks before the original schedule, Skanska Balfour Beatty has taken best practice developed during the implementation of other recently completed M25 major improvements schemes. It has used Building Information Modelling (BIM) to provide real-time information to the construction teams and allow improvements to the design, reducing the need for time being spent on manual intervention. The project has utilised an electronic sign-off system which has led to a dramatic reduction in the delays incurred by previous ‘off-line’ methods and also helped to save millions of pounds on initial project budget projections.
Sustainability was vital to the project and existing structures were retained, reducing the need for materials and vehicles movements to transport equipment and supplies with the same applying to excavated materials. Over 90% of materials including fill material have come from recycled or reclaimed sources.
Community engagement and support for the project was important to smooth completion and numerous events and activities were held with local residents and fundraising was carried out for The Lily Foundation, The Lions Club, Marie Curie Nurses and the Godstone Village Association.
Kieran McGibbon, Skanska Balfour Beatty Engineering Director, said: “The key to this project’s success has been safely reducing timescales on everything from preliminary stages through to design and build. I’m very proud that we have delivered a project 22 weeks early which has set new standards in our industry in terms of accelerated delivery across all project disciplines, sustainability and the implementation of digital design.”
Tim Jones, Chief Executive Officer for Connect Plus, said: “I am delighted that we have achieved another major milestone on our journey to transform the M25, on behalf of the Highways Agency, into a high capacity world-class motorway with exemplary levels of safety and reliability. Connect Plus has implemented a range of new and innovative technology and new operating procedures to this section of the strategic road network. We now look forward to operating it in a safe and effective manner and to completing the Northern Section later this year.”
John Payne, Highways Agency Project Manager said: “The improvements on the M25 in Kent and Surrey are part of the £1.7 billion of investment into roads in the South East by 2021. The new smart motorway will provide extra capacity and offer more reliable journeys for the 140,000 drivers that use this stretch of road every day. I’m particularly pleased that the southern section of the M25 has opened well ahead of planned completion this winter thanks to rescheduling of the programme.”
Drivers will also benefit from the full completion of the Northern section between Junctions 23 to 27 later this year.