Work to lift giant beams into place on a bridge across the M25 in Surrey is set to take place next week, as National Highways scheme to transform junction 10 (Wisley) begins to take shape.
The team delivering the M25 J10 upgrade will welcome a specialist 750 tonne crane onto site in the coming days, along with 10 giant precast concrete beams that will form the basis of the new Wisley Lane flyover.
The delicate and challenging operation will get underway on Friday 13 October, with a full closure of the A3 from 9pm until 6am Monday 16 October.
Speaking about the challenge of lifting 10 beams each weighing 80 tonne, Jonathan Wade – Senior Project Manager at National Highways – said: “The upcoming bridge beam lift is another significant milestone for this transformative scheme. The beams measuring 33 metres in length, around the same as three double decker buses, and lifting them into place is a remarkable engineering feat by a highly skilled team of specialists.
“Once in place, the beams will support the new road deck on the Wisley Lane flyover, which will provide safer and smoother access to Wisley Lane and RHS Wisley from the A3.”
Junction 10 on the M25 is one of the busiest in the region with over 300,000 vehicles passing through every day. Road users regularly experience large queues and heavy congestion. National Highways’ £317m upgrade will reduce congestion, create a smoother flow of traffic and provide safer journeys for thousands every day.
As part of the overall project there are 8 new bridges, 5 of which will be replacing the existing, resulting in demolition of old bridges. One of which is the Wisley Lane overbridge.
The existing Wisley Lane footbridge, located over the A3, between the M25 junction 10 and the Ockham Park roundabout currently has pedestrian access only. The old bridge will make way for an upgraded structure which will provide safer access onto Wisley Lane and RHS Wisley from the A3. This will include a dedicated route for pedestrians, horses and cyclists.
Howard Williams – Project Director for Balfour Beatty Atkins – added: “The bridge beam lift is the culmination of many months of collaborative planning by the Balfour Beatty Atkins and National Highways integrated team. We are excited to be able to showcase the progression that is being made on the project with the delivery of this key milestone.”
The new structure will be a wide two-span bridge, approximately 69 metres in length, and will form part of the overall 1,390 metre new section of road starting at the A3 Ockham Park junction and in to the new realigned Wisley Lane and RHS Wisley.
Once complete, the flyover will allow traffic to flow without restrictions, reducing delays and improving safety.
Diversion information:
- Drivers heading south will be diverted via M25 to junction 9 and use the A24, A246 and A247 to join the A3 at Burntcommon. Non-motorway traffic will be taken off the A3 at Hook and use the A243 to pick up the same diversion via A24 at Leatherhead.
- Drivers heading north over the full weekend closure will be diverted via A247, A246, A24 and M25 to junction 9. Non-motorway traffic will continue along the A243 and join the A3 at Hook. (ULEZ restrictions will not apply to drivers using our official diversion).
To find out more about our work to improve junction 10 on the M25, visit our webpage: https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-roads/south-east/m25-junction-10/.
