London Orbital and M23 to Gatwick - Route Strategy March 2017

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London Orbital and M23 to Gatwick - Route Strategy March 2017
London Orbital and
   M23 to Gatwick
     Route Strategy
            March 2017
London Orbital and M23 to Gatwick - Route Strategy March 2017
Contents
    1. Introduction                                     1
       Purpose of Route Strategies                      2
       Strategic themes                                 2
       Stakeholder engagement                           3
       Transport Focus                                  3
    2. The route                                        5
       Route Strategy overview map                      7
    3. Current constraints and challenges               9
       A safe and serviceable network                   9
       More free-flowing network                        9
       Supporting economic growth                      10
       An improved environment                         10
       A more accessible and integrated network        10
       Diversionary routes                             14
       Maintaining the strategic road network          15
    4. Current investment plans and growth potential   17
       Economic context                                17
       Innovation                                      17
       Investment plans                                17
    5. Future challenges and opportunities             21
    6. Next steps                                      29

i
London Orbital and M23 to Gatwick - Route Strategy March 2017
Route                                                                                                                                                                                                           London to Scotland East

strategies                                                                                                                                                                                                      London Orbital and M23
                                                                                                                                                                                                                London to Scotland Wes
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      t
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        to Gatwick

                                                                                                                                                                                                               London to Wales
The division of routes for
                           the                                                                                                                                                                                 Felixstowe to Midlands
programme of route stra
                         tegies on the                                                                                                                                                                        Solent to Midlands
Strategic Road Network
                                                                                                                                                                                                            M25 to Solent (A3 and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 M3)
                                                                                                                                                                                                           Kent Corridor to M25 (M2
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    and M20)
                                                                                                                                                                                                           South Coast Central
                                                                                                                                                                                                           Birmingham to Exeter

                                                                                                                          A1                                                                              South West Peninsula
                                                                                                                                                                                                          London to Leeds (East)
                                                                                                                                                                                                          East of England
                                                                                                                                                                                                          South Pennines
                                                                                                                                     A19
                                                                                                 A69
                                                                                                                                Newcastle upon Tyne                                                       North Pennines
                                                         Carlisle                                                            A1    Sunderland                                                            Midlands to Wales and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Gloucestershire
                                                                              M6
                                                                                                                                                                                                         North and East Midlands
                                                             A66                                                         A1(M)
                                               A595                                                                                                                                                      South Midlands
                                                                                                                                                Middlesbrough

                                                                                                      A66                                         A174

                                                                 A590                                                                      A19
                                                                                                                             A1

                                                                                                                                                          A64

                                                            A585              M6
                      Iris h Se a                                                                                        Leeds
                                                                                                                                            York
                                                        M55
                                                                                    M65                       M606 M621            M1
                                                             Preston                                                                                                               Kingston upon Hull
                                                                                             A56                                                      M62                  A63
                                                                                                        M62
                                                                                    M61                                                      A1
                                                                 M58
                                              Liverpool                   Manchester                     A628
                                                                                                                                   M1
                                                                                                                                                      M18
                                                                                                                                                                                       A180
                                                                                                                                                                                              Grimsby
                                                                                                                                                                                                                             No rth Se a
                                                                                                                        A616                                     M180
                                                             M57
                                                                         M62                       M60                                             A1(M)
                                                      M53                                                         Sheffield
                                                                                          A556
                                                                          M56
                                                                                          M6                                                                      A46
                                                                   A55                                                                                                      Lincoln
                                                                                                                                                          A1
                                                                                               A500
                                                                  Stoke-on-Trent                                             A38           M1
                                                                                                                                                Nottingham
                                                                                                                                             A52
                                                                                                                     Derby
                                                                                                         A50
                                                A483
                                                             A5                                                                            A453
                                                                                                               A38           A42                   A46
                                                  A458                                M54
                                                                                                                   A5                                                                                           A47                               Norwich
                                                                                                                          M42                Leicester                                                                                                            A47
                                                                                                 M6     M6 Toll
                                                                                                                                   M69                                     A1
                                                                              Birmingham                                 M6                                                            Peterborough                                                               A12
                                                                                                                                     A5
                                                                                               M5        M42                                                    A14                    A1(M)
                                                                                                                     Coventry                                                                                                        A11

                                                                        A49                                                         M45
                                                                                                                                                  M1              A45                             A14
                                                                         Worcester                                                                                                                                                   A14
                                                                                                            A46                              A5                                          A428           Cambridge
                                                                                                                                                                       A421
                                                                                                                          M40                                                          A1
                                                                                                                                                                                                          A11
                                                                              M50                                                                                                                                                                 Ipswich
                                                                                                                                            A43       Milton                                                                             A12           A14
                                                                                    A40                                                              Keynes
                                                                 A40     Gloucester              A417                                                                       M1          A1(M)                   A120
                                                                                                                                                                      A5
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               A120
                                                                                                                                        Oxford                                                          M11
                                                                                    M5                                         A34                                                          M25
                                                             M48
                                                                                                             A419
                                                                                                                                                       M40                                                            A12
                                                            M4                             Swindon
                                                                                   M4                                                              A404
                                                                                                                        M4                                                                                                  Southend-on-Sea
                                                         Bristol         M32                                                               Reading                              London                         A13

                                                                                                                                                          M4
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      M2          A249
                                                                                                                                   A34
                                                       M5                       A36
                                                                                                             A303                               M3                          M25                          M26
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 A2
                                                                                                                                                                                                                       M20
                                                                                                                                                                 A3     Crawley M23
                                                                                                               A36
                                                                         A303                                                                                                                             A21                                         A20

                                                                                                                                                                                 A23
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Folkestone
                                                                       Yeovil                               A31                                                                                                            A259
                                                                                                                                   M27            A3(M)
                               Exeter                                                                                                                                                              A27
                A30
                                        A30                                                                                                                A27
                                                                                                                               Portsmouth                                       Brighton                         A259
                                                                 A35

                                    Torquay
A30        Plymouth      A38

                                                                                                         En gli sh
                                                                                                                 h Ch an ne l
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           0 kilometres
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             60
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           0 miles
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              40
                                                  Highways Agency medi                                                                     © Crown copyright and
                                                                                          a services MCR N130206                                                                   database rights 2015 Ordn
                                                                                                                                                                                                                             ance Survey 10003064
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              9

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        ii
1iii
Highways England

1. Introduction
The modernisation of England’s motorways
and major A roads, also known as the
strategic road network (SRN), is making a
vital contribution to economic wellbeing and
growth. This Route Strategy – one of 18 such
reports – provides a statement on the current
performance of, and perceived pressures on,
the London Orbital and M23 to Gatwick
route to inform the planning of
future investment.

The SRN supports national and local economic
prosperity by:
▪▪   linking together major cities
▪▪   connecting with extensive local road networks
▪▪   providing links to major ports, airports,
     and rail terminals
▪▪   enabling good access to regions and cross-border
     routes between the nations of the United Kingdom

The establishment of Highways England through the
Infrastructure Act 2015 has changed fundamentally
the way we plan investment in the network. Funding is
now determined every 5 years, in the Road Investment
Strategy (RIS), which is set by Government. We are
currently delivering on the commitments that were set out
in the first RIS covering 2015 to 2020, which are already
making a difference for road users across the network.
At the same time, we are working closely with the
other 3 bodies with statutory responsibility for the RIS –
Department for Transport, Office of Rail and Road and
Transport Focus – on preparing for the next RIS (RIS2) for
the period after 2020.

                                                                                12
London Orbital & M23 to Gatwick Route Strategy

                                                                      RIS1 Strategic Vision as reiterated in “RIS
    Purpose of Route Strategies                                       Post 2020: Planning ahead”
                                                                    RIS1 Strategic Vision as reiterated in “RIS
    Route Strategies provide a high level view of the current       Post 2020: Planning ahead”
    performance of the SRN as well as issues perceived by                        Economy                            Environment
    our stakeholders that affect the network. They are one of
    the key components of research required for developing                    Economy                            Environment
    the RIS. This suite of Route Strategies builds upon the                     Network
                                                                                capability                          Integration
    analysis underpinning the first set of Route Strategies
                                                                              Network
    undertaken between 2013 to 2015, which together                                                              Integration
                                                                              capability
    provided the first comprehensive assessment of the entire
    network. This time the Route Strategies aim to:                             Safety

    ▪▪   bring together information from key partners,                        Safety
         motorists, local communities, construction partners,
                                                                    Figure 1.1 - RIS1 strategic vision
         environmental groups and across the business                 Highways England Strategic Business
    ▪▪   achieve a better understanding of the condition              Plan’s key outcomes
         and performance of our roads, and local and                Highways England Strategic Business
         regional aspirations                                       Plan’s keySupporting
                                                                               outcomes  economic growth through a modernised
                                                                                    and reliable network that reduces delays, creates jobs
    ▪▪   shape our investment priorities to improve the service                     and helps business compete and opens up new areas
                                                                                Supporting       economic growth through a modernised
         for road users and support a growing economy                               for development
                                                                                and reliable network that reduces delays, creates jobs
    ▪▪   help inform the next RIS1                                              and helps business compete and opens up new areas
                                                                                    More free-flowing network where routine delays
                                                                                for development
                                                                                    are more infrequent, and where journeys are safer
                                                                                    and more reliable
                                                                                More free-flowing network where routine delays
    Strategic themes                                                            are more infrequent, and where journeys are safer
                                                                                andSafe
                                                                                      moreandreliable
                                                                                                 serviceable network where no one
    The Government’s vision for transforming the SRN is                             should be harmed when travelling or working on
    described in the Road Investment Strategy post 2020:                            the network
                                                                                Safe and serviceable network where no one
    Planning Ahead document available on www.gov.uk. This                       should be harmed when travelling or working on
                                                                                theImproved
                                                                                     network environment where the impact of our
    vision builds on the 5 broad aims published in the Road                         activities is further reduced, ensuring a long-term and
    Investment Strategy for 2015-2020: economy; network                             sustainable benefit to the environment
                                                                                Improved environment where the impact of our
    capability; integration; safety; and the environment. It also               activities is further reduced, ensuring a long-term and
    builds on Highways England’s 5 strategic outcomes (see                          More accessible
                                                                                sustainable                andenvironment
                                                                                               benefit to the  integrated network that
                                                                                    gives people the freedom to choose their mode of
    Figures 1.1 and 1.2). Using the evidence from this and the                      transport and enable safe movement across and
                                                                                More    accessible     and integrated network that
    other 17 Route Strategies, we will develop proposals that                       alongside    the network
                                                                                gives people the freedom to choose their mode of
    can help bring the Government’s vision for roads to life.                   transport and enable safe movement across and
                                                                                alongside the network
                                                                    Figure 1.2 - Highways England strategic outcomes

    See Chapter 6 for more information on the next RIS
    1

2
Highways England

                                                                Transport Focus
                                                                We commissioned Transport Focus, the road user
                                                                watchdog, to undertake research on road user priorities.
                                                                More than 4,400 interviews were undertaken with drivers
                                                                across the SRN. Figure 1.4 below shows the breakdown
Stakeholder engagement                                          by user type and purpose.
Building on the engagement we started in the first                                                 Completed interviews
round of Route Strategies, we have continued to work
closely with a wide range of stakeholders to enhance our                                        3,487                79%
                                                                                                   Completed interviews
understanding of the strategic road network, and identify
where users and other stakeholders feel investment                                              3,487               79%
is needed.                                                                                       322                 7%
We used a number of methods to collate information.
                                                                                                 322                7%
For example, we launched an online tool for customers                                            407                9%
and stakeholders over the summer of 2016 to inform us
of the issues and challenges on our roads that affected                                          407
                                                                                                 206                9%
                                                                                                                    5%
them. As well as information collated from a range of
people within Highways England, more than 300 different
                                                                                                 206                 5%
stakeholder organisations provided important feedback                      Commuting             501                11%
on the network during the evidence collection period.
There were also more than 370 individual members of the                    Commuting             501                11%
public who contributed information. In total, around 2,700
                                                                             Business           1,367               31%
individual points were raised by external stakeholders.
                                                                             Business
                                                                              Leisure           1,367
                                                                                                2,457               31%
                                                                                                                    56%
                                                                Figure 1.4 - Driver  sample breakdown
                233      354
                                                                                Leisure      2,457 from a56%
                                                                                 250 fleet managers          mix
                                                                                 of industries, size and regions
                                              Business
                                                                                 250 fleet managers from a mix
                                              Local authority
    716                                                                          of industries, size and regions
                                              STBs/LEPs

                                              Individuals
                                                                The research found that the 59% of users of the London
                                              Others            Orbital to M23 and Gatwick route rated their experience
                               1,233
          166                                                   of the motorway sections as either extremely good or
                                                                fairly good, with 60% giving the same rating to the A road
                                                                sections. As Table 1.1 shows, the London Orbital to M23
                                                                and Gatwick has comparatively more problems than most
Figure 1.3 - External stakeholder responses                     other routes, with 58% of users experiencing problems
                                                                using the route, with congestion and high volumes of traffic
We are increasingly working with subnational transport          cited as the two main causes.
bodies (STBs), including Midlands Connect, England’s
Economic Heartland and Transport for the North, so we           The full report has been published on Transport
can ensure that their developing strategies and planning        Focus’s website www.transportfocus.org.uk/research-
are integrated into our thinking (and vice versa).              publications/publications/road-to-the-future.
                                                                We will continue to work closely with Transport Focus to
                                                                understand customer priorities to ensure that the next RIS
                                                                reflects their needs.

                                                                                                                                3
London Orbital & M23 to Gatwick Route Strategy

     Experienced                                                                              Second largest
                              Route impacted                          Largest problem
     problems %                                                                               problem

     61%                      M25 to Solent

     58%                      London Orbital and M23 to Gatwick

     50%                      South Coast Central

     46%                      Solent to Midlands

     44%                      East of England

     43%                      Birmingham to Exeter

     41%                      South West Peninsula

     41%                      North and East Midlands

     40%                      London to Scotland East

     40%                      South Pennines

     39%                      Kent Corridor to M25

     37%                      London to Scotland West

     32%                      Midlands to Wales and Gloucestershire

     30%                      Felixstowe to Midlands

     30%                      South Midlands

     28%                      London to Leeds

     27%                      London to Wales

     17%                      North Pennines

                                                               Delays caused        Roads busy/
            Congestion/
                                        Roadworks              by accidents/        high volume
            traffic queuing
                                                               roads closed         of traffic

    Table 1.1 - Transport Focus summary

4
Highways England

2. The route
The M25 London Orbital and M23 to Gatwick route passes through Kent,
Surrey, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex, the unitary boroughs
of Thurrock, Slough and the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead,
through the area of Slough and along the boundaries of the London
boroughs of Hillingdon, Enfield and Havering.

The route is made up of the M25 motorway
and a number of roads adjoining it. These
roads include: the A282 Dartford Crossing;                                                         KEY
the M23 from the M25 to junction 9a and                                                                        London Oribtal and
Airport Way to Gatwick; the M4 to junction                                                                     M23 Gatwick route
                                                                                                               SRN
5; the A13 and A1089 from M25 junction
30 to Tilbury Docks; and all motorway and
trunk road spurs within the M25 (except
M40 junctions 1 to 1a).
It covers almost 200 miles; most of the
route is motorway with the M25 section
being mostly 4 lanes in each direction but
varying between 6 lanes (junctions 14-15)
and a 2-lane link road at junction 5. The
trunk roads vary from a single lane on the
A23 and the end of the A1089, to 3 lanes
in most other cases.
The M25 south west quadrant (between
junctions 10 and 16) experiences some
of the highest volumes of traffic on
the SRN, with a 2-way flow of around
200,000 vehicles per day. Compared to
other parts of the SRN, the section has
a relatively high proportion of commuter
traffic travelling only 1 or 2 junctions,
for example, between Surrey and
West London.
Heathrow Airport, with direct access to
the M25 and M4, attracts movements
                                                                                Reproduced using Ordnance Survey data © Crown Copyright 2016
associated with handling more than 75
million passengers a year (over 200,000
per day) and 1.5 million metric tonnes of
                                              Figure 2.1 - Route overview map
freight per year. For airport expansion the
Government’s preferred option is a new
north-west runway at Heathrow Airport.

                                                                                                                                               5
London Orbital & M23 to Gatwick Route Strategy

    Dartford is the only river crossing on the SRN east of
    London and is also one of the more congested SRN
    sections. Capacity issues already experienced at the
    Dartford Crossing and its approaches will become more
    significant due to the need to accommodate growth
    in east London, Thurrock and that associated with the
    Thames Gateway, which is one of the biggest growth
    areas in Europe. The A13 and A1089 serve Tilbury docks,
    Lakeside and London Gateway port and are dominated
    by freight traffic. Near the M25, the A13 carries around
    100,000 vehicles per day. At Tilbury, the A1089 carries
    around 22,000 vehicles per day.
    The north side of the M25, particularly at junctions
    21a-27, has a relatively high proportion of freight traffic
    connecting from the Midlands/North and the access
    points to the continent at Thames Gateway and the Kent
    Coast. The network here also needs to support adjacent
    growth, for example, in the Upper Lee Valley, Broxbourne
    and around Watford.
    The M23 provides access to Gatwick Airport, Horley and
    Crawley. The M23 experiences higher flows on Fridays
    and Sundays and in holiday periods because of coastal
    bound and airport traffic.
    In terms of its strategic economic function, the route
    services relatively short local commuter movements to
    and from outer London as well as traffic to and from
    3 London airports and shopping centres at Lakeside,
    Bluewater and Brent Cross. In addition, as a part of the
    Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), the route
    facilitates sub-regional and national movements between
    8 adjacent routes (East of England; Kent Corridor to
                                                                  The M25 south west
    M25; South Coast Central; M25 to Solent; London to
    Wales; London to Scotland West; London to Leeds; and
                                                                  quadrant (between
    London to Scotland East), including freight movements         junctions 10 - 16)
    to and from the South Coast, Kent and Thames Gateway
    coastal ports.                                                experiences some of the
    The route also acts as a main interchange between             highest volumes of traffic
    strategic radial routes into and out of London and as a
    bypass of the capital. It has a strong relationship with      on the SRN, with a 2-way
    major growth corridors and economic opportunity areas
    (EOAs) in London and supports several Local Enterprise        flow of around 200,000
    Partnership (LEP) areas.                                      vehicles per day.
    Technology provision varies along the route. The
    London Orbital is mostly controlled motorway (other
    than junctions 3-5 and the A282 Dartford Crossing)
    and has Variable Message Signs (VMS) and Motorway
    Incident Detection and Signalling (MIDAS) throughout.
    There are sections of all lanes running smart motorway
    from junction 5-7 and 23-27. Technology on the radial
    motorways is less extensive and largely absent on the
    trunk road network.
    Most of the route, including all spurs and the M23 from
    within the M25 to the A25 Bletchingley Road overbridge
    south of M23 junction 8, is managed, maintained and
    operated as part of a privately financed design, build,
    finance and operate contract (DBFO) which runs for 30
    years (until 2039).

6
Highways England

                                  Newcastle upon Tyne
                                                                                                                  London Orbital route
                                                                                                                  Port
            Liverpool      Manchester

                     Birmingham
                                                        Norwich
                                                                                                                  Airport
                                             London                                                               Junction number
            Exeter

                                                                                      Figure
                                                                                          KEY 1
                                                                                      London London
                                                                                                OrbitalOrbital routeand

                                                                                      M23 to Gatwick
                                                                                               Port
                                                                                               Airport
                                                                                      Route-based         strategy
                                                                                               Junction number

                                                                                      overview map
                                                                                             Blue sections are motorways
                                                                                             Red sections are all-purpose trunk roads

     © Crown copyright and database rights 2013 Ordnance Survey 100030649 – N130328

Figure 2.1 - Route Strategy overview map

                                                                                                                                                            7
8
Highways England

3. Current constraints and challenges
This chapter outlines the emerging
issues raised by stakeholders and                                           More free-flowing network
is supplemented by Highways
England information.                                             Many motorway junctions in this part of the SRN
                                                                 experience capacity issues, causing congestion, delays
                                                                 and unreliable journeys during much of the day. The M1,
The following text and figures within this chapter provide       M11, M4 and A23 radial routes all suffer from peak hour
a summary of the information collected and applied to            traffic flows into and out of London.
our strategic themes.
                                                                 The route is consequently one of the worst for journey
                                                                 experience, with the M25 cited as being the most
                                                                 problematic road to join and exit because of traffic
           A safe and                                            volume, congestion or traffic queuing and delays caused
                                                                 by accidents or roads closed (Transport Focus).
           serviceable network
                                                                 Particularly around the south west quadrant of the M25,
                                                                 capacity issues are exacerbated by drivers making
Sections on this route which have been identified as             short hops of 1 or 2 junctions, causing weaving, delays
having some of the worst safety issues on the SRN are            and affecting journey time reliability for other users. The
shown on Figures 3.1 to 3.3.                                     Dartford Freeflow scheme has improved journey times,
The 2 hotspots with the most frequent and severe                 particularly southbound, but congestion remains high.
incidents historically are on the M4 junctions 5-4b and          The proposed Lower Thames Crossing project would
M25 junction 30. The RIS1 M4 smart motorway and M25              provide improved resilience at Dartford.
junction 30 schemes should each improve safety at these          Overall the route performs poorly in terms of congestion,
locations.                                                       queueing and delays caused by accidents and road
Overall the M1 between junctions 2-4 contains some of            closures. However, most of the motorways are well
the worst performing sections of the network in terms            covered by technology such as VMS, CCTV, MIDAS or
of safety, with other M1 sections within the M25 also            controlled motorway or traffic officer patrols. The smart
performing poorly. Other problematic sections of the             motorways on M25 junctions 23-27 and M25 junctions
network include much of the M25, including between               5-7 have improved traffic flow.
junctions 5 and 17 and between junctions 27 and 29, the          Some traffic signals are adjacent to local authority
A282 and the M23.                                                controlled areas but are not coordinated with them,
A number of locations lack incident detection or safety          meaning that signals are not operating as effectively as
camera technologies.                                             they might.
The lack of M25 motorway services from junctions 12-21
also represents a gap in the provision of safe rest facilities
for drivers and potentially affects road user satisfaction.

                                                                                                                               9
London Orbital & M23 to Gatwick Route Strategy

                Supporting economic                                            A more accessible and
                growth                                                         integrated network

     The route is key to the whole SRN, as it serves the high       Stakeholders have identified a need for improvements
     economic output areas to the north and west of London.         to facilities for non-motorised users (NMUs) in order
     The western and southern edges of the route (around            to encourage more sustainable travel and unlock
     Heathrow), and to the north-east (around the A12) are          suppressed demand around the Thames Gateway and
     important locations for high productivity SRN-dependent        Heathrow growth areas.
     sectors. The western and eastern edges of the route are
                                                                    Improvements at the A30/A308 in Staines and near M4
     key locations for the industrial and logistics sector.
                                                                    junction 3 would support planned cycle network facilities
     The large number of EOAs identified in the area,               in the area and could encourage more local Heathrow
     combined with the traffic from the international               employees to cycle.
     gateways connected to the M25, mean any impacts
                                                                    Local roads also suffer as a result of incidents on the
     on the resilience and accessibility of the network from
                                                                    corridor. Specific locations include the Dartford Crossing
     higher demand could act as a constraint on delivering
                                                                    near Thurrock, diversions onto the A25, and local road
     future growth.
                                                                    impacts through villages near Heathrow Airport affected
     Many local plans and Local Enterprise Partnerships             by Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) traffic.
     (LEPs) indicate substantial growth in future years, which
                                                                    Some SRN junctions also suffer from queues building up
     will be exacerbated by recent announcements to increase
                                                                    at pinch points on the adjacent local network, such as
     housing delivery. This includes pressure associated with
                                                                    signal crossings near junction 8 of the M25 at Reigate
     key growth corridors outlined in the London Plan and
                                                                    and junction 9 at Leatherhead. This is compounded by
     shown across Figures 3.1 to 3.3.
                                                                    a lack of coordination between sets of adjacent traffic
                                                                    signals at some locations.
                                                                    A lack of convenient interchanges with rail services has
                An improved environment                             been cited as an issue to address.

     The route passes through a variety of areas experiencing
     different environmental challenges.
     Air quality and noise issues are problematic at many
     locations. Almost 200 Noise Important Areas have been
     identified, for example at Ashtead, Leatherhead and
     Merstham. A number of locations are within or close to Air
     Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) and nitrogen dioxide
     emissions are frequently above statutory limits and close to
     sensitive receptors on a number roads, for example, on the
     M25, the A282, the M1 and the M11.
     The M25 passes through 3 Areas of Outstanding Natural
     Beauty (the Kent Downs, Surrey Hills and Chilterns), which
     are vulnerable to visual impacts.
     Inclement weather can cause issues at some locations
     on the route. For example, the M25 between junctions 7
     and 8 is vulnerable to snowfall and ice formation while QEII
     bridge closures on the A282 at Dartford can be caused
     by high winds, resulting in severe delays. Some links (for
     example, the M1 junctions 4-5) can flood during intense
     rainfall events.

10
Highways England

London Orbital & M23 to Gatwick - Route Strategy: Map 1 of 3

                                                                                             M1                                                        A1(M)                                                          A10

                                                                     Safety issues on this
                                                                     section including

                                                                                                                   05
                                                                                                                A4
                                                                     junction 21a

                                                                                                                   M25                                                               Congestion impacts on                   Noise issues to the south
                                                                                             21/6a   21a                               22                       Safety issues        access to Upper Lee valley,

                                                             A4
                                                                                                                                                                                                                             of Waltham Cross

                                                               1
                                                                                                                                                                on the route         including industrial estates

                                                                                               6

                                                                                                     05
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Holmesdale

                                                                                                   A4
                                                                         19                                                                                                               M25                                Tunnel
                                                                                                        Congestion on A405
                              Noise issues near                                                         and at junction 21a                               23
                                                                                                                                                         23/1                                                         25                    26     M25
                              Chorleywood and             25                                                                                                                                                                                  (see Map 3)
                                                         M
                              Rickmansworth
                                                                                                           Noise issues                                                                       Air-quality issues to
                                                                                                           north-east of Watford                                                              the north of Enfield            Diversionary route

                                                                                   A4
                                                                                                                                                                                                                              has severe impact

                                                                                     1
                                                                                               5                                                                                                                              on local traffic
                                                                                                                                                                                                          Enfield
                                                                                   Watford                           Local impact from
                                                                                                                     diversionary route
                                                                                                                                                         A1       Barnet                                              A10

                                                                                 Congestion restricts                              Congestion, safety and limited driver
                                                                                 Watford’s growth                                  information between M25 junctions 1 and 6
                                                                                                                        4
            No Motorway Service                                                                      Carriageway

                                                                                                                                   M
            Area (MSA)provision                                                                      flooding                                    Air-quality issues junctions 1-5,

                                                                                                                                    1
            northbound junctions 12-21                                                                                                           particularly south-west of Barnet
                                                                                                                                                                                                       KEY

                                                                                                                                                       Brent                                                          Supporting economic growth

                                                                                                                                                                 06
                                                                                                                                                       Cross

                                                                                                                                                                A4
                                                                                                                            Congestion impacts                                                                        Free-flowing network
                                                                                                                            on Brent Cross and           1
                                                                                                                            Cricklewood growth                                                                        Safe and serviceable network

                           M40                16/1a           M40                                                                                                                                                     Improved environment

                                                                                                                                             06
                                                                                                                                            A4
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Accessible and integrated network

                                                         Congestion issues
                                                         to junction 16
                                                         (also see Map 2)
                        Slough

                                              M25
                                                                                                                                                                                                     LONDON
                                           (see Map 2)

Figure 3.1 - Key challenges for the route

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               11
London Orbital & M23 to Gatwick Route Strategy

     London Orbital & M23 to Gatwick- Route Strategy: Map 2 of 3

                                                M25
                                             (see Map 1)
                                                                                                                                              KEY

                                                                                                                                                              Supporting economic growth
                                                                                                                                                              Free-flowing network
                                                          Airport expansion – Government's
                                                          preferred option is a new NW                                                                        Safe and serviceable network
                                                          runway at Heathrow
                                                                                                                                                              Improved environment
                                                                                                                                                              Accessible and integrated network
                                                                                    Congestion into London,
                                                                                    including junctions 3-4, restricts
                      Slough                                                        growth at Heathrow and Southall

                                                              Air-quality issues along                           Major maintenance
                Safety issues particularly                    M4 and spur to Heathrow                            works on the M4
                at junction 4b                                                                                   Elevated Section
                                                                                                      Ealing
                                                                                          M4
              M4                                15/4b                4              3                                        1

                                                                                                      Hounslow               NMU severance restricts
                                                                    M4
                                                           A3113

            Air-quality issues in                14                                                                          opportunity for mode shift
            Spelthorne and Hillingdon
            along A30, A3113, M25
                                                                          Heathrow
                                                                                             Congestion on the A30, with
                                                                                                                                                                                LONDON
            near Heathrow, M3 and                                                            particular impact at Heathrow
            Runnymede
                                                 13
           Noise issues where M25
                                                                   A30                            Safety issues
                                                                                                  along the A30
           passes Egham and Staines                                Staines
                                                                                3

                          M3                    12/2
                                                                              M

                                                                    Congestion at Painshill
                                                                    junction affects potential                                                                                                 Croydon
               Congestion throughout                                development sites
               south-west M25,
               including junctions 10, 12,
                                                                                                    A3

               13, 15 and 16 impacts on
               access to Heathrow
                                                                                                                                      Safety and accidents                        Congestion on A23
                                                                                                                                      issue A23 and M23           A23             and M23 north of
                                        Occasional                                                                                    north of M25
                                                                                                 Flooding on occasion                                                             M25 restricts growth
                         Woking         flooding issues
                                                                               10                                                                                                 in Croydon

                                        Safety hotspot
                                                                                                       Noise issues M25
                                                                                                       between Ashtead                   Air quality issues               A23
                                                                                                                                         near Hooley
                                                                                                       and Leatherhead                                              7             Congestion M25
                                                                                                                                                                        M
                                                            A3

                                                                                                                                                                          23

                                                                                                      9                                               8                   7/8            6            M25

                                                                              Leatherhead                                M25                                                                      (see Map 3)

                                                                                                      Congestion impacts on                    Tailbacks onto the
                                                                                                      potential development sites              route when Reigate Hill
                                                  Difficult to access M25                             (East Surrey Corridor)                   is affected by snow
                                                  DBFO contractors depot

                                                                                                                  Dorking
                                                                                                                                                 Congestion impacts
                                                                                                                                                 on Gatwick growth

                                                                                                                                                          A23        9a     9
                                                                                                                                     Gatwick

                                                                                                                                                           Crawley

                                                                                                                                                                          M23

     Figure 3.2 - Key challenges for the route

12
Highways England

London Orbital & M23 to Gatwick- Route Strategy: Map 3 of 3

                                                                                      M11

                                                                  Bell Common
                                                                      Tunnel
              M25                                     26                              27
            (see Map 1)          Holmesdale                                                                            Air-quality issues
                                   Tunnel                                                                              junctions 27-30, particularly
                                                                                                                       east of Havering

                                                                                                                       M
                                                                                                                        25

                                                                                                                                            A1
                                                  M11                                                                                                   Brentwood
                                                                            Congestion into London
                                                                            and junction 4 affects Lower                        28
                          Air-quality issues in                             Lee Valley Growth
                          north Redbridge                                                                                                         Congested and
                                                                                                                                                  poorly signed
                                                           4

                                                                                                                                        Congestion along
                                                                                                                                        A13 restricts Thames
                                                                                                                                        Gateway growth
                                                                                                   Dagenham                                                                  Shortage of HGV
                                                                                                                                                       Accident issue        parking in vicinity
                                                                                                                                                       at North Stifford     of A1089
                                                                                                                   A1

                                                                                      Major maintenance works
                                                                                                                     3

                                                                                      to QEII bridge to 2017                    30
                                                                London City                 QEII bridge vulnerable                              A13                        High rate of accidents
                                                                                            to snow, ice, high                                                             on the Dartford Crossing

                                                                                                                                                          A1089
                                                                                            winds and heat failures                                                        approaches and junctions
                                                                                                                                            Dartford                       30, 1a and 1b
                                                                                                                                     A282

                                                                                            Dartford vulnerable to
                                                                                                                                            Crossing
                          LONDON                                                            disruption from vehicles
                                                                                            and hazardous loads                                                            NMU severance

                                                                                      Lack of diversionary route for                                                 Tilbury
                                                                                      Dartford Crossing has a
                                                                                      severe impact on local traffic     A2                       A2
                                                                                           A2

                                                                                                                                                           Congestion through this
                                                                                                       Swanley
                                                                                             0

                                                                                                                                                           link and its junctions
                                                                                                                                            M
                                                                                                                                             20

                                                     Limited technology to control
                                                     traffic from junctions 3-5, despite
                                                     congestion towards junction 5

                                                                                                                                                        KEY
                                                     Poor journey time
                                                     reliability, high merging
                                                     flow from M26                                              Air quality issues                                     Supporting economic growth
                                                                                                                near Sevenoaks
                                                                                                                                                                       Free-flowing network
         M25                                      M25                             5                M26
      (see Map 2)                                                                                                                                                      Safe and serviceable network
                                                                                                        Sevenoaks
                                                                                                                                                                       Improved environment
                                                  Congested junction suffering
                                                                                               A2

                                                  from merging goods vehicles                                                                                          Accessible and integrated network
                                                                                                  1

                                                  and no eastbound movements
                                                  from the A21

Figure 3.3 - Key challenges for the route

                                                                                                                                                                                                               13
London Orbital & M23 to Gatwick Route Strategy

         Contains Ordnance Survey Data © Crown Copyright and database right 2016

                                                                                   Diversionary Routes
                                                                                   An essential facet of a resilient road network
                                                                                   is the ability to effectively divert traffic away
                                                                                   from closed carriageways in the event of an
                                                                                   unplanned incident. The map indicates the
                                                                                   diversionary routes that currently exist on
                                                                                   this route and that have been agreed with
                                                                                   the local road network operator. However, it
                                                                                   should be noted that the provision of these
                                                                                   routes is dependent upon the nature of the
          KEY                                                                      incident and the suitability and availability of
                                                                                   the surrounding network. In some instances,
                           Route                                                   the diversion route may not be suitable for
                                                                                   HGV traffic or might not be available due to
                           Diversion road network via local road                   events on the local road network. A review is
                                                                                   currently underway to improve the quality and
                           Strategic road network
                                                                                   coverage of these routes, and to improve the
                                                                                   traffic management procedures that are relied
                                                                                   upon to implement these routes in the event of
     Figure 3.4 - London Orbital & M23 to Gatwick diversionary routes              a carriageway closure.

14
Highways England

Maintaining the strategic road network
We carry out routine maintenance and renewal of
roads, structures and technology to keep the network
safe, serviceable and reliable. We also ensure that our
contractors deliver a high level of service on the SRN
to support operational performance and the long-term
integrity of the asset.
The heavy year-round use of all our routes means that
they require regular maintenance and inspections for
repairs to keep them fully operational, in order to support
economic growth. Our maintenance regime focuses
on 4 key aspects of the routes: road surfaces, bridges
and structures, drainage and earthworks. The summary
condition of each on this route is set out below:

Road surface
The surface condition across the route is considered to
be sound or having some deterioration with less than
0.5% having severe deterioration that would require
focused investigation.                                        Future developments
                                                              We have taken steps to transform our approach to
Bridges and structures                                        maintenance by establishing an asset management
The structures across the route are for the majority in       programme that develops and implements the Asset
very good or good condition. However, just over 20%           Management Framework for Highways England.
of structures on this route fall within the fair category.    The framework aligns strategic objectives with regional
According to an analysis of current data, fewer than 20%      asset management plans and lifecycle asset management
of our structures are in poor or very poor condition.         plans. It also includes the analysis required to plan the
                                                              investment and expenditure on the strategic road network
Drainage                                                      during the next road period, developing the business
Drainage assets are represented by both linear assets (for    case options for capital renewals. It will provide a clear
example pipes, channels, ditches, drains) and non-linear      articulation of the total value that will be delivered by
assets (for example gullies, chambers). Across the route,     investment in RIS2, including the costs and benefits of
drainage assets are considered to be in very good overall     delivering the capital renewals programme.
condition for both linear and non-linear assets. Of those
assets inspected, just over 70% of linear assets have no      Operations
defects, whilst 60% of the non-linear assets have only        We are establishing a nationally consistent approach to
superficial defects.                                          the management of our operational capability through
                                                              our Operational Excellence change programme. This will
Earthworks                                                    deepen our understanding of how our interventions impact
The geotechnical earthworks across the route are              on the performance of the network and on the journeys of
considered to be in very good condition with the total        our customers. We are using the latest analytical software
length of earthworks that require further investigation       to process traffic data and gain insight into:
amounting to less than 4%.
                                                              ▪▪   how our operational services can improve safety
New assets have an operational ‘life’, during which,               and provide security to road users
under normal conditions and maintenance, the risk of
failure is expected to be low. Beyond this period, the
                                                              ▪▪   how the attendance of a traffic officer has an impact
                                                                   on incident durations
risk of asset failure is expected to increase, although for
many types of asset the risk of failure remains low and       ▪▪   how information provided by Highways England
we do not routinely replace assets solely because they             can benefit road users who plan their journeys
are older than their expected operational life. We use a           beforehand and then while on their journeys
combination of more regular maintenance and inspection,       By better understanding our current operational
along with a risk-based approach to ensure that assets        performance, we can create a baseline from which we
remain safe while achieving value for money from our          can identify opportunities for improvement.
maintenance and renewal activities.

                                                                                                                           15
16
Highways England

4. Current investment
plans and growth potential
Investment in the strategic road     ▪▪                           commercial development – an assessment of the
                                                                  relationship between the main property sectors and
network can make areas more                                       the SRN
attractive for inward investment,    ▪▪                           international gateways – a review of principal
                                                                  international gateways (ports and airports) and their
unlock new sites for employment and                               contribution to the economy
housing and facilitate regeneration. ▪▪                           socio-economic analysis and future forecasts –
                                                                  mapping of socio-economic data (population,
                                                                  deprivation and employment) and sectoral forecasts
From servicing the UK’s logistics needs, linking our              up to 2030. This included identification of the likely
manufacturing heartlands and connecting to our                    growth forecasts for all sectors with a particular focus
international gateways, supporting services-driven activity       on those sectors heavily dependent on the SRN
in high-growth towns and cities, to meeting the needs
of our visitor economy, the SRN is critically important to    The Road to Growth sets out our evidence findings to
servicing the UK economy.                                     date and the steps we will take to enhance our enabling
                                                              role in supporting economic growth.
Economic context
Highways England has been working with a wide range
                                                              Innovation
of stakeholders to develop a strategic economic growth        In April 2016, we published our Innovation, Technology
plan, which we are calling The Road to Growth. This plan      and Research Strategy which set out how Highways
explores the economic role of the strategic road network,     England will use pioneering behaviours to help support
and aims to explain how we will further increase our          our strategic objectives and create value for customers
contribution to the UK economy. As part of the evidence       and stakeholders.
base for The Road to Growth, over 400 economic
                                                              The £150 million Innovation Designated Fund was
hotspots – or economic opportunity areas (EOAs) –
                                                              established to support innovative capital projects and to
around the SRN have been identified in consultation with
                                                              support developing the use of emerging technologies,
Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs). The figures in this
                                                              new materials and ways of working.
chapter highlight the EOAs which most closely align and
are supported by the route.
                                                              Investment plans
To inform the development of The Road to Growth and
assess the relationship between the SRN and economic          The following figures show the location of Highways
growth, a suite of evidence reports were completed.           England major improvement projects which have
These reports were published alongside The Road to            previously been announced to help tackle some of the
Growth discussion paper and were subject to public            issues on the network. The Highways England website
consultation from November 2016 to January 2017.              and delivery plan updates should be consulted for the
Alongside the engagement we have undertaken with              latest information.
all LEPs across England, the following evidence reports       The figures also show strategic studies which have
have ensured we have a more comprehensive economic            been progressed during RIS1, innovation projects and
evidence base and a better understanding of future            economic opportunity areas.
challenges and opportunities:
▪▪   economic growth and the SRN – an evidence review
     of the relationship between transport investment and
     economic growth

                                                                                                                             17
London Orbital & M23 to Gatwick Route Strategy

     London Orbital & M23 to Gatwick - Route Strategy: Map 1 of 3
                                                                                              M1                                         A1(M)                                                   A10

                                                                                                                 M25/M1
            KEY

                                                                                                                 05
                                                                                                               A4
                Highways England                                                                                                                       A1(M)
                major improvement project                                                                         M25                                                    West of M11
                Innovation                                                                    21/6a   21a                      22

                                                                 A4
                                                                   1
                Strategic study                                                                 6

                                                                                                      05
                                                                                                                                                                                                      Holmesdale

                                                                                                    A4
            Economic opportunity areas
                                                                            19                                                                                 M25                                      Tunnel
                                                                                                                                          23/1                                                   25                    26    M25
                Housing and mixed use

                                                           25
                                                         M
                Mixed employment cluster                                                                                                              Upper Lee Valley (Enfield,
                                                                                                                                                      Haringey, Waltham Forest)                                    M25 junction 25

                                                                                    A4
                Urban centre

                                                                                      1
                                                                                                5                                                                                                                  improvement
                                                                                                                                                                                       Enfield
                International gateway                                               Watford
                                                                                                                                          A1      Barnet
                                                                                                                                                  Barnet                                         A10
                Industrial

                Research and technology

                Energy                                                                                                4

                                                                                                                           M
                                                                                                                           1
                Intermodal transport hub

                Logistics

                                                                                                                                         Brent

                                                                                                                                                 06
                                                                                                                                         Cross

                                                                                                                                                 A4
                                                      M40 Growth corridor

                                                                                                                                          1

                                        M40   16/1a            M40

                                                                                                                                    06
                                                                                                                                    A4
                                                                                                                                          Old Oak and Park Royal

                                                        M25 junctions 10-16

                                   Slough

                                                                                                                                                                            LONDON
                                                                West London hotspots

                                              M25                                M25 South-West Quadrant strategic study

     Figure 4.1 - Investment plans and economic opportunity areas

18
Highways England

London Orbital & M23 to Gatwick - Route Strategy: Map 2 of 3

                                        M25

           M40 Growth corridor

                      Slough

                                                                                                                                 Old Oak and Park Royal
                                                         West London hotspots

           M4 junctions 3–12                                                           Ealing
                                                                            M4
            M4                          15/4b             4             3                                   1

                                                                                        Hounslow
                                                         M4
                                                A3113

                      M4/A239
                                         14
                                                                            M4 Heathrow slip road                                                         LONDON
                                                    Heathrow
                                        13
                                                        A30                                                                   M25 South-West Quadrant strategic study
                                                        Staines

                                                                                                                                                    Croydon
                                                                    3

                         M3             12/2
                                                                   M

           M3 junctions 2–4A
                                                          M25 J10-11
                                                                                                                                                                        Croydon
                                                                                      A3

                  M25 junctions 10–16
                                                                                                                                           A23
                                                                                M25 junction 10/A3 Wisley
                         Woking                                                 interchange improvement
                                                                   10

                                                                                                                                                    A23
                                                                                                                                            7
                                                                                                                                                 M
                                                 A3

     KEY
                                                                                                                                                    23

                                                                                        9                                        8                  7/8            6        M25
         Highways England                                         Leatherhead
                                                                                                            M25
         major improvement project
                                                                                                 East Surrey M25
         Innovation                                                                              Strategic Corridor
         Strategic study
                                                                                            Dorking
     Economic opportunity areas
         Housing and mixed use

         Mixed employment cluster                                                                                     M23 junctions 8–10

         Urban centre

         International gateway                                                                                                    A23          9a     9
         Industrial                                                                                               Gatwick

         Research and technology
                                                                                                                                     Crawley
         Energy
                                                                                                                                                    M23
         Intermodal transport hub

         Logistics

Figure 4.2 - Investment plans and economic opportunity areas

                                                                                                                                                                                       19
London Orbital & M23 to Gatwick Route Strategy

     London Orbital & M23 to Gatwick - Route Strategy: Map 3 of 3

                                      West of M11

                                                                                   M11

                                                                 Bell Common
                                                                     Tunnel
                M25                                     26                         27
                                    Holmesdale
                                      Tunnel

                                  Upper Lee Valley                                                                               A12
                                  (Enfield, Haringey,
                                  Waltham Forest)

                                                                                                            M

                                                                                                                                2
                                                                                                             25

                                                                                                                              A1
                                                                                                                                         Brentwood

                                                  M11                                                             28

                                                                            M25 junction 28 improvement
                                                             4

                                                                                                                                 Lower Thames Crossing
                                                                                                                                 (route in consultation)

                                                                                             Dagenham
                                                                                                                                 Thames Gateway Kent
                                  A13 Corridor
                                                                                                           A1
                                                                                                             3

                                                                    London City                                   30
                                                                                                                                 A13

                                                                                                                              Dartford
                                                                                                                       A282

                                                                                                                              Crossing
                            LONDON                                                                                                          A1089
                                                                                                                                                    Tilbury

                                                                                         A2                                         A2
                                                                                        A2

                                                                                                 Swanley
                                                                                         0

                                                                                                                 M
                                                                                                                  20

                                                                                                                                         KEY

                                                                                                                                             Highways England
                                                                                                                                             major improvement project
                                                                                                                                             Innovation
                               Croydon
                                                                                                                                             Strategic study

                                                                                                                                         Economic opportunity areas
                                                                                                                                             Housing and mixed use
                   East Surrey M25 Strategic Corridor
                                                                                                                                             Mixed employment cluster

                                                                               5             M26                                             Urban centre
                   M25
                                                        M25                                      Sevenoaks                                   International gateway

                                                                                                                                             Industrial
                                                                                         A2

                                                                                                                                             Research and technology
                                                                                             1

                                                                                                                                             Energy

                                                                                                                                             Intermodal transport hub

                                                                                                                                             Logistics
     Figure 4.3 - Investment plans and economic opportunity areas

20
Highways England

5. Future challenges and opportunities
Route Strategies have identified study areas on the strategic road network
which require further investigation of the issues raised by stakeholders and
identified through Highways England intelligence. These study areas will
now be assessed further as part of our development for RIS2.
                                                                   M1
                                                                                     05
                                                                                  A4

                                                                                                                                                                                                                       M11
                                                                                       M25
                                                                    21
                                                                           21a                    22
                                                                    6a                                                                       M25 J16 to J29
                                    A4
                                      1

                                                                    6                                                                                                                                Bell Common
                                                                            05

                                                                                                                                                                             Holmesdale
                                                                          A4

                                               19                                                                                            M25                               Tunnel                    Tunnel
                                                                                                                      23
                                                                                                                       1                                                25                  26                         27
                               25
                           M

                                                                                                                                     A1 J1–14
                                                         A4
                                                           1

                                                                    5
                                                                                                                                                              Enfield
                                                         Watford

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                M
                                                                                                                      A1                                                A10
                                                                                                                                Barnet                                                                    M11 J4 to J10

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     2
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  25

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   A1
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Brentwood

                                                                                                                                                                                          M11                                                          28
                                                                                          4
                                                                                              M
                                                                                              1

                                                                                                                                                                                                 4
                                                                         M1 J1 to J14

                                                                                                                  Brent                                                                                                                                29
                                                                                                                                06

                                                                                                                  Cross
                                                                                                                               A4

                                                                                                                      1

                  16                                                                                                                                                                                                              Dagenham
        M40                         M40
                                                                                                        06

                  1a
                                                                                                       A4

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                A1
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                3
                                                                                                                                                                                                        London City                                    30
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       A13
      Slough

                                                                                                                                                       LONDON

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            A282
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Dartford
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Crossing
                                                               Ealing                                                                                                                                                                                                           A1089
                                                    M4
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Tilbury
 M4
                  15
                  4b           4               3                                 1                                                                                                                                                    Dartford
                                                               Hounslow
                       A3113

                  14           M4
                                    Heathrow
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 A2                                      A2
                                               M25 junctions 10-16
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            A2

                  13                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Swanley
                                                                                                                                                                                                                             0

                           A30
                           Staines
                                           3

                  12
         M3
                                          M

                  2
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   M

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  4
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    20

                                                                                                                                             Croydon
                                                            A3

                                                                                                             A23
         Woking
                                          10

                                                                                                                   A23                             M25 J4 to J10
                                                                                                              7
                                                                                                                   M
                       A3

                                                                                                                    23

                                                               9                                  8                        7
                                                                                                                                         6                                                                         5              M26
                                                                                                                           8
                                     Leatherhead
                                                                                 M25                                                                                                      M25                                         Sevenoaks
                                                                                                                                                                                                                             A2

                                                                   Dorking
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 1

                                                                                     M23 junctions 7-10

                                                                                                                                                                                                 Note: The map presents the extent of study
                                                                                                                                                                                                 areas within the route. Colours/shading are
                                                                                                   A23           9a        9
                                                                                        Gatwick                                                                                                  for presentational purposes only and no
                                                                                                       Crawley
                                                                                                                                                                                                 prioritisation has been considered at this stage.
                                                                                                                           10

                                                                                                                          M23

Figure 5.1 - Map of all study areas

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                21
A1        Barnet                          A10

     London Orbital & M23 to Gatwick Route Strategy
                                                                                 4

                                                                                       M
                                                                                       1
                                                                                                           Brent

                                                                                                                         06
       M25 junctions 10-16                                                                                 Cross

                                                                                                                        A4
                                                                                                               1

                       16
                                                                                  ▪▪   RIS1 smart motorways and the M25
        M40                              M40
                                                                                       junction 10 scheme will help deliver

                                                                                                 06
                       1a

                                                                                                A4
                                                                                       benefits by addressing existing
                                                                                       congestion and safety issues.

     Slough
                                                                                  ▪▪   For airport expansion the Government’s
                                                                                       preferred alternative is a new north-
                                                                                       west runway at Heathrow.                                 LONDON
                                                             Ealing               ▪▪   Opportunities exist for investigating
                                                        M4                             the integration of the SRN with cross-
                      15
M4                    4b            4               3                      1           London rail investment to improve
                                                             Hounslow                  access to Heathrow.
                            A3113

                                    M4
                      14
                                         Heathrow
                                                                                  ▪▪   There are congestion and safety issues
                                                                                       in the study area.

                      13                                                          ▪▪   NMU severance is an issue.
                                A30                                               ▪▪   There is a lack of service areas.
                                Staines
                                                3

                      12
        M3
                                               M

                      2

                                                                                                                                      Croydon
                                                             A3

                                                                                                      A23
        Woking
                                               10

                                                                                                            A23
                                                                                                       7
                                                                                                            M
                            A3

                                                                                                               23

                                                             9                                                     7
                                                                                            8                      8              6
                                          Leatherhead
                                                                           M25

                                                                 Dorking

                                                                                             A23          9a        9
                                                                                 Gatwick

                                                                                                Crawley
                                                                                                                   10

                                                                                                                   M23

22
A2                               A2

                                                                                                                                              A2
                                                                                                                                                         Swanley

                                                                                                                                                0
                                                                                                                                                         Highways England

                                                                                                                                                                               M
                                                                                                                                                     4

                                                                                                                                                                                20
                                                                            Croydon
                    M23 junctions 7-10

                                           A23                                          ▪▪   A23 congestion and safety issues are likely to be
                                                                                             worsened by additional demand pressures.
                                                                                        ▪▪   There is congestion on the A23 and no driver information
                                                  A23
                                                                                             to help alleviate this.
                                             7
                                                                                        ▪▪
                                                  M

                                                                                             There is limited access to the SRN for traffic travelling to
                                                   23

                                   8                  7
                                                      8                6                     and from Redhill.                        5          M26
          M25                                                                           ▪▪                        M25
                                                                                             There are noise (at Merstham) and air-quality issues (A23
                                                                                                                                                   Sevenoaks
                                                                                             near Hooley and Merstham where there are sensitive
                                                                                             receptors and through Reigate and Redhill via the A25).

                                                                                                                                                    A2
ng

                                                                                                                                                    1
                                    A23          9a       9
                Gatwick

                                       Crawley
                                                      10

                                                      M23

                              M1

                    M1 junctions 1-14
                                                 05
                                             A4

                                                                                                                                                                   M11
                                                 M25
                              21
                              6a    21a                           22                                ▪▪   Delays on the M1 at junctions 1, 5 and 6 may continue
                                                                                                         to be an issue.
    A4
      1

                              6
                                                                                                    ▪M25
                                                                                                      ▪ In comparison with other                Bell Common
                                       5

                                                                                                                                  parts of the M1,
                                                                                                                             Holmesdale             there is a
                                      0
                                   A4

          19                                                                                                                   Tunnel               Tunnel
                                                                                  23                     relative lack of driver25information on
                                                                                                                                              26
                                                                                                                                                 this section.         27
                                                                                   1

                                                                                                    ▪▪
5

                                                                                                         There are several Noise Important Areas in the study
                                                                                                         area including at junctions 5-6.
                    A4

                                                                                                    ▪▪
                      1

                              5                                                                          Junctions 1-4Enfield
                                                                                                                        are wholly within an AQMA while some
                    Watford                                                                              locations experience nitrogen oxide levels that already
                                                                                 A1      Barnet          exceed EU limits.
                                                                                                                              A10
                                                                                                                                                                                          M

                                                                                                    ▪▪   Flooding during heavy rainfall occurs between
                                                                                                                                        M11
                                                      4                                                  junctions 4 and 5.
                                                              M
                                                              1

                                                                                                                                                4

                                                                                Brent
                                                                                        06

                                                                                Cross
                                                                                        A4

                                                                                 1
                                                                                                                                                                            Dagenham
M40
                                                                           06
                                                                       A4

                                                                                                                                                                                       A1
                                                                                                                                                                                          3

                                                                                                                                                         London City

                                                                                                              LONDON
                          Ealing
               M4                                                                                                                                                             23
          3                                 1
13                                                                                             29
            A30 Orbital & M23 to Gatwick Route Strategy
          London
               Staines

                                                                             Dagenham

                           3
     12

                          M
     2

                                                                                             A1
                                                                                                3
                                                       London City                                  30
                                                                                                                  Croydon
                                                                                                                  A13
               M25 South

                                       A3
          LONDON

                                                                                                         A282
                                                                                                                Dartford
                                                                                                                Crossing
                                                                                   A23                                      A1089
                          10                                                                                                    Tilbury

                                                                                         A23
                                                                                    7

                                                                                         M
          A3

                                                                                           23
                                                                           A2                                         A2
                                       9                                                   7
                                                                       8                   8               6
                         Leatherhead

                                                                     A2
                                                     M25                        Swanley                                                   M25
                                                                        0
                                           Dorking

                                                                                                                M
                                                                            4

                                                                                                                 20
Croydon
                                                                        A23           9a     9
                                                           Gatwick

                                                                            Crawley
                                                                                             10

                                                                                           M23

                                                               5             M26
                                           M25                                  Sevenoaks
                                                                       A2
                                                                            1

          ▪▪    Despite RIS1 and existing M23 and M25 smart motorways, increased traffic flows from economic
                growth could worsen congestion and safety in this area.
          ▪▪    Opportunities exist for investigating the integration of the SRN with cross-London rail investment for
                example, Crossrail 2 near M25 junction 9.
          ▪▪    More technology-led collaborative and partnership schemes with local authorities could address
                the impact of local road pinch points and unplanned events.
          ▪▪    Designated AQMAs cover much of the study area.

    24
Highways England

                                   M

                                                       2
                                    25

                                                     A1
                                                                Brentwood

                                         28

              Dartford

                                                                                  ▪▪   A Lower Thames Crossing and the M25
                                         29                                            junction 30/A13 (opened for traffic in November
                                                                                       2016) will help address some identified
                                                                                       resilience, congestion and safety issues.
                    Dagenham                                                      ▪▪   The implications of a Lower Thames Crossing
                                                                                       (and any Transport for London river crossings)
                                                                                       on the SRN and local roads will need
                                  A1

                                                                                       consideration.
                                     3

London City                              30
                                                         A13                      ▪▪   Opportunities to widen the scope of the
                                                                                       Collaborative Traffic Management Programme.
                                              A282

                                                     Dartford
                                                     Crossing                     ▪▪   NMUs suffer from severance (for example,
                                                                  A1089                A282 corridor).
                                                                        Tilbury
                                                                                  ▪▪   There is a shortage of suitable HGV
                                                                                       parking areas.

                   A2                                      A2
              A2

                        Swanley
               0

                                                     M

                    4
                                                      20

        5           M26

                        Sevenoaks
               A2
                   1

                                                                                                                                                      25
London Orbital & M23 to Gatwick Route Strategy

                                                                            M1
                   M25 junctions 16-29

                                                                                            05
                                                                                        A4
                                                                                            M25
                                                                            21
                                                                            6a    21a                          22
                                              A4
                                                1

                                                                            6

                                                                                   05
                                                                                                                                                                                    Holmesdale

                                                                                 A4
                                                         19                                                                                         M25                               Tunnel
                                                                                                                                 23
                                                                                                                                  1                                            25
                                         25
                                     M

                                                                  A4
                                                                    1

                                                                            5
                                                                                                                                                                     Enfield
                                                                  Watford
                                                                                                                                A1         Barnet                              A10

                                                                                                                                                                                                 M
                                                                                                 4
                                                                                                      M
                                                                                                          1

                                                                                                                               Brent
                                                                                                                                          06
                                                                                                                               Cross
                                                                                                                                          A4

                                                                                                                                1

                           16                 M40
       M40
                                                                                                                     06

                           1a
                                                                                                                    A4

                                                              M11                                                        ▪▪     There is evidence that most junctions
    Slough                                                                                                                      experience congestion and several are
                                                                                                                                among the worst performing motorway

                                               Bell Common
                                                                                                                                                              LONDON
                                                                                                                                junctions for safety issues (junctions 16,
                   Holmesdale
                                                                        Ealing                                                  21a, 23 and 25).
                     Tunnel                        Tunnel M4
4             25          15
                          4b
                                   26 4                  3
                                                                  27
                                                                                        1
                                                                                                                         ▪▪     Opportunities exist for investigating the
                                                                                                                                integration of the SRN with cross-London
                                                                        Hounslow                                                rail investment for example, Crossrail 2
                                 A3113

                          14             M4                                                                                     near M25 junction 25.
                                              Heathrow
    Enfield
                                                                                            M

              A10
                          13
                                                                                                                2
                                                                                            25

                                                                                                              A1

                                     A30                                                                              Brentwood

                                M11 Staines                                                          28
                                                     3

                          12
       M3
                                                    M

                          2              4

                                                                                                                                                    Croydon
                                                                                                     29
                                                                       A3

                                                                                                                          A23
       Woking                                                               Dagenham
                                                    10

                                                                                                                                A23
                                                                                        A1
                                                                                           3

                                                    London City                                      30
      26                                                                                                       A13         7
                                                                                                                                M
                                  A3

                                                                                                                                 23

                                                                        9                                                             7
Highways England

               M11 Junction 4 to Junction 10

                                                                      M11            ▪▪   There is congestion at the M11 junctions 4-6,
                                                                                          particularly southbound.
                                                                                     ▪▪   Plans for significant residential development,
                    Holmesdale                      Bell Common                           including at the Lower Lee Valley, could result in
                      Tunnel                            Tunnel                            further congestion.
               25                     26                              27
                                                                                     ▪▪   There is an opportunity to improve
                                                                                          technology provision.
                                                                                     ▪▪   Increasing traffic and congestion could exacerbate
     Enfield                                                                              issues of air pollution, particularly around Redbridge
               A10
                                                                                          where there is an AQMA.
                                                                                               M

                                                                                                                         2
                                                                                                 25

                                                                                                                       A1
                                                                                                                                  Brentwood

                                 M11                                                                       28

                                           4

                                                                                                           29

                                                                                 Dagenham
               A1/A1(M) junctions 1-14
                                                                                               A1

                                                                                     ▪▪   The A1 junction 1 is already functioning above
                                                                                               3

                                                       London City                                   30
                                                                                                           A13could be affected by reduced
                                                                                          capacity and growth
      05
     A4

                                                                                          journey times.                               M11
       M25
ONDON
                                                                                                                A282

                                                                                                                       Dartford
 1a                      22                                                                                            Crossing
                                                                                                                                    A1089
                                                                                                                                                 Bell Common
5

                                                                                                                     Holmesdale               Tilbury
40

                                                                        M25                                            Tunnel                        Tunnel
                                               23
                                                1                                                               25                   26                          27

                                                                                A2                                           A2
                                                                           A2

                                                                                                 Enfield
                                                                                     Swanley
                                                                            0

                                                                                                                                                                                 M

                                               A1      Barnet                                               A10
                                                                                                                                                                                                 2
                                                                                                                                                                                  25

                                                                                                                                                                                               A1

                                                                                                                                  M11                                                    28
           4
               M
                 1

                                                                                                                       M

                                                                                 4
                                                                                                                        20

                                                                                                                                          4

                                           Brent                                                                                                                                         29
                                                      06

                                           Cross
                                                    A4

                                               1
                                                                                                                                                                      Dagenham
                                 06
                              A4

                                                                                                                                                                                 A1
                                                                                                                                                                                 3

                                                                                                                                                   London City                           30
                                                                  5              M26                                                                                                      27    A1
                                 M25                                                 Sevenoaks
28
Highways England

6. Next steps
Our findings from this and other                               In the decision phase, the consultation feedback will
                                                               assist the Department for Transport in developing RIS2.
Route Strategies, as well as other                             In turn we will develop a Strategic Business Plan (SBP)
                                                               setting out how we will deliver RIS2 as a business.
research, will inform our first Strategic                      Both the RIS and SBP will be reviewed by the regulator
Road Network Initial Report which                              of roads, the Office of Rail and Road, to ensure that
                                                               we have made the most efficient decisions. The final
is to be published later this year.                            documents are to be published in 2019.
This will form the basis of a public
consultation, which in turn will feed
                                                                                               ▪▪Strategic Studies
into decision-making on the next                                      Research                 ▪▪Route Strategies
Road Investment Strategy (RIS2).                                                               ▪▪Highways England produces
                                                                      (2015-18)                  Strategic Road Network Initial
                                                                                                 Report on the state of the network

We are looking ahead to the next RIS and how we can
support the Secretary of State in ensuring that value for                   Evidence used
money investments are made in the road network. The                         in drafting RIS2
process for developing RIS2 is set out in our licence, and
is in 3 phases: research, decision and mobilisation.
                                                                                               ▪▪Department for Transport produces
We are currently in the first phase – research phase                                             Road Investment Strategy
– where we are gathering wide-ranging evidence on                     Decision                 ▪▪Highways England produces
                                                                                                 Strategic Business Plan
the state of the network and how we can ensure that                   (2018-19)                ▪▪Office of Rail and Road reviews the
improvements have maximum impact. The series of                                                  efficiency of both
Route Strategies, of which this is one, is an important
part of this phase alongside the outcomes of strategic
studies which looked at particularly complicated                            RIS2 finalised
                                                                            and published
problems on parts of the network and how to tackle
them. Another key source of evidence is the Strategic
Economic Growth Plan (The Road to Growth), which
examines where and how the SRN can help support
economic growth. This will emphasise that sectors                  Mobilisation ▪▪Highways England produces
                                                                                  the Delivery Plan
dependent on the road network employ 7.4 million                     (2020)
people, that we are already doing a great deal to support
growth and that we want to do even more.
Now that this series of Route Strategies is published, we                   1 April 2020 - Road
will continue our engagement with stakeholders, including                   Period 2 begins
other transport providers and authorities, on how best
to address problems and maximise opportunities. For
example, in working towards seamless end-to-end                                Delivery (post 2020)
journeys for our customers, we will be focussing on how
the strategic road network links with local roads and           Figure 6.1 - RIS2 high-level process
other modes of transport.
Findings from the research phase will feed into Highways
England’s Strategic Road Network Initial Report,
expected to be published later this year, which will outline
Highways England’s ambitions for the network across
2020–2025 and beyond. The Initial Report will be the
subject of public consultation.

                                                                                                                                         29
London Orbital & M23 to Gatwick Route Strategy

     In the final mobilisation phase, we will set out a
     Delivery Plan with a detailed programme of investment
     to be carried out in 2020 to 2025 on the basis of the
     commitments in RIS2.
     Continued investment in modernisation, maintenance and
     operation will further improve the road network on top of
     the measures and schemes currently being undertaken,
     and will allow us to further support users of the strategic
     road network and the UK’s economy. The rigorous
     process of developing RIS2 should ensure that the best
     use is made of taxpayers’ money and that investments
     have the maximum impact.
     The views and perspectives of different stakeholders,
     including motorists, are important to us. Stakeholders may
     also wish to contact one of the partner organisations. For
     example, stakeholders can keep up to date with Transport
     Focus’ work, by signing up to their monthly electronic
     newsletter Road User Voice. Alternatively, stakeholders
     may prefer to make their views known through one of the
     many organisations involved in RIS2. They include the AA,
     RAC, RAC Foundation, Road Haulage Association, Freight
     Transport Association, Campaign for Better Transport,
     Confederation of British Industry and many others.
     We will provide information about the process
     and emerging findings at events for representative
     organisations in spring 2017. At the same time, we
     are developing the dialogue with emerging STBs, local
     government, LEPs, business groups and environmental
     organisations. We want to align our analysis, and
     eventually our decision-making, with that of other
     organisations, so that we can maximise the benefit
     of investment, for example focusing on improving the
     interconnectivity between different modes and between
     the strategic and local road networks. This should lead
     to a richer discussion during public consultation on the
     Strategic Road Network Initial Report.

30
31
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