Project overview
The objective of this scheme was to improve journey times and safety on one of the busiest sections of motorway in England. Junction 13 of the M25 in Staines, Surrey, is situated between the M3 and M4 motorways and serves the towns of Egham and Staines-Upon-Thames via the A30. The improvements have made the layout more intuitive by reducing the need to change lanes, which has made the junction safer and easier for drivers. Carriageway widening on both the gyratory and the northbound exit slip road, with additional lanes and new traffic signals, has also increased the junction’s capacity and reduced congestion.
Scope of works
● Early Contractor Involvement (ECI)
● Widening of the northbound off slip from four to five lanes approaching the roundabout (requiring the installation of sheet piling)
● Construction of an extra lane to the gyratory system, with a reinforced concrete retaining wall to support the carriageway widening
● Traffic management, including the removal of existing traffic signals and installation of a temporary system
● Installation of new highways drainage
● Installation of new road crossings, ducts for traffic signals and street lighting, and foundations for signal poles and lighting
● Construction of three new maintenance lay-bys
● Installation of new VRS
● Surfacing of the whole junction and approaches, and road markings
● Installation and commissioning of new traffic signals and street lighting
● New acoustic fencing
Reducing the scheme’s carbon footprint
For night working, we used X ECO6 Tower Lights instead of the standard equivalents, to reduce fuel consumption and the level of CO2 produced. The battery for the lights is charged throughout the day using solar energy. When the battery’s power has run out at night, the back-up diesel engine then powers the lights for the remaining time. We used eight tower lights per night shift, equating to a 233.6kg reduction of CO2 per day.
We also ran the compound on mains electricity rather than a diesel generator. This resulted in a reduction of 1500 litres of diesel per week.
