Recently, the M25 motorway, the busiest transportation artery in the UK, is undergoing a critical upgrade, with its 28th intersection renovation project entering its final sprint phase. The 146 million euro project, undertaken by Graham Construction Company, will significantly improve the traffic efficiency of the transportation hub in northeast London by constructing a two lane ring road, building bridges and gantries, and restructuring branch systems. This throat road connecting M25 and A12 highways, after completing road marking optimization and technical testing, will be officially put into use in the coming weeks, laying the foundation for the expansion of the regional road network before the construction of the Lower Thames Bridge.

The project team solved construction problems with surgical grade precision. Zakari Pepper, the project manager of the national highway, pointed out that the renovation will not only shorten commuting time, but also enhance safety through intelligent transportation systems. Graham project manager Hugh McNally emphasized that in the construction of the busiest intersection in Europe with a daily traffic flow of over 200000 vehicles, it is necessary to balance efficiency and interference control. The team adopted a modular construction and nighttime operation mode, successfully achieving a 98% road opening rate during the construction period. Environmental restoration and historical protection are being promoted simultaneously. The project has added 3000 square meters of green belts, 3 ecological balance pools, and restored the original site of the intersection - the Meilanz Airport site destroyed by a fire in 1940.

This airport, which carries the memory of aviation history, has witnessed industry changes: as the Hillman Aviation Base, it pioneered air taxi and vacation charter services, which later merged into the British aviation system; Pioneer pilot Amy Johnson (the first female to fly solo between Australia and the UK) also took off and landed here. The archaeological team excavated over 200 cultural relics, including glass bottles, badges, and remnants of a hangar fire, during construction. Some of the exhibits will be permanently displayed in local museums. The National Highway Company transforms transportation infrastructure into a carrier of cultural heritage through the production of documentaries and the establishment of historical commentary signs.

This benchmark project that integrates engineering innovation and humanistic care showcases the diverse values of modern infrastructure. When the newly laid asphalt pavement forms a spatiotemporal dialogue with the rediscovered aviation relics, the upgrade of M25 highway not only alleviates the congestion of London Circle Road, but also interprets the continuation of historical context in urban renewal with readable traffic landscapes. With the advancement of the planning for the Lower Thames Bridge, this three-year intersection renovation is injecting new development momentum into the Southwest Economic Corridor in the UK.Editor/Cheng Liting