A13 North Stifford junction improvement

Improving the A1012 North Stifford junction to reduce queuing traffic, improve operation and road user safety.

Start date 6 September 2021

End date January 2022

Cost TBC

Latest updates

08 March 2022

We've finished!

We're pleased to say our work to widen the eastbound and westbound exit slip roads is now complete.

During January we installed the remaining street lighting columns and applied a final high-friction surface layer to improve skid-resistance at the top of each exit slip road.

We’ve also finished all our electrical, landscaping and footway work and removed all the temporary signs and traffic management from around the junction.

We’ve widened and resurfaced the carriageway which also has new lane markings and signage as well as an upgraded drainage system. Finally, there’s also a new path for those on foot and new safety barriers.

The introduction of two dedicated lanes over the previous single lane layout will help to improve journey times and reduce congestion.

We’ll continue to monitor the changes we've made to make sure they meet our expectations in terms of safety and performance. If you have any further questions about this work, please don’t hesitate to contact us:

By phone: 0300 123 5000, available 24 hours a day

By email: info@highwaysengland.co.uk

Website: www.nationalhighways.co.uk
07 January 2022
Street lighting installation and electrical works

Work will be taking place overnight next week to install the remaining lighting columns on the eastbound and westbound exit slip roads at the junction.

To safely complete our street lighting work, the following closures will be in place:
- Tuesday 11 January for two nights (between 10pm and 5.30am) - closure of the A13 eastbound exit slip road, with a clearly signed diversion in place via the A13 eastbound and the A1089 southbound to the Marshfoot roundabout and return
- Thursday 13 January (between 10pm and 5.30am) - closure of the A13 westbound exit slip road, with a clearly signed diversion in place via the A13 westbound to M25 junction 30 and return
- Friday 14 January (between 11pm and 6am) - closure of the A13 westbound exit slip road, with a clearly signed diversion in place via the A13 westbound to M25 junction 30 and return
10 December 2021
Completion date update and planned closures in December

Update on our planned completion date

We're pleased to say that our work on the eastbound and westbound exit slip roads is now more than 90% complete, with much of our work to widen and resurface the slip roads, install new signs and road markings now achieved.

While our work to date has been completed on time, we're moving our original expected completion date of December 2021 onwards by approximately one month. This is due to the Covid-19 pandemic affecting the delivery of several new lighting columns that are to be installed on the slip roads. We expect to be able to install these in January 2022, after which, all work on the eastbound and westbound exit slip roads will be complete.

Planned Closures in December

With our resurfacing work almost complete, we'll be closing the exit slip roads overnight in December to apply the remaining high-friction surfacing (HFS). The application of HFS provides improved skid-resistance on the roads.

We will require the following overnight closures to carry out these works safely and efficiently:
- The eastbound exit slip road will be closed overnight from 11pm to 5am on Friday 10 December. A clearly signed diversion will be in place via the A13 eastbound, A1089 southbound and A126 Marshfoot Road, to return via the A1089 northbound and A13 westbound to the North Stifford junction.
- The westbound exit slip road will be closed overnight from 11pm to 5am from Thursday 16 December for two nights. A clearly signed diversion will be in place via the A13 westbound to the A1306 junction at Purfleet, to return via the A13 eastbound to the North Stifford junction.
09 November 2021

Surfacing work to begin this month

In July 2021, temporary safety barriers were installed on the eastbound and westbound exit slip roads, enabling us to carry out much of the work without needing to close the roads. We’re now approaching the stage of the project at which the newly widened sections of carriageway are ready to be resurfaced.

To resurface both exit slip roads, we will first need to remove the temporary safety barriers.

The barrier on the eastbound exit slip road will be removed and the road then resurfaced, using overnight closures from Monday 8 November to Thursday 18 November. The slip road will be closed overnight between 11pm and 5am (while traffic volumes are at their lowest). A clearly signed diversion will be in place via the A13 eastbound to the Orsett Cock roundabout and return.

Once the eastbound exit slip road has been resurfaced, we will move over to the westbound exit slip road. We expect to remove the barrier on the westbound exit slip road and then resurface it from Thursday 18 November to Wednesday 1 December. This work will again take place overnight between 11pm and 5am, whilst closing the westbound slip road. A clearly signed diversion will be in place via the A13 westbound to M25 junction 30 and return.

See more updates

Project information

The A13 is a major road which provides vital transport links between Central London and south Essex. The A1012 North Stifford junction provides an important link to Stifford and the town of Grays, the largest town in the borough and unitary authority of Thurrock, Essex.

The junction, which links directly with Grays, was highlighted as one of the locations marked for improvements as part of our Junction Improvement Programme; a package of works aimed to better the operating and performance of eight individual junctions around the M25 and its linking roads. Most of the funds for the programme came from the Department for Transport congestion relief fund.

The layout of the North Stifford junction had a poor angle to the carriageway, meaning road users approaching the roundabout from either slip road found it difficult to check for oncoming traffic. The single-lane eastbound and westbound exit slip roads were also wide but lacked any lane markings, which could be confusing for drivers.

Our teams started preparation work in summer 2021. By carrying out these activities in advance, such as diverting existing utility services and clearing vegetation ahead of construction, we minimise the risk of any delays to the main works and increase efficiency.

We removed a small area of vegetation to enable the widening of the slip roads; however, this was minimal and confined to the area alongside the slip roads. Any vegetation that needed to be removed to facilitate the widening work will be offset by a project to replant an equivalent amount of vegetation nearby. This will follow the completion of the construction works around the junction.

To create safer and more reliable journeys around the junction, we will be:

Widening the current single-lane eastbound and westbound exit slip roads to create an additional lane, to increase capacity and improve journey times
Installing new street lighting, road markings and signs to reflect the new road layout
Working with Thurrock Council, who will be installing new traffic lights to improve safety at the junction