National Highways has confirmed it plans to turn the lighting off between junction 27 and junction 28 of the M25 for a year-long trial to see if taxpayers’ money could “deliver greater safety benefits” elsewhere.
The switch-off date was initially expected to take place on August 11, but a National Highways spokesperson told the Recorder this date has been pushed back while the team “secure the roadworks needed” to turn the lights off.
They did not confirm a new date, but clarified that the trial would last a year – after which a decision will be made on whether to switch the lighting off permanently.
For any section of motorway where the lighting is considered for removal, National Highways conducts a review, comparing night-time casualty figures from the previous five years with those during the trial period.
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A spokesperson for National Highways said: “Safety is our top priority and we must spend taxpayers’ money where it will have greatest benefit to road users.
“When road lighting needs to be replaced, we will carefully consider if the money would deliver greater safety benefits if invested in some other improvement elsewhere on the road network.
“We do not take these decisions lightly and will carefully research each situation and only remove lighting if we are satisfied it is safe to do so after a trial period of operating with the lights switched off.”
Hornchurch and Upminster MP Julia Lopez – who has raised concerns about the switch-off after National Highways informed her of their plans – said lighting will stay on at junctions and slip roads.
But she told this paper that she is still “worried about the potential impact” of turning the lights off along this stretch of the M25.
Ms Lopez said: “Recently, I wrote to National Highways raising concerns about the decision and asking for more information.
“They’ve agreed to speak with me next week and so I’ll be using it as an opportunity to ask more questions and put residents’ views to the team.
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“Specifically, I want to know the full details of how they’ve assessed the safety of this move, including how many serious accidents happened when the lights were in use.”
According to data from Crashmap, there were 33 casualties between junction 27, the Theydon Interchange, and junction 28 in Brentwood, between 2014 and 2023.
National Highways also expects traffic in the junction 28 area to increase by around 30 per cent by 2037 – meaning more than 9,000 vehicles could be passing through it at peak times.
