A12 junction 25 Marks Tey to junction 26 Stanway - concrete roads reconstruction

We're rebuilding the A12 between junction 25 at Marks Tey and junction 26 at Stanway. This will improve the safety, create a smoother quieter journey, and extend the life of the road to make it fit for the future.

Start date 17 October 2022
End date Spring 2024
Cost £36.9m

Latest updates

  • 24 November 2023

    Carriageway surface

    Further to our recent notification that the northbound reconstruction is complete, we’d like to confirm that a final asphalt surface will be laid towards the end of the project, to provide a smooth, consistent surface across all lanes northbound and southbound. This will mean that the surface is brand new when all of the traffic management is removed. Until then, traffic will continue to drive on the temporary surface, known as the ‘binder course’, which will eventually form the under layer of the road when the final surfacing is added.

    During this time, road users may notice some bumps or ridges, but rest assured that these will be eliminated once the final surface is laid, and any safety issues such as potholes will continue to be repaired until then.

    Upcoming overnight road closures for barrier installation and signage change

    To finish installing the safety barrier, so we can complete the southbound carriageway work, we’ll need a couple of overnight southbound closures to put this in place.

    To keep our workers safe while they do this, we’ll be closing the A12 southbound between junction 26 Stanway and junction 25 Marks Tey on the following dates:

    Date and time of closure Closure details Diversion route
    Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 November Overnight closure of the A12 southbound between junction 26 Stanway and junction 25 Marks Tey. Traffic travelling along the A12 southbound will exit at junction 26 Stanway and travel along A1124, B1408 and re-join the A12 at junction 25 Marks Tey.
    Friday 8 December Overnight closure of the junction 27 southbound entry slip. Traffic wanting to join the A12 at junction 27 will take Cymbeline Way, B1408 and join the A12 at junction 25 Marks Tey.

    Junction 26 – 25 southbound diversion route

    Junction 27 southbound entry slip diversion route

    We’re sorry for the delays and disruption that our road closures cause to your journey and we encourage drivers to plan ahead and allow extra time when travelling.

    Please note these closures are subject to change at short notice due to unforeseen circumstances and poor weather conditions.

  • 10 November 2023

    Northbound carriageway work now complete

    We’d like to inform you that we have now completed our work on the A12 northbound carriageway between junction 25 and 26.

    Despite the challenges we’ve faced with the wettest March on record and the unexpected ground conditions we found beneath the carriageway, which meant the excavations and installation of the new foundations took longer than expected, we’ve now achieved the milestone of completing the latest phase.

    We have fully excavated the carriageway, removed the concrete foundations and rebuilt the road using the recycled concrete from the old road before adding the final surface. On top of this, we’ve replaced all of the kerbs, road markings and cat’s eyes, as well as upgrading the drainage system and replacing safety barriers.

    We’d like to extend our sincere thanks to all customers, local residents, in particular those living on the diversion route, and businesses for their patience whilst we’ve carried out the northbound carriageway work.

    Emergency lane closure for barrier replacement

    There will be an emergency lane closure of the A12 northbound at junction 25 Marks Tey tonight, to allow for some barrier to be replaced.

    The A12 northbound carriageway will have 1 lane closed overnight from 9pm to 5am:

    Date and time of closure Closure details Diversion route
    Friday 10 November

    Overnight closure of the A12 northbound at junction 25 Marks Tey

    		 Traffic will exit the A12 at junction 25 travel over the roundabout and on to the junction 25 entry slip to re-join the A12

     

    A12 J25 Northbound Up and Over Diversion Route

    Upcoming closures for barrier installation

    In order to create a safe working space for our staff to begin the reconstruction of the southbound carriageway, we’ll need a number of closures to install the barrier that will separate them from the live traffic.

    We’ll need to close the A12 carriageway overnight. Please see the table below for more information.

    The A12 southbound carriageway will be closed overnight from 9pm to 5am each night:

    Date and time of closure Closure details Diversion route

    Monday 13 and Tuesday 14 November

     

    and

     

    Saturday 18 to Tuesday 21 November    		 Full closure of the A12 southbound between J29 Ardleigh Crown Interchange and J25 Marks Tey Traffic will exit at J29 Ardleigh Crown Interchange and travel along A1232, A133, B1408 and re-join the A12 southbound at J25 Marks Tey entry slip

    Monday 13 and Tuesday 14 November

     

    and

     

    Saturday 18 to Tuesday 21 November

    		 Full closure of the J27 southbound entry slip road Traffic wanting to join the A12 southbound will take Cymbeline Way, B1408 and join the A12 southbound at J25 Marks Tey entry slip

    We are also working collaboratively with the maintenance team and sharing our closures, to minimise the amount of time we have to have to A12 closed.

    More information about their work can be found here: https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-roads/east/a12-maintenance-works-between-junction-25-and-junction-32/

  • 01 November 2023

    Upcoming overnight road closures

    In order for us to finish the northbound carriageway work, install the new contraflow lanes, so that we can begin work on the A12 southbound and for other maintenance work taking place along the A12, we’ll have the following closures in place between 9pm and 5am each night:

    Date of closures Closure details Diversion routes
    Wednesday 1 to Sunday 5 November Full closure of the A12 northbound carriageway between J25 Marks Tey and J27 Lexden Traffic will exit at J25 Marks Tey and travel along B1408, A133, A1232 and re-join the A12 at J29 Ardleigh Crown Interchange
    Monday 6 November Full closure of the A12 southbound between J29 Ardleigh Crown Interchange and J25 Marks Tey Traffic will exit at J29 Ardleigh Crown Interchange and travel along A1232, A133, B1408 and re-join the A12 southbound at J25 Marks Tey entry slip
    Monday 6 to Wednesday 8 November Full closure of the A12 northbound carriageway between the J25 Marks Tey exit and entry slip roads Traffic will exit the A12 at J25 exit slip, travel over the roundabout and on to the J25 entry slip road to re-join the A12 northbound
    Tuesday 7 to Sunday 12 November Full closure of the A12 southbound carriageway between J26 Stanway and J25 Marks Tey Traffic will exit at J26 Stanway and travel along the A1124, B1408 and re-join the A12 at J25 Marks Tey
    Tuesday 7 to Sunday 12 November Full closure of the J27 southbound entry slip road Traffic wanting to join the A12 southbound will take Cymbeline Way, B1408 and join the A12 southbound at J25 Marks Tey entry slip

    We are utilising our closures to also allow other teams to carry out maintenance work along the A12. More information about their work can be found on the scheme webpage for the A12 maintenance works between junction 25 and junction 32.

    New contraflow layout

    A contraflow is when the road is shut in one direction and traffic is moved over to drive on the opposite side of the road to share the remaining carriageway.

    Once the contraflow has been moved, two lanes will remain open in each direction. Lane 1 and 2 northbound will carry northbound traffic, while southbound traffic will use lane 1 southbound and lane 3 northbound, in contraflow. This new layout will provide our workers with a clear area to allow us to safely complete our work on lanes 2 and 3 of the southbound carriageway.

    We now expect traffic will begin using the southbound contraflow, from Monday 6 November onwards.

    We’d like to thank all our customers and local residents for their patience whilst we carry out this work.

  • 20 October 2023

    Changes to planned October overnight road closures

    Due to the heavy rain we’ve had and are expecting in the area over the coming days, we are having to change the dates for some of our planned road closures that will allow us to begin work on the southbound carriageway.

    Please find the updated closures and diversion information in the table below. The road will be closed between 9pm and 5am on each of the following nights:

    Date of closures

    Closure details

    Diversion routes

    Friday 20, Sunday 22 and Friday 27 October 2023

    and

    Sunday 29 October to Sunday 5 November 2023

    Full closure of the A12 northbound carriageway between J25 Marks Tey and J26 Stanway

    Traffic will exit at J25 Marks Tey and travel along B1408, A1124 and re-join the A12 at J26 Stanway

    Monday 6 November 2023

    Full closure of the A12 southbound between J29 Ardleigh Crown Interchange and J25 Marks Tey

    Traffic will exit at J29 Ardleigh Crown Interchange and travel along A1232, A133, B1408 and re-join the A12 southbound at J25 Marks Tey entry slip

    Saturday 28 October 2023

    and

    Tuesday 7 to Sunday 12 November 2023

    Full closure of the A12 southbound carriageway between J26 Stanway and J25 Marks Tey

    Traffic will exit at J26 Stanway and travel along the A1124, B1408 and re-join the A12 at J25 Marks Tey

    Saturday 28 October 2023

    and

    Tuesday 7 to Sunday 12 November 2023

    Full closure of the J27 southbound entry slip road

    Traffic wanting to join the A12 southbound will take Cymbeline Way, B1408 and join the A12 southbound at J25 Marks Tey entry slip

    New contraflow layout

    A contraflow is when the road is shut in one direction and traffic is moved over to drive on the opposite side of the road to share the remaining carriageway.

    Once the contraflow has been moved, two lanes will remain open in each direction. Lane 1 and 2 northbound will carry northbound traffic, while southbound traffic will use lane 1 southbound and lane 3 northbound, in contraflow. This new layout will provide our workers with a clear area to allow us to safely complete our work on lanes 2 and 3 of the southbound carriageway.

    We now expect traffic will begin using the southbound contraflow, from Saturday 4 November 2023 onwards.

    We’d like to thank all our customers and local residents for their patience whilst we carry out this work.

    Diversion route for overnight closures of A12 northbound between J25 and J26

    Diversion route for overnight closures of A12 northbound between J19 and J26

    Diversion route for overnight closures of A12 southbound between J26 and J25

    Diversion route for overnight closures of A12 southbound between J29 and J25

    We’d like to thank all customers and local residents for their patience whilst we carry out these works.

     

     

  • 25 September 2023

    Weekend closure of the A12 northbound between junction 25 Marks Tey and junction 26 Stanway

    We recently postponed our planned full weekend closure of the northbound A12 between junction 25 Marks Tey and junction 26 Stanway, as there were emergency repairs taking place in the same area.

    This work has been rescheduled and will take place between 9pm Friday 6 to 5am Monday 9 October.

    Please see the table below for more information:

    Date of weekend closure Closure details Diversion route
    9pm Friday 6 to 5am Monday 9 October Full closure of the A12 northbound carriageway between J25 Marks Tey and J26 Stanway Traffic will exit at J25 Marks Tey and travel along B1408, A1124 and re-join the A12 at J26 Stanway

     

    We can only do these works when the northbound carriageway is completely closed. This is due to the location and the time it takes for the new foundations and road surface to dry.

    Please note this closure is subject to change at short notice due to unforeseen circumstances and poor weather conditions. The southbound carriageway will remain open throughout this period.

    Customers should plan ahead and allow extra time when travelling and avoid the area if possible, as we expect severe delays. Please check the scheme webpage for the latest information before you travel. We’re sorry for the disruption this may cause to your journey.

    Diversion route for overnight closures of A12 northbound between J25 and J26

    We’d like to thank all customers and local residents for their patience whilst we carry out these works.

  • 20 September 2023

    Overnight closures

    So we can excavate concrete, lay new road foundations, replace safety barriers, carry out surveys and resurface the carriageway, we’ll be closing the A12 between junctions 25 and 27 overnight from 9pm until 5am on the dates listed below.

    Date of closure  Closure details Diversion Route
    Monday 25 September and Friday 29 & Saturday 30 September Full closure of the A12 southbound carriageway between J26 Stanway and J25 Marks Tey  Traffic will exit at J26 Stanway and travel long the A1124, London Road and re-join the A12 at J25 Marks Tey entry slip
     Monday 25 September and Friday 29 & Saturday 30 September   Full closure of the A12 southbound J27 Lexden entry slip  Traffic wanting to join the A12 southbound will take Cymbeline Way, London Road and join the A12 southbound at J25 Marks Tey entry slip
     Wednesday 27 & Thursday 28 September and Monday 2 to Thursday 5 October  Full closure of the A12 northbound carriageway between J25 Marks Tey and J26 Stanway  Traffic will exit at J25 Marks Tey and travel along London Road, A1124 and re-join the A12 at J26 Stanway
     Friday 29 & Saturday 30 September  Full closure of the A12 northbound carriageway between the J25 exit and entry slip roads  Traffic will exit the A12 at J25 Marks Tey exit slip, travel over the roundabout and on to the J25 entry slip road to re-join the A12 northbound

     

    Diversion route for closure of the A12 southbound between J26 Stanway and J25 Marks Tey


    Diversion route for closure of the A12 southbound J27 Lexden entry slip


    Diversion route for overnight closures of A12 northbound between J25 Marks Tey and J26 Stanway


    Diversion route for closure of the A12 northbound at junction 25 Marks Tey

  • 13 September 2023

    Postponement of A12 northbound weekend closure

    Due to recently identified safety issues with the carriageway on other parts of our road network (affecting the A12 Marks Tey to Stanway scheme and diversion) which require urgent repair, we are postponing the full weekend closure that was planned to take place from Friday 22 to Monday 25 September. As these repairs are safety critical due to road surface deterioration, they have taken priority.

    Urgent carriageway repairs will now take place from 9pm to 5am each night from Saturday 23 to Tuesday 26 September on the A12 northbound between junction 22 and junction 24.

    The planned weekend work will be rescheduled and we’ll update this webpage once the new closure dates are confirmed. We apologise for any inconvenience this change may cause you.

    Public information event

    As we are now well into the construction phase of our project, we’re hosting a public information event to allow customers to learn more about the work we’re completing, our progress so far and upcoming work. This is also a chance to meet members of the project team, who will be happy to answer any questions you may have. 

    As part of our ongoing information sharing with local residents, businesses and stakeholders, we’d like to invite you to attend our public information event that will be taking place at Marks Tey Farmer’s Market on Saturday 30 September, 9am to 1pm, at Mark Tey Parish Hall, Old London Road, Mark Tey, Colchester, CO6 1EJ.

    The hall is adjacent to the interchange of the A12 and A120 and is easily accessible by car, with free parking available on site. The market is just a few minutes’ walk from Marks Tey Railway Station, where bus links to Colchester, Braintree and surrounding villages can also be found.

    This event will be attended by representatives from and working on behalf of National Highways in the project team, who will be available to discuss any queries you may have.

    Overnight closures

    We’ll be closing the A12 carriageway to carryout concrete excavations, lay new road foundations, replace safety barriers, carry out surveys and surface the carriageway overnight from 9pm until 5am on the dates listed below.

    Date of closure

    Closure details

    Diversion Route

    Monday 11 to Friday 15 September

    Full closure of the A12 northbound carriageway between the J25 exit and entry slip roads

    Traffic will exit the A12 at J25 exit slip, travel over the roundabout and on to the J25 entry slip road to re-join the A12 northbound

    Monday 25 to Friday 29 September

    Full closure of the A12 northbound carriageway between J25 Marks Tey and J26 Stanway

    Traffic will exit at J25 Marks Tey and travel along B1408, A1124 and re-join the A12 at J26 Stanway

     

    Other work taking place in the area

    Maintenance work is taking place between junction 25 Marks Tey and junction 29 Ardleigh Crown Interchange, to replace safety barriers and signs. The work will take place between 9pm and 5am on the following nights.

    Monday 18 to Friday 22 September 2023

    Full road closure of the A12 northbound carriageway between J25 Marks Tey and J29 Ardleigh Crown Interchange.

    Diversion

    Traffic will exit at J25 Marks Tey and travel along B1408, A133, A1232 and re-join the A12 northbound at J29 Ardleigh Crown Interchange entry slip.

    Further information about the work can be found on our dedicated maintenance webpage. 

    Please note these closures are subject to change at short notice due to unforeseen circumstances and poor weather conditions. We’re sorry for the disruption this work may cause to your journey and encourage drivers to plan ahead and allow extra time when travelling, as we expect long delays over the weekend closures. Please check the webpages for the latest information before you travel. During these closures, clearly signed diversion routes will be in place.

    We’d like to thank all customers and local residents for their patience whilst we carry out these works.

    Diversion routes

    Diversion route for overnight closures of A12 northbound between J25 Marks Tey and J26 Stanway

    Diversion route for closure of the A12 northbound at junction 25 Marks Tey

    Diversion route for closure of the A12 southbound between J26 Stanway and J25 Marks Tey

    Diversion route for closure of the A12 southbound J27 Lexden entry slip

    Diversion route for closure of the A12 northbound J25 Marks Tey and J29 Ardleigh Crown Interchange

  • 25 August 2023

    Upcoming overnight and weekend closures

    We’ll be closing the A12 carriageway to carry out concrete excavations, lay new foundations, replace safety barriers, carry out surveys and surface the carriageway overnight from 9pm until 5am on the dates listed below.

     

    Date of closure Closure details Diversion Route
     Monday 4 September  Full closure of the A12 southbound carriageway between J26 Stanway and J25 Marks Tey  Traffic will exit the A12 southbound at J26 Stanway and travel along A1124, London Road and re-join the A12 southbound at the J25 Marks Tey entry slip
     Monday 4 September  Full closure of the A12 southbound J27 Lexden entry slip road Traffic wanting to join the A12 southbound will take Cymbeline Way, London Road and join the A12 southbound at J25 Marks Tey entry slip
     Tuesday 5 September  Full closure of the A12 southbound carriageway between J26 Stanway and J25 Marks Tey Traffic will exit the A12 southbound at J26 Stanway and travel along A1124, London Road and re-join the A12 southbound at the J25 Marks Tey entry slip
    Tuesday 5 September Full closure of the A12 southbound J27 Lexden entry slip road Traffic wanting to join the A12 southbound will take Cymbeline Way, London Road and join the A12 southbound at J25 Marks Tey entry slip
    Wednesday 6 September  Full closure of the A12 southbound carriageway between J26 Stanway and J25 Marks Tey  Traffic will exit the A12 southbound at J26 Stanway and travel along A1124, London Road and re-join the A12 southbound at the J25 Marks Tey entry slip
     Wednesday 6 September  Full closure of the A12 southbound J27 Lexden entry slip road  Traffic wanting to join the A12 southbound will take Cymbeline Way, London Road and join the A12 southbound at J25 Marks Tey entry slip

     

    Weekend work on the A12 northbound at Marks Teyd

    We need a weekend closure to finish rebuilding the A12 northbound carriageway around junction 25 Marks Tey.

    9pm Friday 22 to 5am Monday 25 September 2023

    Full closure of the A12 northbound carriageway between J25 Marks Tey and J26 Stanway.

    Diversion

    Traffic will exit at J25 Marks Tey and travel along B1408, A1124 and re-join the A12 at J26 Stanway.

    Other works taking place in the area

    Maintenance work is taking place between junction 25 Marks Tey and junction 29 Ardleigh Crown Interchange, to replace safety barriers and signage. These works will take place between 9pm and 5am on the following nights.

    Monday 18 to Friday 22 September 2023

    Full closure of the A12 northbound carriageway between J25 Marks Tey and J29 Ardleigh Crown Interchange.

    Diversion

    Traffic will exit at J25 Marks Tey and travel along B1408, A133, A1232 and re-join the A12 northbound at J29 Ardleigh Crown Interchange entry slip.

    Further information about the work can be found on our dedicated maintenance webpage. 

    Please note these closures are subject to change at short notice due to unforeseen circumstances and poor weather conditions. We’re sorry for the disruption this work may cause to your journey and encourage drivers to plan ahead and allow extra time when travelling, as we expect long delays over the weekend closures. Please check the webpages for the latest information before you travel. During these closures, clearly signed diversion routes will be in place.

    We’d like to thank all customers and local residents for their patience whilst we carry out these works.

    Diversion routes

    Diversion route for overnight closures of A12 northbound between J25 Marks Tey and J26 Stanway

    Diversion route for closure of the A12 northbound at junction 25 Marks Tey

    Diversion route for closure of the A12 southbound between J26 Stanway and J25 Marks Tey

    Diversion route for closure of the A12 southbound J27 Lexden entry slip

    Diversion route for closure of the A12 northbound J25 Marks Tey and J29 Ardleigh Crown Interchange

  • 15 August 2023

    Upcoming road closures and diversions - August to September 2023

    Come and speak to us – public information events

    As we are now well into the construction phase of our project, we’re hosting two public information events to allow customers to learn more about the work we’re completing, our progress so far and upcoming work. This is also a chance to meet members of the project team, who will be happy to answer any questions.

    As part of our ongoing information sharing with local residents, businesses and stakeholders, we’d like to invite you to attend one of our public information events that will be taking place at Marks Tey Farmer’s Market, Mark Tey Parish Hall, Old London Road, Mark Tey, Colchester, CO6 1EJ, on Saturday 19 August and Saturday 30 September, 9am to 1pm.

    The hall is adjacent to the interchange of the A12 and A120 and is easily accessible by car, with free parking available on site. The market is just a few minutes’ walk from Marks Tey Railway Station, where bus links to Colchester, Braintree and surrounding villages can also be found.
    Each event will be attended by representatives from and working on behalf of National Highways in the project team, who will be available to discuss any queries you may have.

    Progress on the work

    We’re now halfway through our planned weekend closures to rebuild the A12 northbound carriageway around junction 25 Marks Tey and despite the bad weather on our last closure, we completed more work than anticipated. Once complete, this will improve safety, create a smoother quieter journey, and extend the life of the road to make it fit for the future.

    As we’re now working around the junction 25 entrance slip, this will mean a slight change to the recent closures and diversion routes for the next 2 weekend closures. Please see the sections below for more information.

    We’d like to thank all our customers for your patience whilst we have and continue to carry out this work.

    Upcoming weekend closures

    We’ll be closing the following sections of the A12 northbound from 9pm on Fridays until 5am Mondays on the following weekends:

    Date of weekend closure Closure details Diversion Route
    9pm Friday 1 to 1am Saturday 2 September

    Full closure of the A12 northbound carriageway between J25 Marks Tey and J26 Stanway

    Traffic will exit at J25 Marks Tey and travel along B1408, A1124 and re-join the A12 at J26 Stanway
    1am Saturday 2 to 12am Monday 4 September

    Full closure of the A12 northbound carriageway between the J25 exit and entry slip roads

    Traffic will exit the A12 at J25 exit slip, travel over the roundabout and on to the J25 entry slip road to re-join the A12 northbound.

    Please note that part time traffic signals will be in place on the roundabout
    12am Monday 4 to 5am Monday 4 September

    Full closure of the A12 northbound carriageway between J25 Marks Tey and J26 Stanway

    Traffic will exit at J25 Marks Tey and travel along B1408, A1124 and re-join the A12 at J26 Stanway

    Please note these closures are subject to change at short notice due to unforeseen circumstances and poor weather conditions. We’re sorry for the disruption this work may cause to your journey and encourage drivers to plan ahead and allow extra time when travelling, as we expect long delays. Please check this webpage for the latest information before you travel. The southbound carriageway will remain open throughout this period. During these closures, a clearly signed diversion route will be in place.  

    Overnight road closures

    In addition to the full weekend closures listed above, we'll also be closing the A12 northbound carriageway to carry out concrete excavations, lay new foundations, surfacing and also repairing a length of the carriageway following a vehicle fire, overnight from 9pm until 5am on the dates listed below:

    Date of overnight closure Closure details Diversion route

     

    Thursday 10 August

    and

    Tuesday 15 to Friday 18 August

    and

    Wednesday 23 August

    		 Full closure of the A12 northbound carriageway between J25 Marks Tey and J26 Stanway Traffic will exit at J25 Marks Tey and travel along B1408, A1124 and re-join the A12 at J26 Stanway
    Monday 14 August Full closure of the A12 northbound carriageway between J23 Kelvedon and J26 Stanway Traffic will exit at J19 Boreham and travel along the A130, A131 A120, B1408 London Road, A1124 and re-join the A12 at J26 Stanway. 
    Monday 21, Tuesday 22 and Thursday 24 August Full closure of the A12 northbound carriageway between the J25 exit and entry slip roads Traffic will exit the A12 at J25 exit slip, travel over the roundabout and on to the J25 entry slip road to re-join the A12 northbound

    Diversion Routes

    Diversion route for closure of the A12 northbound between junction 25 Marks Tey and junction 26 Stanway

    Diversion route for full weekend closure of the A12 northbound at junction 25

    Diversion route for overnight closures of the A12 northbound between junction 25 and junction 26

    Diversion route for overnight closure of the A12 northbound at junction 25

    Diversion route for overnight closures of the A12 northbound junction 25 entry slip

     

  • 25 July 2023

    Upcoming road closures and diversions - July to September 2023

    We made good progress during last weekend’s road closure of the A12 northbound between the exit and entry slip roads near junction 25 Marks Tey. Over the course of the weekend, we managed to excavate over 200m of the middle lane and then rebuild the foundations, and lay the final asphalt road surface.

    We completed all of the planned work ahead of schedule, and reopened the road early at 3.45am on Monday 17 July. Thank you for your patience whilst we did this work.

    Next steps

    We’re removing the concrete road foundations and surface of the A12 northbound carriageway near junction 25, before rebuilding the road and resurfacing it with asphalt. This is part of our work to rebuild the A12 between junction 25 at Marks Tey and junction 26 at Stanway. Once complete, this will improve safety, create a smoother quieter journey, and extend the life of the road to make it fit for the future.

    This work will require some overnight and full weekend road closures to ensure the safety of both our workers and all road users. Our next weekend closure will be taking place from Friday 21 July. Please see the sections below for more information.

    Upcoming weekend closures

    We’ll be closing this small section of the A12 northbound from 9pm on Fridays until 5am Mondays on the following weekends:

    Date of weekend closure

    Closure details

    Diversion route

     9pm Friday 21 July to 5am Monday 24 July

     

    9pm Friday 4  August to 5am Monday 7 August

     

    9pm Friday 11 August to 5am Monday 14 August

     

    9pm Friday 1 September to 5am Monday 4 September 2023

    The A12 northbound carriageway at junction 25 Marks Tey

    Traffic will exit the A12 at junction 25 exit slip, travel over the roundabout and on to the junction 25 entry slip road to re-join the A12 northbound

     

    Please note that part time traffic signals will be in place on the roundabout.

     

     

    Please note these closures are subject to change at short notice due to unforeseen circumstances and poor weather conditions. We’re sorry for the disruption this work may cause to your journey and encourage drivers to plan ahead and allow extra time when travelling, as we expect long delays. Please check this webpage for the latest information before you travel. The southbound carriageway will remain open throughout this period. During these closures, a clearly signed diversion route will be in place.  

    Overnight road closures

    In addition to the full weekend closures listed above, we'll also be closing the A12 northbound carriageway at junction 25 overnight from 9pm until 5am on the dates listed below:

    Date of overnight closure

    Closure details

    Diversion route

    Monday 24 to Wednesday 26 July

    Full closure of the A12 northbound carriageway between the J25 exit and entry slip roads

    Traffic will exit the A12 at J25 exit slip, travel over the roundabout and on to the J25 entry slip road to re-join the A12 northbound

    Thursday 27 and Friday 28 July
    and
    Monday 31 July to Thursday 3 August

    and

    Monday 7 to Thursday 10 August

    and

    Monday 14 to Friday 18 August

    Full closure of the A12 northbound carriageway between J25 Marks Tey and J26 Stanway

    Traffic will exit at J25 Marks Tey and travel along B1408, A1124 and re-join the A12 at J26 Stanway

    Diversion routes

    Diversion route for full weekend closure of the A12 northbound at junction 25

    Diversion route for overnight closures of the A12 northbound between junction 25 and junction 26

    Diversion route for overnight closure of the A12 northbound at junction 25

    Diversion route for overnight closures of the A12 northbound junction 25 entry slip

  • 31 May 2023

    May 2023 newsletter

    A12 junction 25 Marks Tey to junction 26 Stanway - May 2023 newsletter

    Today we've published the second edition of our scheme newsletter. In this issue we provide an update on the work we’ve recently completed, what we’re doing next and explain what a “contraflow” is.

    Read our May 2023 newsletter now.

    Overnight road closures

    Over the coming weeks, we’ll be breaking out the old concrete road foundations and surfacing on the A12 northbound carriageway from junction 25 to Turkey Cock Lane.

    Due to the potential for debris landing on the carriageway, this work will be carried out at night to ensure the safety of both our workers and all road users.

    We’re sorry for the disruption that this may cause to your journey and we encourage drivers to plan ahead and allow extra time when travelling. Please note these closures are subject to change at short notice due to unforeseen circumstances and poor weather conditions. Please check this webpage for the latest information before you travel.

    Upcoming overnight closures

    The following sections of the A12 northbound carriageway will be closed overnight from 9pm to 5am on the nights listed below:

    Date of closure Closure details Diversion route

    Wednesday 31 May to Friday 2 June

    and

    Monday 5 June to Friday 9 June

    Full closure of the A12 J25 Marks Tey northbound entry slip road

    		 Traffic wishing to join the A12 northbound will travel along B1408, A1124 and re-join the A12 at J26 Stanway.

    Full closure of the A12 northbound carriageway between J25 Marks Tey and J26 Stanway

    		 Traffic will exit at J25 Marks Tey and travel along B1408, A1124 and re-join the A12 at J26 Stanway.

    During these closures, clearly signed diversion routes will be in place. Please see below for more information.

    Diversion route for overnight closure of A12 northbound between J19 and J26

    Diversion route for overnight closure of the A12 J25 northbound entry slip road


    Diversion route for overnight closures of A12 northbound between J25 and J26

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Project information

Overview

We'll be reconstructing the A12 between Marks Tey and Stanway (between junctions 25 and 26) with work starting on 17 October 2022. Reconstruction will involve completely removing the concrete road surface and some of the foundations, before rebuilding the road and resurfacing it with asphalt.

The East region has the highest concentration of concrete roads on our road network, including the A14, A12, A120, A11 and M11.

Around half of the old-style concrete roads will either have repairs or will be replaced during the next five years.

We’ll be using innovative new ways of working and new technology to provide a modern road that will last for decades to come. This will also make it easier and quicker for us to carry out repairs in the future.

Find out more about our nationwide Concrete Roads work

Why we need the scheme

The surface of concrete roads that were designed between the 1950s and 1970s have an average life span of 50 years. Their surfaces are now reaching the stage where they will need to be repaired or replaced for safety reasons, and to help them be less noisy and better to drive on.

In late 2020, we made repairs to the A12 road surface between junction 22 and junction 24 in both directions. During early 2021, we resurfaced the A12 southbound main carriageway between junctions 27 to 26 and also repaired the road surface at the slip roads at junction 27. And in late 2021, we completed repairs to the A12 between junctions 15 and 19.

This video explains the process we go through to rebuild concrete roads:

There is more reconstruction, resurfacing and other maintenance work scheduled for 2023 on other stretches of this road. Read about how we're rebuilding and replacing some of the old concrete road surface on the A12

We started our work to reconstruct the road in Autumn 2022, and we expect to finish by late 2023/early 2024, subject to weather conditions.

We are using a ‘contraflow’ system to keep everyone safe and the road open whilst we’re working. A contraflow is when the road is shut in one direction and traffic is then moved over to drive on the other side of the road to share the remaining road space. This provides us with a clear working area, which means we can work more quickly and safely.

By using a contraflow, we’ll be able to keep two lanes of traffic in each direction whilst we do our work. Full road closures are only be needed when we set up and take down our roadworks.

We'll be doing the work in a few phases:

Phase one: will start at junction 25 northbound and head up to junction 26. Our construction workers will be in lanes one and two, with traffic in a contraflow.

Phase two: junction 25 northbound heading up to junction 26. Our construction workers will be in lanes two and three with traffic in a contraflow.

Phase three: junction 26 southbound heading to junction 25. Our construction workers will be in lanes one and two with traffic in a contraflow.

Phase four: junction 26 southbound heading to junction 25. Our construction workers will be in lanes two and three.

Due to the nature of the work, some noise and light disturbance is expected, but we’ll aim to keep this to a minimum. Thank you for your patience whilst we do this important road work. 

When complete, the scheme will:

  • improve safety and provide a smoother rider for road users
  • reduce noise levels
  • create a new modern road with a 40 to 50-year lifespan that’ll be easier and quicker for us to repair in future

We’ve set up a free SMS alerts service to warn road users, via text message, of any incidents that occur within our roadworks on the A12 during peak travel times.

You can sign up for this service by sending your mobile number to: ConcreteRoadsEssex@nationalhighways.co.uk. Please reference the ‘A12 Marks Tey to Stanway SMS service’ in the subject line of your email, so it's clear which scheme updates you'd like to register for.

Please note that you can opt out at any time by contacting us at the same email address.

Read the latest news and progress on our project to rebuild the A12 road in this stretch.

November 2023 newsletter

September 2023 newsletter

July 2023 newsletter

May 2023 newsletter

January 2023 newsletter

Documents

A12 concrete surface repairs and maintenance

A12 Margaretting Bypass (junctions 13 to 15) concrete road reconstruction

Traffic information

Information about scheduled roadworks and events on our motorways and major roads.

Contact us

0300 123 5000

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