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.
Latest updates
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02 April 2024
April road closures
Following our work on the northbound carriageway, we've been focused on the southbound section. This has included excavating lanes 2 and 3 of the southbound carriageway, starting at junction 26 and making our way south towards junction 25.
What's happening next?
To progress the project, we’ll be having a series of overnight closures on the A12 southbound between junction 26 and junction 25 while we make changes to our roadworks.
After that, we will begin to upgrade the slip roads, starting with a temporary full closure of the southbound entry slip road at junction 26, which will be closed from 20 April for approximately four weeks, allowing us to work safely in this area.
When is this work happening?
The A12 will be closed southbound overnight between junction 26 Stanway and junction 25 Marks Tey from 8pm until 6am each night on the dates listed in the table below:
Dates of closure
Closure details
Diversion Route
Monday 15 April to Friday 19 April 2024
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 road
Sunday 21 April to Friday 26 April 2024
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 road
Saturday 20 April to Saturday 18 May 2024
Full closure of the A12 southbound entry slip road at J26 Stanway
Traffic will join the A12 northbound at J26 Stanway and travel to J27, and re-join the A12 southbound at J27 entry slip road
Please note, dates are weather dependent and subject to change if we’re unable to work in poor conditions.
Whilst we understand closures can be disruptive, we will be looking to make these changes as quickly as possible and with the least possible disruption. However, during this period, please allow more time for your journey when travelling in the area.
During these closures, a clearly signed diversion route will be in place.
Traffic will exit at Junction 26 Stanway and travel along the A1124, London Road, and then re-join the A12 at Junction 25 Marks Tey entry slip road. See map below.
Progress to date
We have recycled the old concrete road surface by reusing the material (with cement) to form the new foundations we’re installing. We’ve also installed new kerbs and drains.
Once we have reconstructed the southbound carriageway, we’ll then begin applying the finished surface layer to both the northbound and southbound carriageways. We apply the final layer at this stage to ensure it isn’t damaged during the construction phase. This also maximises the life of the road surface and ensures a better quality of finish.
Once complete, this important work will extend the life of the road, improve safety, and create smoother, quieter journeys.
We’d like to thank all customers and local residents for their patience whilst we carry out this important work.
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09 February 2024
February road closures
We’ll be closing the southbound A12 carriageway between junctions 26 and 25 to carry out work in order to change the traffic management layout to allow us to access different parts of the project.
The road will close overnight from 8pm until 6am on the following dates:
Date of closure
Closure details
Diversion Route
Wednesday 14 February
Thursday 15 February
Friday 16 February
Full closure of the A12 southbound carriageway between Junction 26 Stanway and Junction 25 at Marks Tey
Traffic will exit at Junction 26 Stanway and travel long the A1124, London Road and re-join the A12 at Junction 25 Marks Tey entry slip road
During the closures, clearly signed diversion routes will be in place.
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31 January 2024
Emergency road closure due to incident
Due to a vehicle incident today, we’ve had to close the southbound carriageway at junction 26 on the A12 on 31 January to carry out emergency repairs.
This closure will be in place until 5am on 1 February.
Date of closures
Closure details
Diversion routes
Wednesday 31 January to 6am on Thursday 1 February
Full closure of the A12 southbound carriageway through junction 26 Stanway
Traffic will leave the A12 via the exit at J26 Stanway and re-join via the junction 26 entry slip road
Once we’ve completed this repair, we’ll open the carriageway again.
We’d like to thank all our customers and local residents for their patience whilst we carry out this emergency work.
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08 January 2024
Emergency closure for barrier repair
Following an incident involving a vehicle hitting our barrier over the weekend, we will need to put an emergency closure in place tonight, so we can carry out repair work.
In order for us to complete this work and keep members of the public and staff safe, there will be a requirement to close the A12 southbound, between the junction 26 Stanway exit and entry slip roads, between 9pm and 5am tonight.
Date of closure
Closure details
Diversion route
Monday 8 January
Closure of the A12 southbound between J26 exit and entry slip roads
Traffic will take the J26 Stanway exit slip road, take the second exit on the roundabout onto the J26 entry slip road, to then re-join the A12 southbound carriageway and continue journey.
Diversion route
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11 December 2023
Upcoming closures and diversions - December 2023
Our planned construction activity will stop from Thursday 21 December, with work beginning again on Wednesday 3 January 2024. This is so that we don't cause disruption to motorists travelling over the festive period.
We’ll still have workers on site to carry out any emergency repairs or maintenance work and our recovery team will be on hand to provide assistance, should anyone breakdown within the work area.
Before our construction site shuts down over the festive season, we will need some road closures to refresh road markings, install cat’s eyes, repair some of the carriageway and remove some barrier.
In order for us to complete this work and keep members of the public and our workers safe, we need to close the A12 between 9pm and 5am on the following dates:
Date of closure
Closure details
Diversion route
Thursday 14 December
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
Thursday 14 December
Closure of the J27 Lexden 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
Monday 18 December
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 18 December
Lane closure of the southbound contraflow lane between J26 Stanway and J25 Marks Tey
Lane 1 southbound between J26 Stanway and J25 Marks Tey will remain open
No planned closures
Diversion routes
Diversion route for A12 southbound between J26 and J25 closures
Diversion route for A12 southbound J27 Lexden entry slip road closures
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Diversion route A12 northbound between J25 Marks Tey and J26 Stanway closures
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09 December 2023
Change of open for traffic date
Since starting construction we’ve encountered a number of unexpected challenges which have impacted our timelines. As a result of this, we’ll need to continue our work on the A12 between junction 25 Marks Tey and junction 26 Stanway into summer 2024.
These challenges include adverse weather conditions, including the wettest March on record, and the discovery of poor ground conditions under the northbound carriageway.
Before we started construction, we carried out extensive industry standard surveys. Unfortunately, while our surveys were completed to current standards and using the correct methods, they can only give us an indication of the ground condition in the specific areas tested, rather than every inch of the road. This means that it was only when we began digging up the northbound carriageway that we uncovered these issues, and it became clear that additional work was required to strengthen the foundations of the road.
We know this will be frustrating news and we’re sorry for the inconvenience these delays may cause to your journey. It’s important however that our work is carried out to the highest specification now to minimise long term disruption for road users in the future.
Please be assured that we’re working hard to complete construction as quickly as possible. By building in additional time to account for these issues and the risk of further impact from anticipated poor weather conditions over the winter, we hope that this update provides transparency so you’re able to plan ahead should our work continue past spring 2024 as previously expected.
We’d like to thank you for your continued patience while we carry out this important work.
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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.
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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 NovemberFull 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/
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
Project information
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.
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