Community celebrates key milestone in M25 Junction 28 upgrade as secrets of forgotten aerodrome are revealed
Community leaders gathered in Romford this week to mark the end of a project to upgrade a key stretch of the M25 and commemorate the site’s rich heritage.
National Highways has been working hard since 2022 to increase capacity, reduce congestion and improve safety for drivers at Junction 28, which connects the capital with Essex.
With the construction phase now complete, a host of dignitaries and stakeholders were invited to celebrate the milestone and reflect on what came before the laying of the motorway.
This included a poignant unveiling of a plaque in memory of an airman who tragically died in 1937, when the site was used as an airfield.
The Junction 28 scheme has been a complex construction project that has involved installing several bridges and gantries and realigning the motorway's existing slip roads.
It has also seen a new two-lane loop road built for traffic travelling from the M25 onto the A12 eastbound towards Brentwood.
Road markings have been added and engineers are now in the process of testing technology and adding the finishing touches to the loop road before it can open for public use in the coming weeks.
As the project has progressed, new light has also been shed on Maylands aerodrome, which previously sat on the site of the junction before it was destroyed by fire in 1940.
Maylands was once home to Hillman’s Airways, a pioneer of air taxi work and package holidays that later became part of British Airways.
Archaeologists digging on the site as part of the National Highways project uncovered a host of artefacts from the aerodrome’s heyday, including glass bottles, lapel badges and remnants from the hangar fire.
Pioneering pilot Amy Johnson – the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia – also regularly used the site and was paraded as a star attraction during a 1932 aviation display, according to flyers from the period which have reemerged during the scheme.
The Junction 28 project has also helped tell the story of 21-year-old Flight Sgt Frederick William Boxall, who died at the aerodrome in May 1937 when his aircraft suffered a structural failure in flight and crashed.
Flight Sgt Boxall took off from RAF Hornchurch in his Gloster Gauntlet to practice ahead of the Empire Air Day display that he and his three comrades from 65 Sqn would be taking part in just four days' time.
The young pilot was performing a manoeuvre known as an inverted roll at an altitude of around 2,000 feet, when suddenly his top starboard wing began to crack and crumple.
Grappling to maintain control, he bravely managed to avoid further damage to other areas of the airfield on his descent, before the aircraft finally crashed and partially buried itself in the ground.
At an event to reflect on the site's rich heritage and celebrate the scheme's progress on Tuesday, a plaque commemorating Flight Sgt Boxall was unveiled to the unmistakable sound of the Last Post, performed by 19-year-old bugler Emily Poole from the Royal British Legion Band.
Zachary Pepper, National Highways Project Manager, said: “We are delighted to have reached the final stage of the M25 Junction 28 scheme, which will improve safety and support faster and more reliable journeys.
“We are hugely grateful to the local community for their patience while we have developed this project and have made sure we are providing benefits beyond just road journeys through our wide-ranging social value work.
“This includes marking the incredible history of this site, which I know is treasured by many both locally and further afield.”
Hugh McNally, GRAHAM Project Manager, added: “Reaching the final stages of the M25 Junction 28 upgrade marks a significant milestone for our team.
“From the construction of the new two-lane loop road to the installation of bridges, gantries, and the realignment of slip roads, every element of this scheme has required meticulous planning, technical expertise, and close collaboration.
“Enhancing one of the UK’s busiest junctions while minimising disruption has been no small feat, and we’re incredibly proud of the improvements made to traffic flow and safety.
“This achievement reflects the commitment and of everyone who contributed to the project.”
A raft of environmental work has also been carried out, with new shrubs and trees planted, improvements made to existing habitats and three new balancing ponds built to alleviate flooding in the area.
Tony Philpot, chairman of Hornchurch Aerodrome Historical Trust, said: “We have been thrilled to support National Highways in telling the many stories of life before the M25.
“We’ve seen a range of fascinating artefacts unearthed throughout the project, giving us a fresh opportunity to showcase the rich history of the area.”
Notes to Editors
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