Information About The M25

"Road to Hell"

Reportedly the well known song by Chris Rea called "Road to Hell" was about the M25 motorway.

"Road to Hell" was Chris Rea's biggest hit in the UK reaching number 10 in the charts in the UK.

Common Questions About The M25

Question: When was the M25 built?

Answer: The M25 motorway was constructed between 1975 and 1986.

Question: How long is the M25 motorway?

Answer: The M25 motorway is 117 miles long (or 188 kilometres).

Question: Which other motorways does the M25 connect to?

Answer: The M25 motorway connects to 10 other motorways. See our M25 junctions map for details.

Question: How many cars use the M25 Motorway on a daily basis?

Answer: The M25 motorway was designed in the mid 1980s to carry 100,000 vehicles a day. However, the busiest section between Junctions 13 and 14 carries around 200,000 vehicles a day.

Question: Is the M25 one of the busiest motorways in the UK?

Answer: The M25 is one of the busiest motorways in Europe and certainly in the UK.

Question: What is the busiest part of the M25 motorway?

Answer: The busiest M25 section is Junctions 13 and 14 which are in the Heathrow section on the western side of the M25. With a lot of people working at Heathrow or around the Heathrow area the western side of the M25 can get extremely busy and congested between 7am and 10am and between 3.30pm and around 7.30pm on weekdays as Heathrow area daytime workers commute to and from work. Plus there are the 52 million travellers flying to or from Heathrow Airport every year (excluding pure connecting flights) which is approximately 145,000 passengers on average per day on around 900 daily flights. 

Question: Who is responsible for operating and maintaining the M25 motorway?

Answer: "Connect Plus" is responsible for operating and maintaining the M25 motorway, which is a joint venture between Balfour Beatty, Atkins and Egis. Connect Plus has a 30 year contract with Highways England to manage and improve the M25 network on behalf of Highways England.