The construction of a third runway for London’s busy Heathrow Airport will also require moving a stretch of the busy M25 orbital motorway. The controversial plan to build a new 3,500m runway for the airport will require the demolition of a small village close to the facility, as well as building a tunnel stretch for the M25 motorway.
With a pricetag estimated as high as £48 billion, the revamp of the airport will include a new terminal extension and a major expansion of Heathrow’s facilities. Construction of a tunnel for the M25 will also be a major project, given that London’s orbital motorway carries amongst the heaviest traffic load of any route in Europe.
The proposals to build a new runway for Heathrow have been discussed for some time. The expansion would allow the airport to boost passenger numbers substantially to 150 million/year by 2035.
Environmentalists are strongly opposed to the project on a number of grounds, while there is strong resistance to the new runway from many people living in the area. However, it is worth noting too that many residents in the area do work at Heathrow and are in favour of the plans. There are also safety concerns over the additional number of flights the new runway will add over London, as well as the additional air pollution this may bring.
