M25 motorway Europe's second longest orbital road after the Berliner Ring, which is . Originally built almost wholly as a dual three-lane motorway, much of the motorway has been widened: to dual four lanes for almost half, to a dual five-lanes section between junctions 12 and 14 and a dual six-lane section between junctions 14 and 15. Further widening is in progress of minor sections with plans for managed motorways in many others. To the east of London the two ends of the M25 are joined to complete a loop by the non-motorway A282 Dartford Crossing of the River Thames between Thurrock
M25 motorway outside Heathrow Airport consistently records the highest number of daily traffic counts on the British strategic road network with a sample in 2017 measuring 211,059 counts (lower than the record peak measured in 2014 of 262,842 counts). This compares to 197,219 counts measured on the M1 motorway between junction 7 and 8 outside Hemel Hempstead in 2014, and 195,325 counts measured on the M60 motorway between junctions 12 and 13 in Western Manchester, also in 2014. The M25, plus the short non-motorway A282 which joins the two ends of the M25 across the River Thames using the Dartford Crossing, is