-How long do you keep records of road closures -Details of the M25 closure at Junction 27 on the 11th and 12th October 2018 -Who puts the information on overhead motorway electric signs -How long is the above info stored

---

Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 11 February 2019 asking for information about road closures and for details of the M25 closure at Junction 27 on the 11th and 12th October 2018.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.  I can confirm that we hold some of the information you require.  Our response is below:

1.- Information relating to traffic incidents (collisions, disruptions etc) are recorded and captured on our Traffic Information Management System (TIMS). This data is thereafter retained on the system. This information is archived once removed from public or private display (for reference and audit purposes), but each entry remains permanently on the database. This data is not cleared or expunged and is only ‘deleted’ in case of omission or error (and TIMS retains an imprint of this).

2. - We are unable to verify any information specifically relating to an anti-clockwise M25 closure at Junction 27 through the night and/or early hours of 11/12 October specifically, as this was not recorded on our database. The Motorway Network is managed by Highways England: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/roads-managed-by-highways-england. You may wish to contact them for further information about the M25 closure that you asked about.

3. Highways England are also responsible for the VMS or electronic matrix signs on this motorway. When notified of incidents on Highway’s England network, the Network Management Control Centre in TfL (NMCC) will set matrix signs where available on our VMS assets (on the TfL road network).

4. - We cannot comment on Highways England’s protocols with reference to storing or removing information from variable message signs, but for real-time variable messaging on our assets, we will remove/delete any message as soon as we receive notification that an incident has cleared, in order for road users to be provided with up-to-date, real-time information.  

If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.

Yours sincerely

Sara Thomas

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London

Back to top

---