Bottlenecks on the Kent section of the M25 could become a thing of the past.

Traffic lights are to be installed at junctions near the motorway to improve traffic flow and reduce congestion.

Junction 5, where the M26 and M25 meet near Sevenoaks on the clockwise carriageway, will benefit as part of the £18 million pound scheme.

The lights will be placed on the A21 and will limit the number of vehicles leaving the slip road and heading onto the motorway.

Sensors in the road monitor the congestion and adjust the timing of the lights.

The aim is to stop the merging motorway traffic from bunching together and forming jams.

The lights are also being installed at junction 6 near Godstone and junction 8 near Redhill in Surrey.

The system has already been operating successfully on the M4 near Slough, as well as in the Midlands and the North.

Highways Agency Project Sponsor, Andrew Wilson said: "This system is one of the innovative techniques being introduced by the Highways Agency to deal with congestion and journey time reliability by making the best use of our existing capacity.”