M25 becomes UK’s smartest motorway

Final preparations are taking place for the M25 to become England’s first smart motorway, improving journeys and boosting the economy. Two sections of the motorway opening this month and next are between junctions 23 and 25 in Hertfordshire and between junctions 5 and 6/7 on the Kent/Surrey border. For the first time on a motorway scheme in England the hard shoulder will be used as a permanent traffic lane, with enhanced technology to manage traffic flow to improve the reliability of journey times.
April 11, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
Final preparations are taking place for the M25 to become England’s first smart motorway, improving journeys and boosting the economy.

Two sections of the motorway opening this month and next are between junctions 23 and 25 in Hertfordshire and between junctions 5 and 6/7 on the Kent/Surrey border.

For the first time on a motorway scheme in England the hard shoulder will be used as a permanent traffic lane, with enhanced technology to manage traffic flow to improve the reliability of journey times.

The improvements, spanning some 20 miles of the M25, are part of a new generation of technology-driven improvements on the strategic road network known as ‘smart motorways’.

The advance on the M25, which will be repeated on other motorways, is the permanent conversion of the hard shoulder for traffic, providing 24/7 extra capacity.

John Martin, 503 Highways Agency senior project manager said: “Around US$3 billion is being invested into roads in the south east by 2021 with 145 new lane miles of capacity added. Most of the work to improve journeys on these stretches in Hertfordshire and Kent/Surrey is complete and we are now testing the new technology. “We are delighted to be able to open the first part of the northern section ahead of the planned full completion in December 2014. The southern section is completing significantly earlier than planned due to rescheduling of the programme.

“Soon the smart motorway will be complete and we are now asking drivers to get smart and find out more about how to use it, the types of signs and signals they will see and what to do in the event of a breakdown. “This really is the start of a new age on England’s motorways.”
Air Quality & Weather Systems Detection, Monitoring & Machine Vision Urban Traffic Control Enforcement

Related Content

  • June 18, 2014
    Highways Agency awards maintenance contracts to telent
    Technology services company telent has won three prestigious five year contracts worth over US$25.4 million with the UK Highways Agency to maintain critical roadside technology across the east, south-east and M25 regions' motorways and trunk roads. telent now manages all routine and reactive maintenance for over 12,000 technology assets, such as emergency roadside telephones, message signs, traffic signal sites, the Highways Agency weather stations, CCTV cameras, tunnels and many more. The company’
    Read More
  • August 27, 2014
    Roads revolution adds 900 miles of extra capacity
    Road users in the UK will see around 900 extra lane miles of road capacity added to England’s strategic highway network by 2021, a third more than was provided in the previous decade. The boost is thanks to a huge US£39.7 billion investment, the biggest since the 1970s, which will see annual funding for enhancements to motorways and major A roads triple over the next six years. Investment includes more than US$15 billion on maintenance, US$10 billion of which will be spent on resurfacing 3,000 miles of t
    Read More
  • March 19, 2014
    Highways Agency plans to increase capacity of M4
    The UK Highways Agency is holding a series of public exhibitions to inform road users, local residents and businesses about proposals to transform the M4 into one of the longest stretches of ‘smart motorway’ in England by 2021. The improvement, on a 32-mile stretch between junction 3 at Hayes in London, and junction 12 at Theale in Berkshire, would increase capacity, improve journey reliability and maintain safety. The proposals are part of the Government’s investment into England’s motorways and majo
    Read More
  • April 14, 2015
    IAM calls for greater education for smart motorway users
    As smart motorways reach their first birthday in the UK this week, the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has expressed concern that widespread confusion still exists amongst motorway users on how best to use them. Smart motorways were officially introduced this time last year to replace Managed Motorways as the solution to the nation’s congested motorways but concerns have been raised over their safety. England’s first all-lane running motorway, i.e. without a hard shoulder, opened on the 2.5 km
    Read More

Highlighted Content