Skip to main content

UK’s M3 gets smart

Work begins shortly on the initial phase of a US$278 million project to improve the M3 between the M25 and Farnborough. The section between junctions 2 and 4a will become a smart motorway, adding a fourth lane in both directions in place of the hard shoulder and adding enhanced on-road technology to keep traffic moving safely and reliably, providing a boost for businesses and the wider economy. The road will also be resurfaced with a new, low noise material. The main works are due to be completed by the
October 30, 2014 Read time: 1 min
Work begins shortly on the initial phase of a US$278 million project to improve the M3 between the M25 and Farnborough.

The section between junctions 2 and 4a will become a smart motorway, adding a fourth lane in both directions in place of the hard shoulder and adding enhanced on-road technology to keep traffic moving safely and reliably, providing a boost for businesses and the wider economy. The road will also be resurfaced with a new, low noise material. The main works are due to be completed by the end of 2016.

503 Highways Agency project manager Pranav Devale said: This busy section of the M3 is used for more than 130,000 journeys every day, and these vital improvements will add much needed extra capacity. Smart motorways are a safe, cost effective solution for improving journeys.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • HDR predicts an adaptable and flexible future for roadways
    December 19, 2016
    HDR consultants, Brian Swindell and Bernie Arseanea, consider managed lanes’ untapped potential. It is no surprise that corridor planning continues to challenge agencies and owners as demand continues to surpass roadway capacity.
  • Success of London's Olympic public transport systems
    December 4, 2012
    The Olympic flame has moved on, allowing review of the relative degrees of London’s 2012 transportation success, how it was done and with what lasting effects. Jon Masters reports. This magazine’s international position provides a good vantage point for assessing impressions left by London’s 2012 Olympic Games. On the whole, it has been only praise and congratulations heard since the closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games in August and the Paralympics in September. The events looked great and ran smoothly
  • Calculating the cost of stellar solutions
    August 10, 2016
    The increasing availability and accuracy of global navigation satellite system (GNSS) is opening up low-cost options in many areas as David Crawford finds out. Boosting commercialisation of European global navigation satellite system (EGNSS) technologies for ITS initially depends heavily on demonstrating competitive and cost/benefit advantages obtainable from the deployment of EGNOS (the current European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service), and ultimately the EU’s Galileo constellation (see box). So,
  • Major road projects to improve journeys in Merseyside and Cheshire
    September 1, 2017
    Two major new road schemes worth more than US$388 million (£300 million) are set to cut congestion and improve journey times for hundreds of thousands of drivers in Merseyside and Cheshire, UK. Highways England has set out its preferred options for upgrading the key route to the Port of Liverpool and creating a new junction on the M56 near Runcorn following public consultations earlier this year.