A consultation in early 2013 is planned to deliver new investment of a ‘Managed Motorway’ scheme for the M1 between Junctions 28 (Alfreton) and 31 (Ashton), with the first phase of work to follow during 2013.
Councillor Simon Spencer, Cabinet Member for Highways said:
’This news is a welcome addition to the improvements recently announced to the two A38 Trunk Road junction improvements within Derby, the electrification of the Midland Mainline rail network, and our continued efforts to deliver a new train station in Ilkeston, the largest town in the country without a station’.
He added:
Improvements to the M1 Motorway through Derbyshire are important and we look forward to contributing to the consultation in the New Year to determine whether this scheme is the correct solution for this congested section of the Motorway. We acknowledge the positive improvements on the A42 and look forward to the detail about this consultation.
Managed Motorways
The Highway Agency says on its website that managed motorways will make journeys more reliable by controlling traffic flows more effectively through the use of new technologies such as overhead gantries, lane specific signals, and driver information signs. In addition managed motorways will support the economy by reducing the number of traditional widening schemes, creating a better return on investment and increasing safety at a national level.
How did it all get started?
The first managed motorway began operating on the M42 J3a-J7, Birmingham in 2006. This pilot scheme has proved very successful. In 2011 the Highways Agency published a three year safety report which showed since the installation of managed motorways:
•Personal injury accidents have reduced by more than half (55.7%)
•There have been zero fatalities
•Casualties per billion vehicle miles travelled have reduced by just under two thirds (61%) since the introduction of managed motorways.
Source: M42 MM Monitoring and Evaluation Report Three Year Safety Report
These are not the only positives from the pilot. Alongside the technical data are high levels of customer satisfaction with 68% of surveyed road users saying they felt more informed during their journeys and 60% stating they would welcome this type of traffic management elsewhere on our network.
The variable speed limits keep traffic moving by controlling the flow of vehicles when the route is congested. A computer system is used to calculate the most appropriate speed limit based on the volume of traffic. The aim is to keep you moving at all times, and variable speed limits help to do this.
Hard shoulder running
The hard shoulder is used as an additional live traffic lane during periods of congestion. When traffic builds up road users will be instructed to use the hard shoulder as an extra traffic lane, increasing the motorway’s capacity, reducing congestion and keeping traffic moving.
Source: Highways Agency website