England’s first ‘smart’ motorway where hard shoulder has been converted to a permanent running lane opened earlier this week on part of the M25, to provide extra capacity for road users.

The first section to open was between junctions 23 and 25 in Hertfordshire. A second section of permanent ‘smart’ motorway will open next month between junctions 5 and 6/7 on the Kent/Surrey border.

Highways Agency senior project manager John Martin said: “This really is the start of a new age on England’s motorways. Around £1.7Bn is being invested into roads in the South East by 2021 with 145 new lane miles of capacity added.”

Up to this point England’s ‘smart’ motorways have all employed the ‘dynamic hard shoulder' running system whereby the hard shoulder is opened at busy times with a reduced speed limit.

Other permanent ‘smart’ motorway plans using all lane running will be implemented on several sections of the M1 and parts of the M3, M6 and the M62.

The Freight Transport Association's head of road network management policy Malcolm Bingham said motorists need to fully understand how these stretches of road will work.

“The changes that have been made are quite significant, so drivers must become familiar with the types of new signs and signals they will see and what they should do in the event of a breakdown,” he said.

(Photo: Highways Agency)

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