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Hard shoulder driving to help ease
peak traffic queues - 1st November 2007
After a successful pilot on the M42, it has
been found that motorway traffic jams could be eased by allowing
hard shoulder driving at peak times on some motorways.
Ruth Kelly, Transport Secretary is expected
to give the go-ahead to select which motorways should use "hard
shoulder running" to speed up traffic flows at peak periods.
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A
Transport
Department source said the selected hard
shoulders could be opened up within two years.
Roads which are expected to have stretches
included are the M1, M4, M6, M20 and M25. The
scheme will be most common near motorway exit
junctions in a hope it will relieve traffic
queues. The scheme will display on signals above
the hard shoulder a red cross when it should not
be used, or a maximum speed limit when it can be
used.
The scheme is a cheaper option
than lane widening but has upset road safety
groups.
The
Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents
said drivers who break down will have nowhere to
safely stop. This could lead to more
road
accidents or
drivers leaving their vehicle being injured.
There are also worries it may hinder
emergency services arriving quickly at accidents.
Jools Townsend of
Brake the
safety campaign group said ministers are
"gambling with peoples lives".
The
Highways Agency said they are able to change
the overhead signs in seconds
if there is an accident and redirect the
traffic. It could also be proposed that extra
lay-bys be built at regular intervals as
"emergency refuge areas" off the hard shoulder.
In the M42 pilot scheme the
hard shoulder was opened up between Warwickshire
and Birmingham for around eleven miles with
50mph speed restrictions imposed using signs on
gantries. It was controlled by sensors placed at
100 metre intervals to measure traffic volumes.
When volumes built up the signs change to
indicate its okay to use the hard shoulder.
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News
Archive 2007
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