How much of England's motorway network has no hard shoulder? This map reveals all...

Release time：2024-05-21 13:32:13 Source：Global Gateway news portal

This week, motoring groups have called for the current - and next - government to take further action on smart motorways by reintroducing hard shoulders where they've been removed.

Pleas from both the RAC and AA on Monday were made a year to the date Rishi Sunak announced the cancellation of 14 future planned smart motorway projects, citing financial pressures and a lack of public confidence in the roads following a number of high-profile deaths.

However, the Prime Minister on 15 April 2023 stopped short of scrapping the 400 miles of smart motorway already put in place - including stretches without a hard shoulder.

Exclusive analysis conducted for This is Money by road safety charity IAM RoadSmart identifies how much of England's busy motorway network currently doesn't have a hard shoulder either at any time or when there is heavy congestion.

How many miles of motorway in England currently doesn't have a hard shoulder? IAM RoadSmart has crunched the numbers for us to confirm, as motoring groups call on the Prime Minister to reinstate hard shoulders on stretches without without one

How many miles of England's motorways don't have a hard shoulder? 

Analysis of official data by IAM RoadSmart shows that almost 250 miles (249.5) of our motorway network is currently All Lane Running (ALR) and therefore without a hard shoulder.

This is based on the latest smart motorways stocktake report published by National Highways which provided information about live schemes as of 2021.

This shows that 193 miles of smart motorway were ALR at the time. 

However, IAM RoadSmart's estimates that projects completed in 2022 and 2023 have seen another 56 miles without a hard shoulder.

This includes the 14 mile section of M4 between junctions 3 and 8/9 and the 15 miles of M27 between junction 4 and 11, both of which opened in 2022.

The following year, 23 miles of the M1 between junction 13 and 16 were completed, as was a four mile stretch on the M56 between junction 6 and 8.

As such, this means that 13 per cent of the nation's 1,916 miles of motorway network has no hard shoulder at any time.

Motoring groups have called on ministers to reinstate the hard shoulder at ALR sections by converting them to Dynamic Hard Shoulder (DHS) schemes.

This type of smart motorway involves opening the hard shoulder as a running lane to traffic only at busy periods to ease congestion.

On these stretches a solid white line differentiates the hard shoulder from the normal carriageway. Overhead signs on gantries indicate whether or not the hard shoulder is open to traffic.

When the hard shoulder is in place, as red 'X' is displayed on gantries (while it will show a speed limit sign if being used as an active lane). 

The hard shoulder can be reinstated at any time by displaying a red X on the gantry above.

Currently, IAM RoadSmart says there are 62.6 miles of DHS smart motorway.

This means that during times of heavy congestion, up to 16.3 per cent of England's entire motorway network could be operating without a hard shoulder.

This chart shows how much of the hard shoulder has been removed from England's motorway network in the last decade or so

IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy Nicholas Lyes said: 'Despite the Government cancelling the construction of new all-lane running smart motorways, around 250 miles of England’s existing motorway network has no hard shoulder whatsoever and almost a quarter is a smart motorway of some sort of configuration. 

'Many drivers strongly dislike of the idea of removing the hard shoulder because of the risks associated with breaking down in a live lane. 

'The question the Government now needs to consider is whether to reinstate a hard shoulder on existing sections. 

'Arguably this could in the form of a part-time running lane to help with traffic flow at peak times.'

National Highways, the government-owned company charged with operating, maintaining and improving motorways and major A roads in England, published a report in December that showed that smart motorways without a hard shoulder were three times more dangerous to break down on than those with an emergency lane 

RAC and AA call for hard shoulders to be reinstated on existing smart motorways

The first stretch of ALR smart motorway – using the hard shoulder as a permanent live traffic lane – opened on the M25 in Hertfordshire ten years ago.

ALR is one of three different types of smart motorway and the most controversial.

It is the only one that deletes the hard shoulder entirely in an aim to increase traffic capacity at a lower cost than widening roads.

There have been long-standing safety concerns about ALR smart motorways after a number of fatal incidents in which vehicles stopped in live lanes and were hit from behind.

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All Lane Running (ALR) is one of three different types of smart motorway and the most controversial. It is the only one that deletes the hard shoulder entirely in an aim to increase traffic capacity at a lower cost than widening roads 

ALR smart motorways have emergency refuge areas that are often too spread apart for drivers to reach when they breakdown

RAC head of policy Simon Williams describes the ALR scheme as a 'distinctly unpopular type of motorway' that remain in place across '200-plus miles' of the existing network.

'While heralded as a cost-effective way of increasing capacity on some of our busier roads, a colossal amount of public money has since gone into trying to make them safer – for instance by installing radar-based technology to detect stricken vehicles more quickly, plus the creation of additional emergency refuge areas,' Williams explained. 

'This cash needn't have been spent had the Government not taken the decision to plough on with building all-lane running motorways, regardless of concerns expressed by drivers, the RAC and even the Transport Committee.

'However, the ultimate question remains: will the motoring public ever be entirely comfortable driving on the 200-plus miles of motorway where the hard shoulder has been permanently removed?'

Overhead gantry signs on smart motorways tell motorists which lanes they can and cannot use and what the speed limit is 

Williams went on to say a motorway hard shoulder is 'far safer' than being left stranded in a live lane waiting for the 'red X closed lane' sign to be switched on at overhead gantries and hoping other drivers to do the right thing and move across to another active lane.

'We continue to believe that the Government should either convert existing all-lane-running smart motorways to 'dynamic' ones, where the hard shoulder is only opened to traffic during busy periods, or repaint the white line and reintroduce a permanent hard shoulder on these roads,' the RAC spokesman added. 

'In either case, queue-busting technology, such as variable speed limits, could remain to help ensure traffic flows as smoothly as possible.'  

All three types of smart motorway use variable speed limits to respond to busy periods of traffic, roadworks and incidents that have taken place ahead but it is only all lane running smart motorways that permanently delete the hard shoulder

National Highways, the government-owned company charged with operating, maintaining and improving motorways and major A roads in England, published a report in December that showed that smart motorways without a hard shoulder were three times more dangerous to break down on than those with an emergency lane.

The study also showed that the rate of 'killed and serious injury' (KSI) incidents during breakdowns on smart motorways with no permanent hard shoulder has increased by 10 per cent.

KSI tragedies increased for three out of five schemes since having their hard shoulder removed.

These were the M1 junctions 39 to 42, M25 junctions 5 to 7 and M6 junctions 11A to 13.

And drivers are well aware of these dangers. 

In a recent poll of almost 12,000 AA members, four in five (81 per cent) motorists said they want smart motorways scrapped as part of the next Government's motoring manifesto.

What are the three types of 'smart' motorways and how do they work?

ALL LANE RUNNING (ALR) 

All lane running schemes permanently remove the hard shoulder and convert it into a running lane.

On these types of motorway, lane one (formerly the hard shoulder) is only closed to traffic in the event of an incident.

In this case a lane closure will be signalled by a red X on the gantry above, meaning you must exit the lane as soon as possible. 

All running lane motorways also have overhead gantry signs that display the mandatory speed limit. 

Should drivers break down or be involved in an accident there are emergency refuge areas at the side of the carriageway for them to use. 

Miles in total: 249.5 miles

Percentage of smart motorways in England: 55.1%

Percentage of all motorways in England: 13%

CONTROLLED MOTORWAY  

Controlled motorways have three or more lanes with variable speed limits, but retains a hard shoulder. The hard shoulder should only be used in a genuine emergency.

These variable speed limits are displayed on overhead gantry signs - if no speed limit is displayed the national speed limit is in place. Speed cameras are used to enforce these. 

Miles in total: 140.2 miles

Percentage of smart motorways in England: 31.0%

Percentage of all motorways in England: 7.3%

DYNAMIC HARD SHOULDER (DHS)  

Originally referred to as Hard Shoulder Running smart motorways, dynamic hard shoulder running involves open the hard shoulder as a running lane to traffic at busy periods to ease congestion.

On these stretches a solid white line differentiates the hard shoulder from the normal carriageway. Overhead signs on gantries indicate whether or not the hard shoulder is open to traffic.

The hard shoulder must not be used if the signs over it are blank or display a red X, except in the case of an emergency.

A red X on the gantry above means you must exit the lane as soon as possible. 

Overhead gantries on these types of motorway also display the mandatory speed limit which varies depending on the traffic conditions. Speed cameras are used to enforce these - no speed limit displayed indicates the national speed limit is in place. 

Miles in total: 62.6 miles

Percentage of smart motorways in England: 13.8% 

Percentage of all motorways in England: 3.3%

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