By FREDA LEWIS-STEMPEL, MOTORING REPORTER
Controversial 'smart' motorways are barely providing any economic benefit, damning new analysis has found.
Two sections of smart motorway are actively losing the nation income, and a further six schemes have been marked as barely breaking even, according to the body responsible for them.
Smart motorways first appeared in 2013, and were intended to increase motorways' capacity at fairly low cost by turning the hard shoulder into a lane. Overhead digital signage is used to manage the flow of traffic.
Of all the stretches of smart motorways reviewed by National Highways, just three were found to be 'on track' in relation to delivering value for money over the five-year evaluation period.
'This [smart motorways] has been a catastrophic waste of time, money and effort,' AA president Edmund King said.
'Many of the schemes have slower journeys which causes traffic jams, loses the country cash and worsened the safety record of motorways.'
The report comes just days after it was revealed that the number of drivers who feel nervous or anxious about driving on 'smart' motorways (46 per cent) has double in a year.
Two sections of 'smart' motorways - motorways with no hard shoulder - are actively losing the nation income, and a further six schemes have been marked as barely breaking even, new analysis shows
The two 'smart' motorways that have been confirmed as a cash losing exercise are the M25 all-lane-running (ALR) section between junctions 23 to 27, which permanently has no hard shoulder, and the M6 Dynamic Hard Shoulder (DHS) section between junctions 5 to 8, which turns the hard shoulder into an active lane during period of heavy congestion.
Both were found to be losing the economy money and rated 'very poor' by National Highways.
Six schemes have been rated as 'not on track - poor' or 'not on track – low' in respect of their economical benefit.
Just three schemes at the end of the five-year evaluation period are 'on track' in relation to value for money.
The analysis concluded that, in many cases, converting the hard shoulder into a permanent or temporary running lane has reduced the speed of traffic, meaning more jams and congestion across England’s motorway network.
The only scheme to exceed expectations is the Controlled Motorway stretch (which has a permanent hard shoulder but also uses dynamic speed limits to control traffic flow) on the M25 between junctions 16 to 23, which has also been widened.
This section saw faster journey times and an improved safety record.
As such, the AA is calling for this to be the standard bearer for motorway improvements for the future.
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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%
Negligible safety benefit of smart motorways
It's not just the financial viability of smart motorways that's been called into question.
The report highlights fresh safety concerns with two schemes in particular, which are showing a worsening record.
The M3 ALR section between junctions 2 and 4a shows an increase in the number of those killed or seriously injured by around a third.
The M1 stretch of ALR between junctions 29 and 42 also shows an increase in crashes where people were killed or seriously injured on the motorway.
The scheme was also given a 'poor' value for money rating as journey times did not improve.
Elsewhere, the M25 ALR section between junctions 23 to 27 did see a marginal reduction in those killed or seriously injured.
However, at either end of this stretch are two Controlled Motorways which were widened, retained the hard shoulder and installed safety technology (M25 16-23 and M25 27-30). In both cases, a significant reduction in KSIs was observed.
With no hard shoulder on smart motorways, drivers who encounter mechanical faults or health problems are reliant on finding emergency refuge areas, which are spaced around three-quarters of a mile apart.
For those unable to reach an ERA, there is high risk of being stranded in a live lane.
This has resulted in a number of avoidable deaths on these stretches of road.
Earlier this month, a court heard how a grandmother killed in a crash could still be alive today if safety technology on the smart motorway she broke down on hadn't been 'dangerously defective'.
Pulvinder Dhillon, 68, was a passenger in her daughter's Nissan Micra when it stopped in a live lane of traffic on a section of the M4 with no hard shoulder.
After being stranded for six minutes, it was hit from behind by a van in a 'high velocity' and 'calamitous' crash which 'incinerated' the Nissan after turning it into a fireball.
Mrs Dhillon's daughter, Rajpal Dene, was pulled from the wreckage by other motorists. But the pensioner died at the scene.
Reading Crown Court on 2 February heard the safety technology had been 'defective for five days' and that National Highways, which maintains the roads, was apparently 'unaware'.
It meant drivers were not warned on 14 gantries and lollipop signs of the broken down Nissan ahead.
Following a raft of high-profile instance of motorists being killed, the Tory Government in 2023 called time on the building of any new smart motorway sections.
Some 11 schemes already on pause - and three earmarked for construction - were cancelled over safety concerns.
Two 'smart' motorways have been confirmed as a cash losing exercise: The M25 All Lane Running (ALR) section between junctions 23 to 27, and the M6 Dynamic Hard Shoulder (DHS) section between junctions 5 to 8
The AA has pointed out that despite many of these schemes completing their evaluation period between 2017 and 2019, many of the reports are dated September 2023.
The AA also says that 'the reports feel inconsistent as the benchmark for analysis varies by report, especially in respect of the safety assessment'.
Some reports use fatality weighted injuries, some personal injury collisions and others KSIs either as a standalone figure or per hundred million vehicle miles.
As such, the motoring group says it is concerned at the inconsistent nature of the figures as it makes it difficult to draw conclusions from the data.
Edmund King said: 'After a lengthy wait, these reports finally see the light of day. The reluctant release of these documents, without any announcement feels like an attempt to bury bad news.
'Motorways which have been widened, the hard shoulder kept, and safety technology added have proved the most successful.
'We have been calling for this standard for so long and urge any government that looks to improve motorways to use this style as the blueprint.
'While no new "smart" motorway schemes will be built, driver confidence using these schemes remains low.
'Just under half of drivers feeling anxious or nervous using them, a sentiment which has doubled in the last 12 months. We need the return of the hard shoulder to help give confidence to drivers, both now and in the future.'
This is Money has contacted both the Department for Transport and National Highways for comment on the analysis.
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