Most of England’s smart motorway schemes have proved little or very little value for money, according to the estimates of the government agency that built them.
Official assessments from National Highways, some of which have been discontinued by the department transportation (DfT) major projects to replace the hard shoulder on the M1, M4, M6 and M25, from completion in 2023, have been rated as “poor” or “very poor” value.
AA said Long awaited reports Smart motorways have been revealed as a “catastrophic waste of time, money and effort”, although the government says the project could allow more vehicles to travel safely.
National Highways were finally cleared by DFT 16 Publish reports Thursdays are called “pops” (post-opening project evaluations). Of the 11 motorway schemes that have been evaluated in the five-year period since inception and given a financial assessment, only two have been rated positively.
Smart Motorwayswidely rolled out in England since 2013, is designed to increase capacity relatively cheaply by turning the hard shoulder into a live lane and using electronic overhead signals to manage traffic and close lanes in emergencies.
But surveys show that many motorists fear driving on them, leading to many fatal accidents After the breakdowns – Although official statistics state that smart motorways are relatively safe, especially after a series of works to improve monitoring and add more emergency laybys from 2020.
The 11 schemes with five-year assessments completed between 2017 and 2019 cost a total of £2.3bn at 2010 prices. In a foreword to the reports, National Highways Chief Customer Officer, Elliott Shaw, said the schemes were “on course to deliver benefits, but not all the benefits actually expected over the 60-year assessment period”.
He said value for money had been affected by lower-than-expected traffic growth since the 2008 financial crises, but “traffic on some smart motorway sections is not traveling as quickly as predicted”.
However, reports argue that other sections will not be able to handle the increased traffic volumes unless they are upgraded.
Reports showed a mixed safety record with a slight increase in the number of people killed or seriously injured between the M3 and M1 junctions between 29 and 42. National Highways said almost all schemes have met their safety targets, although further work is being undertaken to improve safety on smart motorways, including technology to identify 150 emergency areas.
A scheme to beat original expectations for economic benefits, as well as improve safety, is between junctions 16 and 23 of the M25, which has been widened and converted into a “controlled motorway” – retaining the hard shoulder despite the installation of gantries and monitoring technology. With fast travel times and a better safety record, it is rated as high value for money.
The AA says such controlled motorways should be the standard bearer for motorway improvements – but reports have shown that most smart motorways are not reducing traffic and damaging the economy.
AA president Edmund King said: “This is a catastrophic waste of time, money and effort. Too many schemes slow journeys, cause traffic jams, cost the country cash and worsen the safety record of motorways.
“Widened motorways, placed on the hard shoulder and added safety technology have proven to be highly successful.”
He says drivers are increasingly apprehensive about using smart motorways, with 47% of recent AA polling saying they are anxious or nervous about using them. He said: “We need the return of the hard shoulder to give drivers confidence now and in the future.”
Chris Todd, director of the Transport Action Network, said: “”The reports show a curious increase in the risk of vehicles stopped in live running lanes … they raise more questions than they answer.”
A National Highways spokesman said: “Overall, our latest analysis continues to show that smart motorways are our safest roads. They also provide much-needed extra efficiency for drivers, help reduce congestion and reduce carbon emissions.”
A DfT spokesman said: “These reports show that smart motorways can make journeys more reliable and increase road efficiency so more vehicles can travel safely.”
