Highways Agency refutes MP safety claims on ‘managed motorway’ plan

Sheffield MPs Clive Betts and Meg Munn both said they were worried the idea, which will see the hard shoulder converted into a traffic lane, could compromise safety for drivers, 999 workers and roads staff.

Ms Munn held an adjournment debate in Parliament yesterday on the issue, which has also led to concerns from the South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership.

But yesterday a Highways Agency spokesman said: “It is not correct to say that the new managed motorway design will reduce safety. We design and operate the network in a safe way. In developing the new design, we called upon all our operational and design experience of managed motorways over the last six years and have undertaken considerable research to provide a fully evidenced approach to the decisions we have taken.

“Based on a risk assessment we have done, the overall safety of this stretch of the M1 near Sheffield is predicted to be better than it is today.

“Once completed, road users will also experience less congestion and have more reliable journey times.”