Highways bosses to explain M1 plans which sparked concerns

The Highways Agency has plans for three stretches, with the first project altering the 10.6-mile route between junction 32 and junction 35a in South Yorkshire, which carries 110,000 vehicles a day.

Later schemes will take in junctions 39 to 42 near Wakefield and junctions 28 to 31, near Mansfield, Chesterfield and Worksop, and “statutory processes” are underway to allow work to begin this year.

But the South Yorkshire scheme in particular has led to “significant safety concerns”, with worries being voiced by emergency services over the permanent loss of a hard shoulder for motorists in difficulty.

Similar schemes have been implemented elsewhere in the country, but so far no other motorway has seen the hard shoulder permanently altered to become a traffic lane 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

In other areas the hard shoulder is opened at peak times to deal with increased traffic, but the three M1 schemes will lead to the complete loss of the hard shoulder, to be replaced by emergency lay-bys.

Negotiations are still underway between the Highways Agency and the South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership, but it is understood senior police and other 999 staff are not satisfied with solutions suggested.

Yesterday, Phil Jones, the agency’s senior project manager said the new Managed Motorways - All Lane Running or MM-ALR scheme was designed to “increase capacity” and would be safe for road users.

He added: “We’ve used our experience of successfully operating managed motorways in the West Midlands to produce an updated design which would see the hard shoulder permanently converted to a running lane.

“There will be fewer overhead structures such as gantries and this evolution in the design of schemes will provide the additional capacity required without compromising overall safety.”

A similar managed motorway scheme which will operate at peak times is currently being implemented on the M62 near Leeds, and Mr Jones said the M1 managed motorway schemes are due to be operational in 2015.

Statistics show that the chances of a collision with a stationary vehicle under the MM-ALR scheme increases by 200 per cent, a statistic which senior police are particularly concerned over, but the Highways Agency claims a marked reduction in other risks will make the motorway “safer that it is at present”.

Mr Jones added: “By being a managed motorway, this section of the M1 will provide much needed additional capacity, easing congestion and making journey times more reliable for the road users and businesses that use it every day - this in turn will support economic growth.

“We know this will be a totally new concept for many people, so we want to listen to any comments and answer questions people may have about the scheme, such as how it will operate, what to do if they break down and how we will deliver the improvements.

“We will carefully respond to everything that is raised.”

Public information sessions about the South Yorkshire scheme will be held at The Source training centre, near Meadowhall this Friday and Saturday.

Similar sessions are planned for the Wakefield scheme and will be held at the Cedar Court Hotel, Denby Dale on Friday, February 1 and Saturday, February 2 and at the Holiday Inn in Queens Drive, Ossett on Friday. February 8 and Saturday, February 9.

Anyone interested in the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire stretch can see plans at the Derbyshire Hotel in South Normanton on February 1 and 2, or at the St James Church Institute in Barlborough on February 9.

More details of the sessions are available on the Highways Agency information line on 0300 123 5000

[email protected]