NEW smart motorways are being axed until a review of their safety is complete, the Transport Secretary has announced.
Grant Shapps said that a 92million project in Kent is among those that will not open to traffic while the dangers of the roads are assessed.
New smart motorways are being axed until a review of their safety is complete
An investigation found that 38 people have been killed on the roads in the past five years.
Work to convert a 6.5-mile stretch of the M20 into a smart motorway in Kent which was due to be completed in March after two years of work has been paused.
The Transport Secretary told the House of Commons: “That stretch of the M20 and all other stretches which are currently being worked on will not be opened until we have the outcome of the stock take.”
Other smart motorway schemes due to be completed this year include, a ten-mile stretch of the M62 in Greater Manchester, 11 miles of the M23 near Gatwick Airport and nearly 14 miles of the M6 between Coventry and Coleshill.
Philip Gomm, of motoring research charity the RAC Foundation, said: “On safety grounds this pause is unarguable. But it does mean that for users of the M20 – who have suffered delays not just because of this scheme but also the Brexit-related speed restrictions and lane closures – the inconvenience is set to go on.
“No-one underestimates the complexity of these schemes but it does underline the need to get the design right first time.”
Smart motorways involve using the hard shoulder for live traffic and have been developed by Highways England as a way of increasing capacity without the more costly process of widening roads.
But there are growing concerns that the removal of a permanent hard shoulder has created a safety hazard, with some drivers being killed after stopping in live running lanes.
