A Yorkshire MP says she is “incredulous” the Government is not looking to scrap smart motorways after it was revealed a stretch of such road on the M1 intended to provide a £1bn economic boost is actually on course to cost the economy over £200m due to longer journey times.
The loss of hard shoulders on sections of smart motorways is under renewed question.
Rotherham MP Sarah Champion, who has been campaigning against smart motorways on safety grounds following several deaths on sections of smart motorway in Yorkshire, said today it was now clear the roads “don’t deliver the promised results” in terms of journey times.
The “dynamic hard shoulder” at junctions 10 to 13 on a southern stretch of the M1 designed to alleviate traffic pressure has actually increased journey times according to analysis produced for National Highways. National Highways admitted today that further work is needed to meet “value-for-money” objectives.
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