New motorway plans could reduce road accidents and personal injury claims
Plans to widen a busy part of the M62 in West Yorkshire have been publicly unveiled in the hope of easing traffic flow and reducing the number of road accidents and personal injury claims on the stretch of motorway.
The plans reveal that at peak times, the hard shoulder will be used between Brighouse and Rothwell – junctions 25 and 30 respectively – in an attempt to relieve congestion. Emergency lay-bys will then be constructed at regular intervals alongside the hard shoulder to allow for any vehicle breakdowns.
A similar scheme has already been tested on a trial basis on the M42 in the West Midlands. Transport Minister Chris Mole said: “We have been encouraged by results from the hard shoulder running pilot scheme on the M42 near Birmingham which has demonstrated significant reductions in journey times, plus a reduced number of personal injury accidents.”
Work on the ‘Managed Motorway’ scheme on the M62 is expected to start in late 2010 and is estimated to take two years to complete. The Highways Agency also has similar plans for other busy motorways across the country, including parts of the M1 in South Yorkshire and the M60 and M62 in Manchester.