HARD SHOULDER IN USE
12 September 2006 - Highways Agency

West Midlands first to use as running lane

Today, 12 September, motorists in the West Midlands are the first in
Britain to use the hard shoulder as a running lane to cut congestion during
busy periods.

This initiative is part of a £100m Highways Agency scheme called ‘Active

Traffic Management’, which aims to help keep the traffic moving by making

the best possible use of the space available on our motorways. Drivers

between Junction 3A (the M40) and Junction 7 (the M6) will be directed to

drive on the hard shoulder at times of peak congestion by hi-tech

electronic signs. When the hard shoulder is in use a maximum 50 mph speed

limit will be applied to all lanes.

Emergency refuge areas are provided behind the hard shoulder approximately

every 500 metres to ensure people whose vehicles have broken down have a

safe area away from the traffic.

The Highways Agency has also worked closely with the emergency services on

this scheme. Individual lanes, including the hard shoulder, can be opened

and closed by Highways Agency operators by simply displaying a red ‘X’ on

the electronic lane signals. This flexible approach allows immediate lane

closures to ensure safe emergency services access in the event of a major

incident.

Some questions and answers …

Why is the Highways Agency trialling this scheme?

Using the hard shoulder allows up to 25 per cent extra road capacity. It is
five times cheaper than widening and does not take any additional land. It
is all about making the best possible use of the space available.

What happens if I break down?

If a Green Flag customer’s car develops a problem, motorists should pull
into the emergency refuge areas. These are provided approximately every 500
yards alongside the hard shoulder and contain the latest emergency roadside
telephones to connect you directly to the Highways Agency Regional Control
Centre.

How do the emergency services reach the scene of an incident if we are
using the hard shoulder?

Comprehensive CCTV coverage means that operators at Quinton will be able to
spot the incident quickly and close the affected lane by displaying a red X
above the relevant lane.

Will my Green Flag service be affected?

On average, we take 40 minutes to respond to your call for assistance*. Our

operation is geared to getting to you as quickly as possible and dealing

with the breakdown incident. .

This change to the M42 should not affect your service from Green Flag. We

have been monitoring the situation and been in dialogue with the Highways

Agency throughout the pre-trial period and accept the need to reduce

congestion on this busy route. However, this should be balanced with the

need to ensure the safety of motorists and their passengers in a breakdown.

We will be monitoring the trial in terms of our incident response and

appropriate use of Emergency Refuge Areas.

More information is available on Active Traffic Management at

www.highways.gov.uk/atm or via the Highways Agency Information Line, 08457

50 40 30

www.highways.gov.uk

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