Major UK motorways to close today to install emergency refuge areas as drivers face traffic chaos
National Highways will install 150 emergency areas by March 2025
NATIONAL HIGHWAYS
Major motorway closures will take place from today with drivers warned to expect traffic delays and diversions, with three key lanes being shut.
One of the closures includes lane one being shut northbound at the M1 J24 entry slip road and lanes one to three closure on M1 northbound between J24 and 25. Other closures include lane one being shut on the A50 northbound before M1 J24a.
The closures are to allow crucial work to build six additional emergency areas between junctions 23a and 25 of the M1 to get underway.
Work began in February with subsequent weekend closures taking place to allow National Highways to work. The emergency areas are expected to be completed in November.
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Drivers are being warned of the key motorway closures
GETTYThe agency said: “We’re now in the main works construction phase of the scheme and to prioritise safety for road users and crews working on the highway, we’ve kept lane one closed and reduced the speed limit to 50mph in lanes two to four.
“On occasion, we require additional closures. These will be indicated by signage on the highway and in advance on this webpage, as below.
“Please note that as there are also roadworks in process near the M1, it is advisable to also check local travel information pertaining to your route.”
Other closures include works on the M5 which will see 10 additional emergency areas between junctions 4a and 6 being built. This work is scheduled to be completed by March 2025.
As part of the work, there will be overnight closures from 8pm until 6am on Friday, August 30, Monday, September 2 and Tuesday, September 3.
National Highways added: “Emergency areas provide a place to stop in an emergency if drivers can't exit the motorway or stop at a motorway service area.
“They are marked by blue signs featuring an orange SOS telephone symbol. Each is coloured orange and is around the same length as a football pitch. They’re positioned at regular intervals, providing somewhere safe to stop and have phones linked directly to our control rooms.”
The emergency areas form part of National Highways' plan to buildat least 150 additional emergency areas by the end of March 2025.
Each area is expected to be 100 metres long offering enough space for all types of vehicles to stop. They are also equipped with emergency telephones linking directly to National Highways control rooms.
The areas would be situated on roads with smart motorways which are currently operating without refuge areas.
Felicity Clayton, project sponsor at National Highways said: “Safety is our highest priority and we have listened to drivers' concerns about having more places to stop in an emergency on motorways which don’t have a permanent hard shoulder.”
Work on the emergency areas began in February with the closure of one lane so National Highways teams could safely clear vegetation and install signage, CCTV and safety barriers.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Emergency areas began being installed in February
PAThe agency said it is sorry for the disruption this work may cause to journeys and “we encourage drivers to plan ahead and allow extra time when travelling”.
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