Speed limit plans aimed at pollution control shelved

Plans that would see the speed limit along the M1 and M3 reduced in an effort to cut down on air pollution have been cancelled. The speed limit along stretches of the roads were set to be changed from 70 mph to 60 mph, but now other plans for reducing emissions will have to be created.

Patrick McLoughlin, transport secretary, has announced that the speed limit reductions will no longer be enforced. However, the Highways Agency has been given another 18 months in order to come up with new methods for reducing air pollution along the roads. The plans will have to reduce emissions along a 32 mile stretch of the M1 and 2.8 miles of the M3.

“Let me be absolutely clear, I want all motorways to run at 70 mph. While it sometimes makes sense to use variable limits to keep people moving, blanket reductions are not acceptable," he said.

New smart motorway schemes have also been announced in an effort to deal with air pollution created by road traffic on some of Britain's busiest roads. The schemes will see construction on junctions 28 to 31 on the M1, junctions two to 4a on the M3 and M1 junctions 32 to 35a.

Smart motorways are designed to reduce traffic jams, make journeys faster and increase the amount of space on the roads. The improvements are intended to be cost efficient and could be an effective solution to the high levels of emissions created by road traffic.

The new smart motorways will see the hard shoulder converted to a running lane, which will help to smooth traffic and increase capacity. They will either operate at all times or just at peak periods. Variable message signs will be used to inform drivers of lane closures, changes in speed limits or queues. CCTV will also be monitored in regional control centres to deal with any accidents or instances of dangerous driving.

The three new schemes are part of a £24 billion investment in the road network by the year 2021. At this point, spending on the UK's roads will increase by £3 billion each year, seeing vast improvements to important highways and motorways throughout Britain.   

It is thought that road capacity will be increased by around a third by the new schemes and result in journeys that are around ten per cent faster on the M1 and 15 per cent faster on the M3.