New update as eight smart motorway schemes in England 'weak value'

Eight smart motorway schemes in England are projected to deliver poor value for money, according to official evaluations. Documents released by National Highways reveal projects on the M25 between junctions 23-27 and the M6 between junctions five and eight are anticipated to provide "very poor value for money".

Their construction costs reached £314 million in 2010 prices. A further six schemes received ratings of either "poor" or "low" for value for money.

The evaluations consider scheme costs against economic benefits derived from factors including journey time improvements and safety enhancements across a 60-year timeframe. Value for money ratings have been adversely impacted by traffic growth falling short of projections, diminishing the number of motorists benefiting from additional capacity.

The AA stated the reports, which offer a comprehensive evaluation of 16 smart motorway schemes completed between 2013 and 2019, demonstrate the programme was "a catastrophic waste of time, money and effort". Smart motorways created by transforming hard shoulders into active lanes were intended to boost capacity more economically than road widening.

However, persistent safety concerns have emerged following fatal collisions where vehicles stranded in active lanes were struck from behind. Then-prime minister Rishi Sunak scrapped all future smart motorway schemes in April 2023, referencing financial constraints and diminished public trust in the roads.

Consecutive governments have dismissed appeals for the reinstatement of removed hard shoulders. The AA's examination of National Highways' reports indicates that two schemes, the M1 between junctions 39 and 42 and the M3 between junctions two and 4a, have a "worsening safety record".

The association characterised the 16 assessments as "inconsistent" due to varying safety benchmarks across reports. It also queried why the reports, many of which are dated September 2023, were not made public until Thursday.

AA president Edmund King said: "The reluctant release of these documents, without any announcement, feels like an attempt to bury bad news. This has been a catastrophic waste of time, money and effort.

"Many of the schemes have slower journeys which causes traffic jams, loses the country cash and worsened the safety record of motorways. We need the return of the hard shoulder to help give confidence to drivers, both now and in the future."

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: "These roads are deeply unpopular. Only the reinstatement of the hard shoulder is going to cut it with drivers. The existing technology, such as variable speed limits, could still be used to potentially ease traffic flows at busy times."

A spokesperson for National Highways responded: "Our latest analysis continues to show that overall, smart motorways remain our safest roads. They are also providing much-needed extra capacity for drivers, helping to reduce congestion and lower carbon emissions."

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "These reports show that smart motorways can make journeys reliable and increase road capacity, so more vehicles can travel safely. We will continue to monitor their benefits over the coming years."