Most of Britain's smart motorways are poor value for money, official reports find

"Official evaluations from National Highways, some of which had been held back by the Department for Transport (DfT) since completion in 2023, showed that a slew of big projects to convert the hard shoulder on the M1, M4, M6 and M25 were rated as poor or very poor value. The AA said the long-awaited reports revealed smart motorways had been a catastrophic waste of time, money and effort, although the government said they showed the project could allow more vehicles to travel safely."

"Smart motorways, which were rolled out widely in England from 2013, were designed to increase capacity relatively cheaply, by converting the hard shoulder into a live lane and using electronic overhead signs to manage traffic and close lanes in emergencies. But surveys show many motorists fear driving on them, with a number of fatal collisions occurring after breakdowns even if official statistics maintain that smart motorways are relatively safe, particularly after a series of works since 2020 to add more emergency laybys and improve monitoring."

"The 11 schemes with five-year assessments, completed between 2017 and 2019, cost a total of 2.3bn at 2010 prices. In a foreword to the reports, the National Highways chief customer officer, Elliot Shaw, said the schemes were on course to deliver benefits, but will not deliver all the originally expected benefits within the 60-year appraisal period."

National Highways evaluations rated most smart motorway schemes poor or very poor value for money. Sixteen post-opening project evaluations were released and eleven schemes received five-year financial assessments, of which only two were rated positively. The eleven schemes completed between 2017 and 2019 cost a total of £2.3bn at 2010 prices. Smart motorways convert hard shoulders into live lanes and use electronic overhead signs to manage traffic. Motorist surveys show fear and some fatal collisions after breakdowns, while official statistics indicate relative safety after safety works since 2020. Lower-than-expected traffic growth reduced projected benefits and full original benefits are unlikely within a 60-year appraisal.

Read at www.theguardian.com