Highways Agency - Safe roads, Reliable journeys, Informed travellers

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• M62 J25 to J30 Managed Motorway

What are Managed Motorways?

Managed Motorways make use of a range of traffic management measures to control speeds, add capacity, and inform road users of conditions on the network. One of these measures is opening the hard shoulder to traffic during busy periods.

Driver information signs will be used to inform motorists of:

• traffic conditions ahead
• mandatory speed limits
• the availability of lanes, including the hard shoulder

Sensors in the road will enable traffic and congestion to be detected. The speed and availability of lanes will be controlled so that traffic is able to flow more smoothly which will help to reduce congestion.

Managed Motorways: What the system will include

This image of the M42 pilot scheme shows a typical layout of a Managed Motorways scheme utilising hard shoulder operation. This equipment will be placed between Junction 25 and 30 on the M62.

Scheme layout

The location map shows the layout of the scheme between Junctions 25 and 30 on the M62.

• Junctions 25 to 26 and on the westbound carriageway between Junctions 29 and 30: hard shoulder running will operate permanently.
• Junctions 26 to 28 and on the eastbound carriageway between Junctions 29 and 30: hard shoulder running will be provided during congested periods.
• Junctions 28 to 29: hard shoulder running is not required because the motorway is currently 4 lanes.

How we manage the motorway

The Highways Agency's Regional Control Centre at Calder Park, Wakefield will be able to observe the motorway by using CCTV cameras. The cameras will be in operation 24hrs a day, 365 days a year to identify incidents on all lanes of the carriageway.

Highways Agency control centre operators will change the signs and signals located on the gantries to alert road users to the conditions ahead and to open and close lanes where necessary. 

The Highways Agency control centre will also manage traffic speeds during busy times to help the motorway operate more smoothly. Highways Agency traffic officers will carry out regular patrols and will be alerted to deal with problems or emergencies.

Safety and control measures

Safety of road users and motorway workers is the Highways Agency's top priority. The Managed Motorways System allows safe motorway operation through the management of traffic during congested periods and while maintenance work is carried out. 

CCTV and sensors in the road will enable incidents to be identified swiftly. The new signs and signals will be used to move live traffic around the incident by managing traffic speeds, advising of closed  lanes and relaying messages on display boards. The flexibility afforded by the electronic signs will be used to support the Emergency Services in reaching the scene of incidents promptly.

What to do in an emergency

Emergency Refuge Areas (ERAs) will be spaced at intervals of approximately half a mile  throughout the scheme. They provide a place to stop in an emergency or breakdown when the hard shoulder is in operation as a running lane. In addition, they should be used as the preferred emergency/breakdown stopping location when the motorway is operating under normal conditions. Once in the ERA, an emergency roadside telephone should be used to phone the Highways Agency's Regional Control Centre for assistance.

Taking care of the environment

We share people's concerns about noise and air quality near motorways. There are strict EU air quality guidelines and we have been carrying out extensive air quality surveys to inform our assessment of the impact the project may have. The trial of a Managed Motorways system on the M42 found that overall, fuel consumption reduced by 4% and vehicle emissions fell by up to 10% following the implementation of the scheme as a result of smoother traffic flows.