28 June 2012
Road users are advised that the Highways Agency will be testing the newly-installed managed motorway systems on the M1 between junctions 10 and 11 in both directions.
The systems will be tested from tomorrow, Friday 29 June to mid-July. During busy periods, overhead electronic signals will display variable mandatory speed limits (appearing within red rings). Overhead message signs will be set by staff at the Agency's East Regional Control Centre, at South Mimms (M25 J23) to indicate when drivers can use the hard shoulder as an extra lane.
Road users are advised to follow the overhead signs and signals, and are reminded that when the hard shoulder is not indicated as a running lane it should be used for emergency purposes only, in accordance with motorway regulations.
Highways Agency project manager Lynne Stinson said: "Work on the M1 Junctions 10 to 13 managed motorway scheme is progressing well and we will be testing the new technology on M1 Junctions 10 to 11 over the next two weeks. Subject to the successful testing we will be able to have a fully operational section of managed motorway available to road users some eight months earlier than originally planned."
East Region operations manager Paul McWilliam added: "This is the first time we will be operating the managed motorway scheme, and opening the hard shoulder to traffic, under typical traffic conditions so it is important for our operators at the Regional Control Centre at South Mimms to familiarise themselves with operating the system. This will also be an opportunity for traffic officers at the Toddington outstation to work on this section."
This extended period of testing is to ensure the systems and technologies in place, are working correctly and follows two shorter testing periods which took place on 10 and 17 June 2012. It is being carried out in advance of the introduction of a fully operational managed motorway on this section of the M1 in mid-July 2012, subject to the successful extended period of testing. Once in full operation, the hard shoulder will be made available as a traffic lane during busy periods, giving extra capacity to road users, either to help reduce congestion or assist in traffic management following an incident.
Work continues on the rest of the managed motorway scheme, between junctions 11 and 13, and is due to be fully completed by spring 2013.
To find out more about the scheme, what to do when a managed motorway is in operation and what you will see when driving on the M1 during these times, please visit the scheme website: http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/projects/22995.aspx. Images are also available on the Highways Agency's flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/highwaysagency/sets/72157630079426030/
REMINDER: The Highways Agency would like to remind road users about this weekend's 16-hour closure of the M1 while the old A5120 bridge is demolished at J12 (Toddington). The demolition is to support the J12 improvement works being delivered as part of the M1 J10 to J13 managed motorway scheme. The closure will be in place from 8pm on Saturday 30 June through to midday on Sunday 1 July. The M1 will be closed in both directions between junctions 11 and 13, with clearly signed diversion routes in place. Drivers are advised to use alternative routes and leave extra time for their journeys if using the diversion routes. For more details, see the reminder news release: http://www.highways.gov.uk/news/pressrelease.aspx?pressreleaseid=424928
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