28 August 2012
Motorway lighting is to be permanently switched off on a carefully selected stretch of motorway in the East of England to reduce carbon emissions and light pollution, the Highways Agency has announced.
Lights on a thirteen mile stretch of the M1 between junction 13 (Bedford) and the border between Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire will be switched-off at 00:01 on 04 September 2012.
This follows a careful assessment which shows that the safety record along this stretch of motorway is good and that the lights can be switched off without increasing risks to road user safety.
This is the second stretch of motorway in the region where lighting is being switched-off. In August last year lighting was switched off on the M1 between junctions 10 (Luton) and 13 (Bedford).
Under a revised standard for lighting on England's motorways and major A roads introduced in 2007, lights would not be installed at these sites if the existing lighting was due to be replaced - or if the sites were opening as new.
The motorway junctions and their approaches will remain lit.
David Gingell, Regional Director for the East of England at the Highways Agency, said: "Since 2009 we've switched lighting off between the hours of Midnight and 5am on 13 carefully selected stretches of motorways and evidence so far indicates that switching off the lights hasn't had an impact on safety. Analysis also suggests that driver behaviour does not appear to have been affected in terms of traffic volumes and speed. We are confident we can now begin to permanently switch off motorway lights at certain sites. This is not about wishing to remove all lights from the motorway network. It's about carefully identifying the locations where, under the revised guidelines, we would not consider installing lighting. The money saved could then be used elsewhere on the Strategic Road Network where it would have a more significant safety benefit and potentially save more lives. We anticipate achieving an annual reduction in carbon emissions on this stretch of motorway of about 1,094 tonnes. Local communities will also benefit from reduced light pollution of the night sky."
Potential future sites for permanent switch off will continue to be assessed.
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