End is in sight for smart M4
Thames Valley: Final stretch will be open this summer
National Highways has confirmed it is expecting to open the final stretch of its M4 smart motorways scheme in the summer.
Work has been ongoing since 2018 to replace the hard shoulder with a live traffic line between Junction 3 (Hayes/Harlington) and Junction 12 (Theale).
The 17-mile section between Junction 8/9 (Maidenhead) and Junction 12 (Theale) opened with smart motorway technology in December but the rest of the project is yet to be completed.
National Highways had originally been aiming to finish the whole scheme in spring 2022 but it said it now plans to begin a phased opening between Junction 3 and Junction 8/9 in the summer.
All lanes will open at 60mph and this will be increased to 70mph once the technology is performing to an acceptable level.
A spokesman for National Highways said: “This will be the final section of the major motorway upgrade to open, and we are looking forward to real improvements it will bring to more than 130,000 journeys every day.
“All motorways, with or without a hard shoulder, are designed and operated with drivers centrally in mind, to be easy and straightforward to drive on.”
From Junction 3 to 12, the motorway will be fitted with stopped vehicle detection (SVD) technology, which are designed to send alerts to regional control rooms so operators can address the situation more quickly.
Furthermore, the SVD system can also automatically display ‘report of obstruction’ messages on electronic signs above the motorway, warning drivers of a stopped vehicle ahead until the report has been verified and categorised by an operator.
In an update on the smart motorways works across the country, National Highways said ‘no new schemes will open’ without SVD technology in place.
The M4 west of Junction 8/9 already has SVD technology, Junction 3 on to 8/9 is currently awaiting implementation before the road is fully operational.