Cov’s £234m smart M-way on hold for new review

A SMART motorway which has led to countless hours of hold-ups is being halted before it has even finished.

Motorists in Coventry have been caught up in slow traffic between junction two and four for nearly two years with the promise of a faster smart motorway at the end.

However, the 13.6-mile stretch of the M6 between Coventry and Coleshill, due to be completed in a matter of months, will not open until a Government review is done.

Up to £234 million has gone into the project, which is more than 90 per cent completed.

However, Transport Secretary has said no new smart motorways will be opened until a safety review is done.

Mr Shapps told the Commons new schemes will not open to traffic while the dangers of the roads are assessed.

Philip Gomm, of motoring research charity the RAC Foundation, said: “On safety grounds this pause is unarguable.

“But it does mean that for users of the M20 - who have suffered delays not just because of this scheme but also the Brexit-related speed restrictions and lane closures - the inconvenience is set to go on.

“No-one underestimates the complexity of these schemes but it does underline the need to get the design right first time.”

Smart motorways involve using the hard shoulder for live traffic and have been developed by Highways England as a way of increasing capacity without the more costly process of widening roads.

Parts of the M1, M4, M5, M6, M42 and M62 have been converted.

But there are growing concerns that the removal of a permanent hard shoulder has created a safety hazard, with some drivers being killed after stopping in live running lanes.

A recent investigation by BBC Panorama found that 38 people have been killed on smart motorways in the past five years.

A report by the all-party parliamentary group for roadside rescue and recovery earlier this week claimed the roads are a “death trap”.