M62 smart motorway saves driver 30 minutes a week

£136M Highways England smart motorway scheme between Brighouse and Rothwell saves drivers time.

Drivers using the M62 smart motorway are saving up to 30 minutes each week, after Highways England completed the smart motorway scheme designed to deliver better journeys for motorists in the busiest periods.

According to the latest statistics, people travelling westbound in the evening towards Brighouse are saving five minutes each day.

The study also showed that the number of drivers using the 15.5 mile stretch of the M62 between junction 25, Brighouse, and junction 30, Rothwell, has increased, which has helped achieve journey time saving.

The government’s aim to deliver better journey times for drivers in West Yorkshire is a key part of their plan to create a Northern Powerhouse.

Chancellor George Osborne said today that new work to upgrade the M62 to a four-lane smart motorway from junctions 25, Brighouse, to junction 20, Rochdale, would be accelerated in his Budget.

Roger Wantling, service delivery team leader for Highways England, said: “The smart motorway helps tackle the stop-start conditions many of us have experienced in the past, using the variable speed limits and opening up the hard shoulder on parts of the M62 during busy times to target congestion.

“This first year study into the impact of the scheme shows it’s had significant benefits for journey times as well as improving safety, and benefitting the wider economy.”

The smart motorway has variable speed limits which are displayed on overhead electronic signs to keep vehicles moving, and uses the latest technology to monitor traffic levels.

Highways England’s regional control centre in Wakefield has 24 hour access to CCTV, to enable them to respond to incidents, closing lanes using red “X”s on overhead signs.

There is also an emergency refuge area on the M62 for drivers who break down.

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