Error parsing XSLT file: \xslt\FacebookOpenGraph.xslt Mike Waters' blog: 30 April - Motorways but not as you know it
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Mike Waters' blog: 30 April - Motorways but not as you know it

Date: 30 April 2015

Mike Waters is senior insight & consultancy manager at Arval, the leading vehicle leasing and fleet management company

You've probably heard the news that the busiest A-roads in England will be turned into "mini motorways". From April the 1st, the Highways Agency started upgrading key routes into the new classification of road and this will sit between an A-road and a motorway.

But what does this really mean for drivers?

Well, the idea is that it will make your life easier. Roundabouts and traffic lights will be removed, and entrance and exit slip lanes will be introduced. It's also possible that bicycles and slow-moving vehicles, such as tractors, will be excluded from these new roads, meaning the traffic flows better and you are less likely to encounter congestion.

Another interesting point is that advanced technology will be used as part of this £11 billion investment, to detect and help clear incidents more quickly. It all sounds good doesn't it but will it actually work?

It's of some reassurance that it does follow on from previous trials, with the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Italy and Bulgaria already having implemented similar roads. Initially, eighteen major roads are expected to be transformed, and a further seven projects are being considered.

The first routes are likely to be:

  • The A303 and the A30 from the junction with the M3 in Hampshire to Exeter in Devon
  • The A1 north of Newcastle
  • The A14 from Huntingdon to Cambridge
  • The A556 between the M56 and M6 in Cheshire
  • The A46 between the A1 and M1 in the East Midlands

Only time will tell if this is a success but one thing's for certain, investment in the road network is a good thing for drivers and with the number of vehicles on the road growing in the UK, a positive approach like this is definitely worth a try.



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