Smart motorways to get 52 new emergency areas

Fifty-two new emergency areas are being installed on smart motorways around the south east

Fifty-two new emergency areas are to be installed on the M25 and other smart motorways in the south east.

They will provide a place for drivers to stop in an emergency on a stretch of motorway with no permanent hard shoulder.

The M25 will get 24 in Surrey, Kent, Hertfordshire and Essex.

They will also be installed on the M20, M27, M4 and M3.

The emergency areas will be 100m (328ft) long, painted orange and fitted with emergency telephones.

Felicity Clayton from National Highways said: “Safety is our highest priority and we have listened to drivers' concerns about having more places to stop in an emergency on motorways which don’t have a permanent hard shoulder.

“This is part of the Government’s £900m investment in further safety improvements on existing smart motorways, which includes adding an additional 150 emergency areas across the network and giving motorists clear advice when using smart motorways to boost public confidence."

The emergency areas provide a safe place for drivers to pull over

Nine will be installed between junctions five and seven on the M25, and 15 between junctions 23 and 27.

The M3 will have 10 new areas between junctions two and four A.

Twelve will be on the M4 between junctions 10 and 12, and there will be four between junctions three and five of the M20.

The M27 will have two, between junctions four and 11.

Several motorways have already been converted to all lane running

National Highways said work to install the areas will mean closing a lane of each motorway and imposing a 50mph speed limit.

It will be co-ordinated with ongoing major works on the M25, at junctions three in Surrey and 28 in Essex.

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