Skip to main content

Motorway's SolarLite

Motorists are already benefiting from greater visibility on a stretch of the M25 and between the M2 and M20 near the port of Dover, County Kent, south-east England, where Astucia SolarLite studs have been installed. Now drivers between junctions 3 and 6 on the M40 motorway heading north-west from the M25 out of London also benefit from the studs.
February 15, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Drivers on the M40 motorway in the UK benefit from Astucia's SolarLite studs
Motorists are already benefiting from greater visibility on a stretch of the M25 and between the M2 and M20 near the port of Dover, County Kent, south-east England, where Astucia SolarLite studs have been installed.

Now drivers between junctions 3 and 6 on the M40 motorway heading north-west from the M25 out of London also benefit from the studs.

Astucia recently worked with 3005 Atkins and the 1441 UK Highways Agency to deploy SolarLite studs on the M40.

"SolarLite studs, unlike retroreflective cat's eyes, work intuitively, charging and activating from natural sunlight meaning they're a totally sustainable road safety solution. They also provide up to 900m of visibility: that's ten times greater than that of conventional studs," says 2696 Astucia.

The placement of the 7,000 studs was thoroughly considered. The stretches of road between junctions 3 and 4 and junctions 5 and 6 have been flagged as having perceived high rates of accidents due to the topography, road layout and lack of street lighting, thus the need for clearer road marking.

The Chiltern Hills escarpment, an Area of outstanding National Beauty, sit between junctions 5 and 6, and according to Astucia with the aid of eco-friendly SolarLite road studs, they are protected from pollution damage.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Advanced grooving method for UK motorway
    June 10, 2015
    Balfour Beatty Mott MacDonald has used Klaruw’s advanced longitudinal grooving system, GrooveTex, to retexture sections of concrete surface on the M20 motorway in the county of Kent, UK. The GrooveTex system improves and restores surface skid resistance by creating micro longitudinal grooves using closely spaced diamond tipped saw blades at a predetermined width and depth. GrooveTex is based on the diamond grinding principle. GrooveTex adjusts to and follows the profile of the surface. The surface lev
  • Hail! Roman Watling Street section unearthed!
    November 15, 2024
    The very well preserved section of the old Roman Watling Street near London, UK, is the first physical proof that parts of the 2,000-year-old route survive directly beneath its modern counterpart, Old Kent Road.
  • Improving safety for vulnerable road users
    January 2, 2013
    Dutch-style cycle safety for other European nations – Mike Woof writes A recent event held in London during October was aimed at improving safety for vulnerable road users. Called Love London go Dutch, the event was intended to highlight some of the experience from Holland in reducing risk rates for vulnerable road users such as cyclists. Similar events were held in other UK cities, while other major European cities such as Paris that are seeing an increase in cycling also have a lot to learn from Dutch exp
  • Britain's M1 motorway re-opens after extensive fire
    March 1, 2012
    One of Britain's major motorways, the M1, is now able to carry traffic in both directions between junctions 1 and 4 near London, following extensive investigation, assessment, and structural reinforcement which has taken place non-stop since Friday, 15 April.