UK’s M3 motorway gets first orange smart motorway emergency area

The first of a new-style smart motorway emergency stop area is being trialled on the M3 in England’s county Surrey. The redesigned emergency area has a highly visible orange road surface and better signs to help improve its visibility make it more obvious to drivers on smart motorways, according to Highways England.
July 19, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
Highways England: safer with an orange

The first of a new-style smart motorway emergency stop area is being trialled on the M3 in England’s county Surrey.

The redesigned emergency area has a highly visible orange road surface and better signs to help improve its visibility make it more obvious to drivers on smart motorways, according to 8100 Highways England.

The first of the new emergency areas went live on the M3 near the town of Camberley in July. More upgrades are planned should the trial be successful, said Highways England.  This change is part of an ongoing review into the design and spacing of emergency areas on smart motorways that is due to report in the autumn, said Jim O’Sullivan, Highways England chief executive.

Smart motorways use variable speed limits to manage traffic flow, new technology to give drivers better information on road conditions ahead and – in smart motorway upgrades delivered since 2004 – convert the hard shoulder into an extra traffic lane.

Highways England is the wholly government-owned company responsible for modernising, maintaining and operating England’s motorways and major A roads.

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