M62 hard shoulder plan to beat congestion

Oct 29 2007 by David Higgerson, Liverpool Daily Post

THOUSANDS of motorists could be encouraged to drive on the hard shoulder of the M62 as part of a package of proposals to ease rush hour congestion.

Influential regeneration body the Northern Way is urging the Government to consider using the hard shoulder as a fourth lane during the busiest times.

The organisation also wants businesses in new developments along the M62 to stagger their working hours to minimise the number of cars during rush hours.

It comes after Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly announced last week motorists will be allowed to use the hard shoulder on stretches of the M6, M42 and M40, after a trial on the M42 showed improvements for motorists, the environment and the economy.

A report prepared for Northern Way about the long-term future of the M62 makes a series of recommendations which have now been passed on to the Government.

At the heart of the plan is the fact that key “city regions” in the North – such as Merseyside, Greater Manchester and Leeds – will see their economies struggle if the M62 becomes gridlocked.

A free flowing M62 is also seen as vital for the regeneration of northern ports, including Liverpool. The organisation also wants hard shoulder use to be considered on the M56 in Cheshire.

Northern Way is tasked with closing the North-South divide by promoting economic regeneration. Because of the importance the Government places on that agenda, reports prepared by the organisation carry a lot of weight within Whitehall circles.

Liverpool-bound traffic on the M62 is often reduced to 40mph during rush-hours, and regular delays are expected by 2010.

Congestion is expected to get much worse as John Lennon Airport in Liverpool expands, and the massive Omega development in Warrington, running alongside the M62, takes shape. Thousands of extra jobs – and traffic move- ments – are expected as a result.

The Northern Way report calls on the Government to include the M62 in the roll-out of “active control management” across the UK’s motorway network following the trial on a stretch of the M42 in the West Midlands.

It says the scheme, which includes using the hard shoulder, will only be unnecessary if national road user charging is introduced.

Last night, a Northern Way spokesman said: “Measures involving active traffic management will be needed on the M62, M56 and M6 if the Government decides not to proceed with a system of national road user charging.”

Its argument is strengthened by the fact a Highways Agency report into the key M62 route last year concluded that: “Narrow lanes and hard shoulder running are potential measures to address route outcomes relating to reduce congestion, improved flow for strategic traffic and improved journey time reliability.”

A spokesman for the Highways Agency said: “Soon after 2010 radical measures need to be introduced to address congestion on the M62. Without intervention some strategic sites could be at risk.”

Manchester Airport has also backed the plan, believing it will make journey times to and from the North West’s largest airport more predictable.

Active traffic management involves the installation of gantries which allow a control centre to change the speed limit depending on volume of traffic. Alterations to the motorway make it possible for the control centre to tell drivers to use the hard shoulder if the main carriageway becomes congested.

Lay-bys are created at regular intervals for vehicles which break down. Although such work can cost millions of pounds, it is still much cheaper than widening a motorway.

But safety groups have concerns. Kevin Clinton, head of road safety at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said: “Our reservations about using the hard shoulder are that in a major incident it may take emergency services longer to reach the scene as well as the practicalities of where drivers are able to stop their vehicles if they break down.

“There are also maintenance issues, including the need to keep the hard shoulder free of the debris that typically builds up there.”

Insurance companies also fear regular use of hard shoulders would lead to a rise in accidents.

Tony Chilcott, head of car insurance at Direct Line, said: “It is feasible that a motorist misusing the hard shoulder as a running lane could slam into a broken down vehicle on the hard shoulder, causing a major accident.

“We strongly believe that hard shoulder running lanes should be used only during peak times to ease congestion in slow moving traffic, where roads are closely monitored by surveillance cameras and only in good weather conditions.”

But a spokesman for the Freight Transport Association said: “Action must be taken to control and reduce the enormously costly congestion that is a daily problem on the UK’s busiest trade routes – including the M62.

“Ideally we need a substantial increase in investment aimed at widening the most congested motorways.

Without positive action, congestion over the next few years is going to cost the nation and individuals millions of man hours and billions of pounds.

“Active traffic management on the M42 has proved that it is possible to safely switch hard shoulder running on and off. ”

Rebecca Lush Blum, the Campaign for Better Transport roads and climate campaigner, said: “Managing traffic is not enough – we need to reduce it.”

Another Northern Way plan, although currently not for the stretch of M62 between Liverpool and Manchester, is for lorries to be banned from overtaking each other during rush hour.

The possibility of “switch lanes” – ones which can be swapped between one carriageway to the other depending on traffic volumes – has also been suggested.

Councils may also be asked to include planning conditions which stipulate new business parks only work hours which will not add to rush hour traffic problems.

davidhiggerson@dailypost.co.uk