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No hard shoulder driving on M25
By Gary Cleland
Last Updated: 1:37am GMT 26/12/2007

The M25 will not be included in an innovative scheme to reduce congestion on major roads by allowing motorists to drive on the hard shoulder at peak times, the Government has confirmed.

The Highways Agency is planning instead to widen the London ring-road, one of Europe's busiest motorways, despite criticism from environmental campaigners.

Converting hard shoulders for traffic use costs between £5 million and £15 million a mile while widening a 63-mile stretch of the 118-mile M25 will cost £79 million a mile.

Stephen Joseph, of the Campaign for Better Transport, said: "The more the Government expands the main road network and generates traffic on it, the more surrounding roads will jam up.

"The biggest argument in favour of hard shoulder running is that it manages the traffic much more carefully."

A trial of the hard shoulder scheme, on the M42 near Birmingham, has been deemed a success by Ruth Kelly, the Transport Secretary.

A study has been commissioned to examine how to introduce it on other motorways.

However, a Department for Transport spokesman said: "The M25 is a key strategic route which is critical to the UK economy and has some of the highest traffic flows in Europe. There is a strong case for providing an additional permanent lane along this route."

The RAC Foundation backed the announcement. Sheila Rainger, head of campaigns at the foundation, said: "Hard shoulder running is a good short-term solution and we have backed trials, although it seems very early to be rolling it out across the country on the basis of a six-month trial on the M42.

"It cannot be a substitute for a proper widening programme."

I'd love to see a breakdown of where this money goes before and after it goes to contractors

The more the Government expands the main road network and generates traffic on it, the more surrounding roads will jam up.

The M25 OTOH frequently converts L1 into an exit (ie. every time it intersects with another motorway, which is a lot of the time) so opening up the hard shoulder wont achieve very much as you'll still be stuck with only two lanes to carry on straight ahead.