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PostPosted: Wed Jan 07, 2015 03:20 
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M60 speed camera fiasco won't be resolved for another fortnight
Jan 05, 2015 17:09 By John Scheerhout

The legal wrangle over the enforcement of the 50mph average speed limit through the works on the M60 won’t be resolved until January 22

The first 32 of 48 cameras have now been activated - with the final 16 to be up and running soon

Drivers will be able to escape speeding fines through the M60 roadworks for at least two more weeks.

As engineers announced night-time closures of the motorway, the M.E.N. has learned that the legal wrangle over the enforcement of the 50mph average speed limit through the works won’t be resolved until January 22.

Only then will motorists who exceed the 50mph limit be handed speeding fines.

In November, the M.E.N. revealed how the 50 average speed cameras along a 17-mile stretch of motorway from junction eight at Stretford to junction 20 of the M62 at Rochdale were rendered useless because of a row over the legality of the speed limit.

A QC told GMP the ‘temporary regulation order’ which stipulated the 50mph limit was unlawful as worded and would fail if challenged.

Rather than risk a huge payout years from now, the Highways Agency - under pressure from GMP - is in the process of revising the order.

The M.E.N. understands it will be ready and effective from January 22.

Meanwhile the Highways Agency has revealed sections of the M60 will be closed at night to make sure the £208m ‘smart’ motorway project remains on schedule and reduce congestion during the days.

The night-time closures will enable engineers to introduce temporary narrow lanes to create more space for adjacent works.

Sections of the motorway will be closed between 10pm and 5am while the narrow lanes are installed, starting with the anti-clockwise carriageway of the M60 between junction 16 (Swinton) and junction 14 (St Helens) from 10pm on Monday, January 12.

The scheme, due to be completed by autumn 2017, will introduce around 200 new electronic signs which will warn drivers of changes in the mandatory speed limit, lane closures and incidents ahead.

The hard shoulder will also be permanently converted to an extra lane between junctions 18 and 20 of the M62.

Project manager Stephen Greenhalgh said: “We’re doing all we can to keep the impact of the smart motorway work to a minimum and we’ll be able to keep all of the lanes open by introducing narrow lanes from next week.

“The closures will be taking place overnight when far fewer people will be using the motorway, so that drivers can continue to travel on the M60 as normal during the day.

“We’re now six months into the smart motorway project and work on the scheme is progressing well. When the project is completed, we will be able to use the latest technology to tackle congestion and bring an end to the stop-start conditions many of us have experienced in the past.”

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PostPosted: Wed Jan 07, 2015 03:36 
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What a total nightmare this waste of money project is.
The ONLY benefit is the warning of incidents ahead, however neigh essential considering the complete and utterly dangerous mess traffic gets into when the hard shoulder is totally blocked! In normal conditions a forewarning to help guide drivers would be beneficial at all times, obviously!

Considering that TRL595 tells us that gatso cameras have a 13% negative effect to road safety at motorway roadworks, how is this proposal mean to help ?
Stretching the current inadequate road facilities, is IMHO highly likely to back fire very badly when emergency services cannot get through!
Then what, extra opening in the central reservation ?
Not good.
To deliberately reduce traffic to far lower speed limits is already creating zombie-like drivers who are paying little attention and far less ready to respond to hazards. Anticipation of the surrounding traffic is massively reduced adding to the reduction in road safety as people are having to check their speedo's at every camera location or 'take an un-necessary risk' that may result in a total change to their lifestyle and livelihood.
I fully appreciate the necessity of temporary reductions in speed, when hazards like lane narrowing for certain roadworks are undertaken but considering it is to introduce all the gantries for cameras and traffic monitoring it is nothing but extremely worrying!

We know that there is a tabled motion to privatise the Highways Agency and that all major roads become Toll Roads !
It would therefore make sense that all these gantries are being introduced for this purpose, that would help to justify this massive investment! :(
Not only will this monitor the public like never before but prevent travel for all and make many take to the lesser quality roads increasing travel times and seeing a greater rise in road accidents!

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