{"id":15482,"date":"2023-04-15T21:42:45","date_gmt":"2023-04-16T04:42:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/government-scraps-smart-motorways-programme\/"},"modified":"2023-04-15T21:42:46","modified_gmt":"2023-04-16T04:42:46","slug":"government-scraps-smart-motorways-programme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/government-scraps-smart-motorways-programme\/","title":{"rendered":"Government scraps Smart motorways programme"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/essential.construction\/files\/membership-default-internal\/\" class=\"memberhide\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2023\/01\/20220718_175041000_iOS.jpg\" alt=\"-\"><\/a><br\/><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Eleven projects already paused and three more earmarked for construction during the third Road Investment Strategy (2025 to 2030) will be removed from government road-building plans.<\/p>\n<p>Announcing the decision over the weekend the Department of Transport blamed financial pressures and the current lack of public confidence about safe operation of Smart motorway recovery systems.<\/p>\n<p>While no new stretches of road will be converted into smart motorways, the M56 J6-8 and M6 J21a-26 will be completed given they are already over three-quarters constructed.<\/p>\n<p>The government and National Highways has also committed to continue to invest \u00a3900m in further safety improvements on existing smart motorways.<\/p>\n<p>This includes installing 150 extra emergency areas across the network as well as further improving the performance of stopped vehicle detection technology on every all-lane running smart motorway.<\/p>\n<p>The government will also continue to give motorists clear advice when using existing smart motorways.<\/p>\n<p>Initial estimates suggest constructing future smart motorway schemes would have cost more than \u00a31bn.<\/p>\n<p>While figures are not publicly available the Smart motorway programme was beset by cost overruns even before rampant cost inflation began to bite last year.<\/p>\n<p>There were also several investigations into procurement and payment practices on the programme.<\/p>\n<p>Concerns about smart motorway projects are understood to have spurred National Highways last year to order its main contractors to spell out their anti-fraud and corruption policies amid concern about potential problems on major roads projects.<\/p>\n<p>Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: \u201cToday\u2019s announcement means no new smart motorways will be built, recognising the lack of public confidence felt by drivers and the cost pressures due to inflation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-5143531171910809\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- News - Bottom -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5143531171910809\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"8320848692\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.constructionenquirer.com\/2023\/04\/15\/government-scraps-smart-motorways-programme\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">This article was originally posted at Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Eleven projects already paused and three more earmarked for construction during the third Road Investment Strategy (2025 to 2030) will &#8230; 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