Motorways: Speed Limits

(asked on 25th January 2022) - View Source

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing variable speed limits along long stretches of roadworks on motorways so that motorists travelling at times when no work is taking place, such as evenings and weekends, are not required to travel at low speed.


Answered by
Trudy Harrison Portrait
Trudy Harrison
This question was answered on 28th January 2022

On the Strategic Road Network (SRN), which comprises our motorways and principal A roads, keeping disruption from road works and traffic management to a minimum is an important priority for National Highways (NH). NH keeps the maximum number of lanes open at busy times and carries out the vast majority of work requiring extra restrictions either overnight or at the weekend, when traffic flows are lowest. Where works are undertaken overnight, NH is often able to keep the speed limit at 70mph.

Reduced traffic volumes are not the only factor when determining the appropriate speed for road works. Visibility and carriageway widths, amongst other things, need to be considered to ensure the safety of road workers and road users.

NH has increased the speed limit through most road works from 50mph to 60mph and uses more contraflows on its schemes, which can reduce the need for closures. This has led to improved journey times and saved 3,800,000 vehicle hours and £63 million.

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