Smart motorways to switch off TODAY as part of crucial tech update – check if your journey’s affected
ENGLAND'S smart motorways are set to switch off today as part of an essential tech update.
The roads will remain open throughout the coming week but things like car-detection software and variable speed limit signs will be unavailable.
Smart motorways are those that include an adaptive lane which can be used as normal but turned into a hard shoulder at a moment's notice if a car is forced to pull over and stop.
The idea is to increase traffic flow while still retaining a hard shoulder in the event of breakdowns.
Controversy over the safety of the scheme led to the further rollout of smart motorways being halted by the Government last year.
But stretches of the UK's road network still make use of the tech, including the M42, M25, M23 and M62.
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Now, National Highways has confirmed that many of these will be affected by crucial maintenance work in the coming days.
This will start tonight with smart motorways in all regions of the country affected from 10pm to 3am tomorrow morning.
Then, from December 2 to December 4, there will be extensive work carried out on several motorways during the daytime.
Starting on Monday, the M23 will be affected from J10 to J8, as well as the M25 from J12 to J14, with the disruption lasting from 10am to 2pm and 3pm respectively.
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The next day will see the M25 affected in the opposite direction from J14 to J13, while all motorways in the East region will be impacted from 9am to noon.
These are coupled with a series of overnight work, with J7a of the M42 affected from 10.30pm to 5am both Monday and Tuesday night.
And another "all regions" shutdown will take place from 11pm on December 3 to 1am on December 4.
No closures are planned for the period, but officials will not be able to adjust electronic signage or use the car detection software that is used to regulate the hard shoulder.
A spokesperson for National Highways said: "As a result of essential technology maintenance, Smart Motorway stopped vehicle detection and/or the ability to reset electronic signs and signals will not be in operation along some sections of the above motorways for periods during these times.
"There are no road closures planned for this work.
"Where required, we have well-rehearsed plans and mitigations including extra Traffic Officer patrols, increased CCTV monitoring and reduced speed limits in locations that require these measures to be put in place."