Are we getting a Motorway Just for Smarts ?

[djewson]

Can't see it somehow
But we can dream....

This is Just south of Leeds on the M1

[lalli_d1]

haha funny... it means they are upgrading it to a 'managed motorway'

[djewson]

Yeah I know They're supposed to be changing it to 4 lanes using hard shoulder Silly idea if you ask me

[lalli_d1]

its not that silly if you ask me. there is still ha hard shoulder but at peak times it can be used as an extra lane. there is one just outside birmingham and i think it works well... if used properly

[problemchild1976]

M4 / M5 interchange in bristol has it - works v well (when people remember to use it)

and i've been using the M42 one for ages.

How often is there actually someone in that extra lane broken down??

JJ

[Ocracoke]

its not that silly if you ask me. there is still ha hard shoulder but at peak times it can be used as an extra lane. there is one just outside birmingham and i think it works well... if used properly

I've found that if you are not familar with the hard shoulder lane (as Central Birmingham M6 has in places), you can get caught out by them and head off to a place you didn't want to go to. Luckily, because of the 50 mph limit there, you normally can move out of that lane in time. I'll admit to being reluctant to use it (the M53 doesn't have any of this Managed Motorway business because its a branch/minor motorway) but I'll generally use it if available.

[lalli_d1]

the first time i used one i was on the way down to leamington spa about 4 years ago and i found it like any other motorway. everything was clearly signed on the roadside matrix and there was plenty of time to move out of the wrong lane in time.

[J500ANT]

Trouble is muppets have no idea how to use it! In addition, I think the law should be changed so that lorries can only be in the two inside lanes of a motorway - in these zones they can use three and slow everything up to the point where they might have well not bothered with the "widening".

[lalli_d1]

you could go 1 step further and ban lorries during the day and have them on the roads from 8/9 at night to 6/7 in the morning

[J500ANT]

you could go 1 step further and ban lorries during the day and have them on the roads from 8/9 at night to 6/7 in the morning

You could, but I don't want to incur the wrath of truckers.

[mccsmart2002]

Surely there wouldn't be any need to use the hard shoulder as an extra lane, if the majority of road users remembered to use the inside lane on the motorway accordingly.

Yes, that's aimed at middle lane hoggers and those that always sit in the Audi lane.