Lights will go out on section of M27 to cut pollution (From Daily Echo)
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Lights will go out on section of M27 to cut pollution
7:20am Tuesday 21st April 2009 in
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- By Matt Smith » Politics and business reporter
A STRETCH of Hampshire motorway will be plunged into darkness overnight in a move to reduce carbon emissions and light pollution.
Highways chiefs will cut the lights between junctions 7 and 8 of the M27 near Southampton in the first scheme of its kind in the south east.
The lights will go out between midnight and 5am from Thursday.
Motoring organisations have questioned the safety of the move and claim improving traffic flow would do far more for the environment.
The Highways Agency insists the stretch at Hedge End was selected for its excellent safety record and a very low traffic flow – averaging one vehicle every ten seconds in the early hours.
A regional control centre will override the automatic switch-off if needed and motorway junctions and their approaches will remain lit.
Jon Griffiths, the agency’s network operations director in the south east, said: “We expect to achieve up to a 40 per cent saving in carbon emissions and energy use for each section of motorway where we do this, and local communities will benefit from reduced light pollution of the night sky.”
Hedge End Town Council said it had received no recent complaints about light pollution from the motorway.
Edmund King, president of the AA, said: “All the evidence shows that lit roads and lit motorways are safer than unlit roads.
“The early hours is when you may have someone falling asleep who needs the lighting on.”
Mr King said using more energy efficient and less intrusive lighting was a better idea.
The Highways Agency expects to reduce carbon emissions from lighting the M27 stretch from 204 to 90 tonnes, and cut its energy bill from £40,400 to £17,797 – although start-up costs mean it will take more than a year to see savings.
An average car produces about three tonnes of carbon a year.
Comments(13)
max8678
says...
9:34am Tue 21 Apr 09
well im sure this will soon change if this is put in place long term.
max8678
says...
9:37am Tue 21 Apr 09
Jerry Parsons
says...
9:45am Tue 21 Apr 09
One knows that to go past a red light then means plod waiting round the corner would punish you to full extent of the law(i.e to meet targets)
upthe
says...
10:02am Tue 21 Apr 09
Martin Wellbourne
says...
10:19am Tue 21 Apr 09
soton1980
says...
11:10am Tue 21 Apr 09
Georgem
says...
12:01pm Tue 21 Apr 09
gorf
says...
1:26pm Tue 21 Apr 09
I think that the should put signs above the motor way saying KEEP LEFT UNLESS OVER TAKING
people that sit in the outside lane at 60 do my head in
Georgem
says...
2:13pm Tue 21 Apr 09
gorf wrote:Congratulations! You've won this weeks "Most Transparent Case Of Taking Any Flimsy Excuse To Have A Moan About Something Only Vaguely Related To The Story" award
well there are no motorway lights between eastleigh and winchester on the m3 and thats alright? so why would this cause a problem?
I think that the should put signs above the motor way saying KEEP LEFT UNLESS OVER TAKING
people that sit in the outside lane at 60 do my head in
MangaFace
says...
3:04pm Tue 21 Apr 09
greystonesben
says...
3:44pm Tue 21 Apr 09
paul fareham
says...
6:49pm Tue 21 Apr 09
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A Jerrett says...
9:33am Tue 21 Apr 09