Southampton councillor wants rethink on M27 smart motorway

Redbridge Councillor Lee Whitbread has expressed his concern of the roll-out of smart motorways and how safe they are for the motorists that use them.

A total of £244 million has been spent on converting the M27 into a smart motorway, which will involve various methods to manage the flow of traffic, such as converting the hard shoulder into a live running lane.

They are used by Highways England to boost capacity rather than the more costly process of widening roads.

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Cllr Whitbread has said the Government needs to “rethink” their plans and has said he backs campaigners working to scrap the scheme.

Redbridge Councillor Lee Whitbread

He told the Daily Echo: “I fully support campaigners calling for the smart motorways project to be scrapped.

“It’s only a matter of time before another fatality occurs.

“These road schemes are not only expensive but also a death trap and it’s clear that the vast majority of the public have serious concerns about the smart motorways project.”

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He added: “Locally the M27 is being converted into a smart motorway at a cost of £244 million and the project is expected to be completed in September 2021.

“I think the government needs to rethink its plan for smart motorways, we’ve already seen some horrendous accidents reported in the press and tragically even fatalities.”

It comes just months after a man was killed on the M27 after he tried to walk across the carriageway.

On December 29, police were called to reports of a collision involving a brown Peugeot car and the central reservation of the M27 between junction 8 and junction 9.

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The driver of the Peugeot, a 41-year-old man, is then believed to have exited his car and walk across the westbound carriageway where he was involved in a collision with a Royal Mail lorry.

The 41-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene.

A report by road safety charity Brake and breakdown provider Green Flag revealed that 48 per cent of motorists do not know the rules of driving on a smart motorway.

Brake said that the findings reinforce the urgent need to improve public awareness of smart motorways.

With an average of two deaths or serious injuries every day on UK motorways, Brake and Green Flag are committed to ensuring smart motorways are as safe as possible for everyone.