More emergency areas in the Midlands to be installed

Fifty-four new emergency areas are planned for the M1 in Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire and the M5 in Worcestershire with construction due to begin from the beginning of April.

These new emergency areas are as follows:

• Six on the M1 between junctions 23A and 25 in Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire (due to begin Tuesday 2 April 2024)
• Eighteen on the M1 between junctions 28 and 30 in Derbyshire (due to begin Tuesday 2 April 2024)
• Ten on the M5 between junctions 4A and 6 in Worcestershire (due to begin Tuesday 2 April 2024)
• Twenty on the M1 between junctions 16 and 19 in Northamptonshire (due to begin Tuesday 16 April 2024)

National Highways is investing £390 million to give drivers on its network further opportunities to pull over into a safe space should they break down or experience difficulties while driving.

It committed to building more than 150 emergency areas in January 2022 and progress has been made in both designing and delivering the programme.

Thirteen have already been installed and opened for traffic - eight on the M1 in Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire and five on the M6 in Staffordshire. Construction is already under way on 12 more emergency areas on the M1 in South Yorkshire, 10 between junctions 30 and 31 on the M1 in Derbyshire, and 12 on the M6 between junctions 21A and 26 in Cheshire.

Emergency areas provide a place to stop for drivers in an emergency if they are unable to leave the motorway or stop at a service area. They are clearly signed at regular intervals and have bright orange road surfaces to help identify them.

Each area is 100 metres long meaning there is ample space for all types of vehicle. They are also equipped with emergency telephones linking directly to our control rooms to get help on the way quickly.

National Highways Project Sponsor Felicity Clayton said:

"Safety is our highest priority and we have listened to drivers' concerns about having more places to stop in an emergency on motorways which don't have a permanent hard shoulder.

"This is part of the Government's £900 million investment in further safety improvements on existing smart motorways, which includes adding an additional 150 emergency areas across the network and giving motorists clear advice when using smart motorways to boost public confidence."

For the upgrade to be carried out safely, the left-hand lane will be closed throughout construction. Lanes two, three and four will remain open with a 50mph speed limit in place.

All existing emergency areas on the M1 and M5 will remain open wherever possible throughout construction. At limited locations where it is necessary to temporarily close an emergency area, a new temporary emergency area will be provided nearby and clearly signed. All sections of the emergency areas are due to be completed by March 2025.

National Highways is in close contact with local authorities through coordinated collaborative meeting to minimise the impact of roadworks as much as possible.

Drivers can use real-time traffic information for England's motorways at trafficengland.com as well as X (Twitter) updates by following @NationalHways. Any closures will also be visible on satellite navigation.

Further information

Where can I find advice on how to drive on motorways?

There is extensive advice available on National Highways' website: https://nationalhighways.co.uk/road-safety/driving-on-motorways

What should I do if my vehicle breaks down?

We always advise that if you need to stop in an emergency you should try and exit the motorway at the next exit. There is detailed advice at: https://nationalhighways.co.uk/road-safety/breakdowns

If you cannot exit the motorway or go left and you need to stop in a live lane:

Stay in your vehicle with your seatbelt(s) and hazard lights on

Call National Highways on 0300 123 5000 (or 999 if it is an emergency)

Tell the operator if you are disabled and/or a vulnerable motorist such as an older person or travelling alone .

Keep details of your breakdown provider with you. Your breakdown provider may give you additional instructions in the event of a breakdown.

The emergency services will alert the control room and they will close motorway lanes with Red X(s) and send other help if required, such as a Traffic Officer.

Always carry any medication you need with you and prepare for your journey in advance.

People who are unable to use the emergency roadside phones due to a hearing, speech or physical impairment can contact us via text on 0738 028 3600 for roadside assistance.

We also offer British Sign Language users the SignLive service for getting in touch with our customer contact centre.

Both of these services are available 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Notes to Editors

National Highways is the wholly government-owned company responsible for modernising, maintaining and operating England's motorways and major A roads.

Real-time traffic information for England'smotorways and major A roads is available via the Traffic England website, local and national radio travel bulletins, electronic road signs and mobile apps. Local Twitter services are also available.

For further information please contact National Highways' press office (24hrs) on 0844 693 1448 and select the most appropriate option:

Option 1: National enquiries (9am to 5.30pm) and out of hours for urgent enquiries
Option 2: North West (9am to 5.30pm)
Option 3: Yorkshire and North East (9am to 5.30pm)
Option 4: West Midlands (9am to 5.30pm)
Option 5: East Midlands (9am to 5.30pm)
Option 6: East (9am to 5.30pm)
Option 7: South East (9am to 5.30pm)
Option 8: South West (9am to 5.30pm)

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