J28-J35A Peak Speed Limit
Discussion
So after seeing I wasn't the only one fed up with the speed limit on the M1 between J28 and J35A from the article on the site last week, I decided to to tweet my frustrations and got the following response from Highways England.
Good evening. From 29 March 2017 the final section of the M1 J28-35a smart motorway scheme opened incorporating Britain’s first ever motorway Air Quality based ‘Speed Limit’ (AQSL). The section is J32-34 around the Sheffield/Rotherham area. The first (J28-31) and second (J34-35a) phases are already open. Each of the previously opened phases have been run with the hard shoulder converted as a permanent traffic lane, and with national speed limits. From 29 March, the whole stretch will be subject to a 60mph air quality mitigation speed limit on week day peak hours, Monday-Friday 7am-9am and 3pm-6pm. At other times the motorway will operate at national/variable speed limits. When the 60mph AQSL is in place it is likely to be noticeable that the limit is not there for congestion or safety reasons for the majority of time it is in place. This is because even at peak traffic flows, 10,000 vehicles per hour, there is unlikely to be congestion for more than an hour in the morning (between 7-9) and only on a fraction of the 33 mile stretch. This stretch of motorway (32 miles) is the first and currently only part of the motorway network requiring the implementation of active mitigation to address air quality issues (although it should be noted that large stretches of the motorway and other sections of the SRN potentially fall within AQMAs and / or are subject to AQ levels over the current threshold) . The 60mph AQ speed limit will save around 4% in emissions along the route, keeping it within the Ambient Air Quality Limit but importantly won’t reduce them over the previous 3 lane running motorway. However, without this restriction Highways England has assessed that it would trigger a significant air quality effect breaching the Area Air Quality Limit. Consultation took place with Statutory Environmental Bodies and the Local Planning authorities along the corridor last year on the Environmental Assessment Report (EAR). Sorry this is a very long answer but I hope it covers all your queries.
Good evening. From 29 March 2017 the final section of the M1 J28-35a smart motorway scheme opened incorporating Britain’s first ever motorway Air Quality based ‘Speed Limit’ (AQSL). The section is J32-34 around the Sheffield/Rotherham area. The first (J28-31) and second (J34-35a) phases are already open. Each of the previously opened phases have been run with the hard shoulder converted as a permanent traffic lane, and with national speed limits. From 29 March, the whole stretch will be subject to a 60mph air quality mitigation speed limit on week day peak hours, Monday-Friday 7am-9am and 3pm-6pm. At other times the motorway will operate at national/variable speed limits. When the 60mph AQSL is in place it is likely to be noticeable that the limit is not there for congestion or safety reasons for the majority of time it is in place. This is because even at peak traffic flows, 10,000 vehicles per hour, there is unlikely to be congestion for more than an hour in the morning (between 7-9) and only on a fraction of the 33 mile stretch. This stretch of motorway (32 miles) is the first and currently only part of the motorway network requiring the implementation of active mitigation to address air quality issues (although it should be noted that large stretches of the motorway and other sections of the SRN potentially fall within AQMAs and / or are subject to AQ levels over the current threshold) . The 60mph AQ speed limit will save around 4% in emissions along the route, keeping it within the Ambient Air Quality Limit but importantly won’t reduce them over the previous 3 lane running motorway. However, without this restriction Highways England has assessed that it would trigger a significant air quality effect breaching the Area Air Quality Limit. Consultation took place with Statutory Environmental Bodies and the Local Planning authorities along the corridor last year on the Environmental Assessment Report (EAR). Sorry this is a very long answer but I hope it covers all your queries.
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