Fri, 06 Feb 2026

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 Most smart motorways 'not value for money' say reports

National Highways found only three out of 16 schemes are on track to deliver the financial benefits expected.

* Many smart motorways are failing to offer value for money, with only 3 out of 16 projects delivering financial benefits as expected.
* Two schemes on the M25 and M6 were found to be offering "very poor" value.
* The AA calls the schemes a "catastrophic waste of time, money and effort".
* Smart motorways have a "mixed safety record", with controlled motorways being safer but all-lane-running schemes seeing more fatalities and serious injuries.
* National Highways claims that safety and environmental criteria have been met in most cases, but admits that value for money has generally been lower than anticipated due to lower traffic growth than expected.
* A section of the M25 cost £180m but failed to deliver improvements in journey times as forecast.
* A £118m dynamic hard shoulder section of the M6 near Birmingham made journeys quicker during morning rush hour, but slower during evening rush hour.
* The AA criticizes the methods used in evaluating safety benefits, citing inconsistent figures and an apparent increase in fatalities on certain sections.
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