Managed motorway

Managed motorways in the United Kingdom are motorways which use active traffic management. Their aim is to increase traffic capacity at times of peak traffic flow. They use variable speed limits and hard shoulder running at busy times. A "hard shoulder" is an inner lane which in normal times is only used for emergencies.

Active traffic management was first used in 2005. The system is now in operation on sections of the M1, M4, M6, and M42, and there are proposals for its use on sections of the M5, M25, M60 and M62.

Benefits include smoother traffic flows, more reliable journey times, fewer road traffic collisions, and reduced noise and harmful vehicle emissions. Where only variable speed limits are used, it is called a controlled motorway.

Managed Motorway Media

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  A control room for the M25 J5-7 Smart Motorways scheme, 2014

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  The new emergency area sign being trialled on smart motorways

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  A map of the UK's smart motorway system built from publicly available data of constructed and planned smart motorway systems

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  A section of controlled motorway on the M25 in Hertfordshire

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  M42 with hard shoulder running in the West Midlands. It is shown as closed while the ordinary lanes have a mandatory 40mph speed limit.

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  A stretch of the M25 in Hertfordshire, where the motorway operates as four-lane running without a hard shoulder between J23-27

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  Motorway badge for the A1 (M) motorway