M20 journeys 'will be smoother and safer'

Date: 11/8/2010

A controlled motorway system will be established on the M20 later this month, the Highways Agency has announced.

The operation, which will be set up between junctions four and seven near Maidstone, Kent, will use road sensors to measure the speed, volume and flow of traffic.

It is hoped the system will help to manage traffic jams at peak times and reduce the risk of collisions by varying speed limits.

Barry Westwood, Highways Agency Regional Performance Manager, said: "The controlled motorway system will bring great benefits to drivers … helping to reduce congestion and make drivers' journeys safer and more reliable by smoothing traffic flows."

The procedure has been used successfully on the M25 since 1995, he stated, where it has reduced the number of accidents by ten per cent.

A five-month project to reduce congestion on the M40 in Oxfordshire began this week, which adds an extra lane to the busiest parts of junction nine where the motorway meets the A34.

Posted by Sarah Bailey