18 new emergency areas are to be installed on the M1 in our area

These new emergency stop off points are being installed on some of the busiest motorways in the Midlands as part of a nationwide safety programme.   

Fifty-four 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.  

Eighteen set to be installed on the M1 between junctions 28 and 30 in Derbyshire, with work due to begin Tuesday 2 April 2024.

The work is scheduled to be complete by the end of January 2025.

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.  

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.