HA carbon saving scheme extended on M1

The Highways Agency (HA) has announced that lighting is to be permanently switched off on a carefully selected stretch of motorway in the East of England, in order to reduce carbon emissions and light pollution. Lights on a 21km (13 miles) stretch of the M1 between junction 13 (Bedford) and the border between Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire will be switched-off on September 4. The move follows a careful assessment by the HA, which shows that the safety record along this stretch of motorway is good and that the lights can be switched off without increasing risks to road user safety. It is the second stretch of motorway in the region where lighting is being switched-off. In August 2011, lighting was switched off on the M1 between junctions 10 (Luton) and 13 (Bedford). Under a revised standard for lighting on England's motorways and major A roads introduced in 2007, lights would not be installed at these sites if the existing lighting was due to be replaced, or if the sites were opening as new. The motorway junctions and their approaches will remain lit. The HA’s ‘carbon saving’ policy has seen lights being switched off permanently on a total of 58.2km (36.2 miles) of its network and 76.3km (47.4 miles) where lights are switched off between 12:00 and 05:00.

David Gingell, the HA’s regional director for the East of England, said, “Since 2009 we’ve switched lighting off between the hours of Midnight and 5am on 13 carefully selected stretches of motorways, and evidence so far indicates that switching off the lights hasn’t had an impact on safety. Analysis also suggests that driver behavior does not appear to have been affected in terms of traffic volumes and speed. We are confident we can now begin to permanently switch off motorway lights at certain sites. This is not about wishing to remove all lights from the motorway network. It’s about carefully identifying the locations where, under the revised guidelines, we would not consider installing lighting. The money saved could then be used elsewhere on the Strategic Road Network, where it would have a more significant safety benefit and potentially save more lives. We anticipate achieving an annual reduction in carbon emissions on this stretch of motorway of about 1,094 tonnes. Local communities will also benefit from reduced light pollution of the night sky.”

29 August 2012