Congestion-busting scheme goes live
A scheme to reduce congestion and improve traffic flows at some of the M1's busiest junctions in the East Midlands will be switched on in stages this month - with the first set going live this week.
Work to install the part-time lights, or 'ramp meters', on the slip roads is complete and a period of testing will now take place.
The lights on the southbound entry slip road at M1 junction 25 will be switched on for the first time on Tuesday, 8 April.
The lights on the entry slip road at junction 28 northbound, junction 29 north and southbound and junction 24 northbound will be switched on throughout April.
The lights, which will be used during rush hour and peak times of congestion, will be assessed for two months so the settings can be fine-tuned.
The ramp metering lights release just a few vehicles at a time to prevent a bottleneck forming.
The work is part of an £18m project, which sees 70 sites being introduced in England by 2009. The East Midlands scheme is costing £1m.
The system has been shown to reduce congestion and improve journey times on the motorway by up to 9% in parts of the Midlands and the North.
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