Damage to M25 revealed as clear up continues after Friday's serious crash

THE Highways Agency has revealed the extent of the damage caused by the lorry crash that closed the M25 between Junctions 7-8 on Friday causing tailback reported to be 30 miles long in both directions around the Ondon Orbital road.

Thousands of vehicles and their drivers and passengers were caught up in the ensuing chaos including people trying to get to Gatwick Airport and further south into Sussex at the start of the second of the peak summer holiday weekends.

The serious collision happened shortly after 4pm on Friday and caused substantial damage to both sides of the road, an overhead gantry on the anti-clockwise carriageway, which was hit by the lorry and had to be removed, the central reservation barrier and the road surfaces on both carriageways.

The Highways Agency also said that all four lanes of the anti-clockwise carriageway needed to be resurfaced due to diesel corrosion as well as two lanes of the clockwise carriageway after it suffered gouging in the collision.

It is believed that the lorry crashed after a tyre blow out before colliding with the overhead gantry and the central reservation.

The driver suffered serious injuries including to his legs and was airlifted by helicopter to hospital in London.

The lorry was reported to have been loaded with large alluminium steel bales, two of which fell off and landed on the oppposite carriageway where they came into collision with a Lexus and a Micra.

Both the driver and front seat passenger of the Micra are believed to have suffered serious injuries with the driver also being airlifted to hospital.

A spokesman for the Highways Agency said drivers should check traffic conditions before they set out and allow extra time for their journeys.

Live traffic information is available via the Highways Agency’s website www.highways.gov.uk/traffic, local and national radio travel bulletins, DAB digital “Traffic Radio”, electronic road signs and mobile platforms such as the iPhone.

Providing they can do so safely, road users can also call the Highways Agency Information Line (0300 123 5000) to keep up to date with road conditions.

A Twitter service is also available giving regional traffic information from @HAtraffic_seast.

Highways Agency carbon saving scheme extended | HGV UK.com

Following a careful assessment, analysis shows that the lights can be switched off on stretches of the motorway between junctions 10 (Luton) and 13 (Milton Keynes) without affecting road user safety. The motorway junctions and their approaches, and a section of the M1 on either side of junction 11 (north Luton), will have lighting columns replaced and remain lit.

Currently work is underway to upgrade 15 miles of the M1 between junctions 10 and 13 to a managed motorway – reducing congestion and improving safety for road users by using variable speed limits and the opening the hard shoulder as additional lanes during peak periods.

Lighting along this stretch of the M1 is in a poor state of repair. Under revised standards for lighting on England’s motorways and major A roads introduced in 2007, lights would not be installed here if the existing lighting was due to be replaced or if it was opening as a new motorway.

After careful analysis, the Highways Agency is confident that managed motorways can also be operated unlit, without affecting their proven congestion reducing and safety benefits.

Derek Turner, Director for the Highways Agency, said: “Since 2009 we’ve switched lighting off between the hours of midnight and 5am on 14 carefully selected stretches of motorways and evidence so far indicates that switching off the lights hasn’t had an impact on safety. In March this year we also began permanently switching off motorway lights at three 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 no longer install lighting. The money saved could then be used for other measures 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 M1 stretch of about 810 tonnes. Local communities will also benefit from reduced light pollution of the night sky.”

From 17 August, the switch-off and removal of lighting columns will be carried out in phases until autumn 2012, alongside work to complete the managed motorways scheme. A low-light CCTV camera system, which is able to operate without motorway lighting, will be installed so Highways Agency staff can monitor the motorway 24-7.

The Highways Agency has spoken to emergency services and other stakeholders to make them aware.

Advanced polymer composites for structural applications in construction, ACIC 2004 : proceedings of the second international conference, held at the University of Surrey, Guildford, UK on 20-22 April 2004

Composite materials in concrete construction, proceedings of the international seminar held at the University of Dundee, Scotland, UK on 5-6 September, 2002

Inspection manual for highway structures, Vol. 2: Inspector's handbook

Highways Agency, Contracting for Highways Maintenance

Contracting for highways maintenance, Highways Agency