Calls to reinstate hard shoulder on M4 between Theale and London

There are growing calls to reinstate the hard shoulder on the M4 between Theale and London amid reports that Rishi Sunak could stop any new smart motorways from being built.

An £848m project to turn the 32-mile stretch of the M4 between junctions 12 at Theale and 3 at Hayes into a smart motorway was completed in December 2022.

However, the Prime Minister is said to be considering scrapping the rollout of any more over safety fears.

While that has been welcomed by some critics, the RAC has suggested the Government goes a step further and reverses the work it has done on existing smart motorways, including the M4.

Smart motorways involve turning the hard shoulder into a running lane and using variable speed limits to control the flow of traffic.

The removal of the hard shoulder means technology is relied on to detect broken-down vehicles.

While Highways England claims smart motorways cut congestion, they have been blamed for causing many accidents and deaths.

These include the death of a 60-year-old woman on the smart motorway part of the M4 at junction 12 in March 2022 and a man whose car was stranded on the inside of lane at junction 6 in May 2021.

RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said: “If ministers are giving serious consideration to completely scrapping new all-lane-running smart motorways, then this is an admission that the Government no longer has faith in these types of roads.

“The next big question is: What happens to the hundreds of miles of motorway without a hard shoulder?

“It’s clear from RAC research that drivers want the hard shoulder back, so it may be the case that solid white lines have to be painted to all the inside lanes of these motorways.”