HWY/Motorway/TBT-HWY-009

Motorway Working (Smart Motorways)

Highways & Road Works › Motorway › Motorway Working (Smart Motorways)

Presenter		Project
Location		Date

Smart motorways use technology to manage traffic flow and may have no permanent hard shoulder.
Working on smart motorways carries extreme risk due to high-speed traffic and variable lane use.
All works must comply with Chapter 8 of the Traffic Signs Manual and GD 308 standards.
An Impact Protection Vehicle (IPV) is mandatory for most works on high-speed roads.
Lane closures require coordination with National Highways regional operations centres.
Emergency refuge areas (ERAs) replace the hard shoulder on all-lane-running sections.
Workers face risks from live traffic, especially during setup and removal of traffic management.
Speed compliance and driver attention reduce significantly during long motorway work zones.
All operatives must hold the correct Highways England sector scheme qualifications.
Fatalities among road workers on smart motorways have prompted major safety reviews.

Extreme danger	High-speed traffic passing within metres of operatives creates a constant risk of fatal vehicle incursion into work areas.
Legal compliance	Chapter 8 and GD 308 set mandatory requirements — non-compliance can result in prosecution and contract termination.
Worker protection	Correct signing, guarding, and IPV deployment are the only barriers between workers and vehicles travelling at up to 70 mph.
Public safety	Poorly managed motorway works increase the risk of serious collisions affecting road users and workers alike.

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See also: Chapter 8 Signing and Guarding | IPV (Impact Protection Vehicle) Use

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