M1 safety: Contractor Costain completes 41 'emergency refuges' on smart motorway near Sheffield

Costain says the 100m long laybys, which are ‘clearly marked’ in orange asphalt and blue signs with an orange SOS telephone symbol, are on a 30-mile stretch where there is no hard shoulder - the equivalent of about one every one-and-a-half miles.

After more than two years of work it is now fully open for traffic at the national speed limit, the firm says.

The original plan was for eight emergency areas between junction 32 at Thurcroft and junction 35A at Stocksbridge.

In May 2023, this was increased to 20, National Highways announced. It led to lane closures and a 50mph limit during construction work.

Now, Costain says it has completed 41 emergency areas as part of National Highways’ £390m National Emergency Area Retrofit (NEAR) programme.

The aim, alongside ‘stopped vehicle detection technology’, is to improve safety following a series of fatal crashes.

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Claire Mercer's husband Jason, aged 44, and Alexandru Murgeanu, 22, died on a smart motorway near Sheffield in 2019. They were killed instantly when a lorry ploughed into them on the M1 after they pulled over to exchange details after a minor collision.

Claire has since campaigned for hard shoulders to be restored on all motorways.

Costain project director, Jacky Li said: “Our work will improve the resilience of the local road network, and the additional emergency areas will increase safety, reduce disruption and improve mobility for road users for many years to come, helping to drive prosperity across Derbyshire and South Yorkshire.”