Most concrete roads are found in the North East, Yorkshire, East Anglia and the South East; the project will focus on resurfacing stretches of the A11, A14, A12, A120 and M11, upgrading approximately 200 miles (2%) of the National Road Network. 

Concrete, despite being the second most-used substance in the world, runs into problems on the roads. Made by mixing aggregate (crushed rock and sand), along with cement and water, concrete forms a stiff but strong solid.

This rigidity, however, means road surfaces are prone to cracks, especially if the underlying foundations are not perfectly smooth.

Asphalt is also aggregate-based but uses bitumen, a sticky material derived from crude oil, as a binder. The mixture is heated and pressed into the road’s surface with a steamroller. 

Once cooled, asphalt surfaces are highly durable, providing also good flexibility to accommodate imperfections in the surface beneath – a feature that gives it the edge over concrete. 

National Highways Martin Fellows welcomes a refresh: “‘The A11 is a vital route used by 45,000 drivers every day for work journeys and home deliveries, visits to friends and family, and the movement of goods and services. However, the road surface of this stretch is more than 25 years old and despite serving us well, is coming to the end of its life and needs reconstruction.”

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The platform is the UK’s first Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) technology, which has been developed by a consortium led by Vodafone, Nokia and Chordant. Its purpose is to improve the safety of all road users by combining modern mobile technologies with intelligent in-vehicle systems.

Drivers that have opted-in to the service will be provided with real-time road information on the go. The localised and targeted updates will include anything from lane closures to speed restrictions and traffic accidents.

To begin with, the notifications will be available through drivers’ smartphones, but the technology will be introduced to in-car systems in the future. Authorities are also trialling its use in easing traffic jams and hope that it could eventually allow emergency services to respond to incidents more efficiently.

Furthermore, the project is seen as taking an important first step in the innovation and technology needed to safely introduce self-driving vehicles to UK roads.

Vodafone stated that in 2020, over 70% of all cars were built with digital telematics capabilities, which will only help to create a more streamlined and connected transport ecosystem.

Luke Ibbetson, Head of Group R&D at Vodafone, said: “It’s fantastic to see vehicle-to-everything mobile technology being deployed on the open road for the first time in the UK. Meanwhile, we are working with the automotive industry and road operators to have the technology integrated within vehicles and transport infrastructure to make our roads safer.”

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This comes a year and a half after the law initially changed in order to allow camera evidence to be used for prosecutions.

Since not all of the Hadecs 3 cameras are completely operational, it has been reported that in some cases, the government-owned company is still sending warning letters to drivers who are in violation of lane closures.

Highways England has stated that the ‘phased national roll-out programme’ of the enforcement cameras (expected to be completed by July 2023) has been delayed due to COVID-19, meaning that some systems have been unable to be tested and the technology upgraded.

The lack of ability to catch motorists who do break the rules is causing concern among some groups, at a time when smart motorways are already under fire for safety concerns.

AA President, Edmund King, said: “One premise of smart motorways is that the technology is meant to make them safer. Having red X technology without widespread enforcement may undermine the effectiveness of the whole system.

‘Most drivers will still abide by the red X but a minority of drivers, if they believe they will get away with it, will continue to put other drivers at risk by ignoring the warning. Widespread enforcement is needed as soon as possible or more lives will be put at risk, as 38% of breakdowns on smart motorways happen in live lanes”.

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