Today, I am thrilled to pass on the details* of a major widening project aimed at reducing traffic congestion and enhancing safety on the M1 motorway between junctions 10 and 13 in Bedfordshire. The scheme, which costs £601 million, involves expanding a 15-mile (25km) stretch of the M1 to four lanes in each direction between Luton and Bedford (M1 junctions 10-13). Additionally, improvements will be made to junctions 11, 12, and 13. For better traffic management, The Highways Agency'll also be installing signalling systems along the motorway in Luton to control speed when necessary.
To keep everyone informed, draft orders and an environmental statement are now available for public viewing at various locations in Bedfordshire. Moreover, they're organizing public exhibitions in Luton, Harlington, Flitwick, and Toddington during May and June.
Lynne Stinson, the dedicated Highways Agency Project Leader, expressed her excitement, stating, "We're one step closer to widening this section of the M1. With a staggering 140,000 vehicles using this stretch on a daily basis, we need the extra lanes to ensure a safer and less congested route."
This project closely resembles the one presented during public exhibitions from November 2004 to January 2005. Noteworthy features include a dedicated climbing lane for heavy, slow-moving vehicles between Junctions 11 and 10 when heading south. Furthermore, they'll construct new connecting roads to link the motorway with Junction 12 and Toddington Motorway Service Area. By enhancing Junctions 11 and 12,they'll significantly increase their capacity to handle traffic from the widened motorway. Lastly, the scheme will incorporate new south-facing slip roads at Junction 13.
The construction of the exciting Scheme is set to kick off in 2008, with the main construction works starting in the spring of 2009. The initial focus will be on the northern section before moving on to the southern section. They're anticipating completing the construction by late 2011.
I'm extremely excited about this project and look forward to seeing improvement in your driving experience along the M1 motorway. Stay tuned for updates!
See What's Happening
The draft Orders and the Environmental Statement can be seen at:
- Bedfordshire County Council, County Hall, Cauldwell Street, Bedford MK42 9AP;
- Luton Borough Council, Town Hall, George Street, Luton LU1 2BQ;
- South Bedfordshire District Council, The District Offices, High Street North, Dunstable LU6 1LF;
- Mid Bedfordshire District Council, The Limes, Dunstable Street, Ampthill, Bedfordshire MK45 2JU;
- Flitwick Town Council, The Rufus Centre, Steppingley Road, Flitwick, Bedfordshire MK41 1AH;
- Houghton Regis Library, Bedford Square, Houghton Regis, Dunstable LU5 5ES;
- Toddington Parish Council, Parish Office, Leighton Road, Toddington LU5 6AN;
- Dunstable Town Council, Grove House, 76 High Street, Dunstable Lu6 1NF;
- Ampthill Town Council, 66 Dunstable Street, Ampthill MK45 2JS;
In May and June, public exhibitions will be held at:
- Toddington Village Hall, Leighton Road, Toddington, Bedfordshire on Saturday 9 June from 10am to 4pm.
Information about the scheme and a copy of the non-technical summary of the Environmental Statement are available on Highways Agency website http://www.highways.gov.uk
* HIGHWAYS AGENCY News Release (E35/07) issued by The Government News Network on 29 March 2007
