How long will the misery last?
Starting today, M1 users will experience the start of a 10-mile project to widen the M1 between the M25 and Luton -- while adding a car-pool lane.
The result, said the Highways Agency, will be a four-lane motorway achieved mainly by widening the following sections:
- Junctions 6A-7 southbound
- Junctions 8-9 northbound and southbound
- Junctions 9-10 southbound
And between junctions 7 and 10, the scheme also includes a trial of the first use in the UK of motorway High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes.
Costing £289 million, the work should upgrade the road which is one of the busiest motorways in Britain, carrying over 160,000 vehicles per day. According to the Agency, work is due to get fully underway early next year but the HA didn't say how long the project would take.
Roads minister Stephen Ladyman said: "Regular users of the M1 - business and leisure travellers, hauliers, and airport traffic - will be delighted to hear that widening of this busy section of the M1 is due to start soon. Once widening is completed, the M1 between Milton Keynes and St Albans is planned to host Britain's first motorway car share lane, a dedicated lane for vehicles carrying two or more people during peak hours.
"The Highways Agency has recently appointed contractors for two more major schemes in this area - widening the M1 between junctions 10 - 13 and upgrading the A421 to dual carriageway between M1 Jct 13 and Bedford. These extra lanes will improve safety and help to reduce peak-time congestion for motorway users."
This early work involves fencing, site clearance, setting up site offices and installing temporary CCTV cameras to help motorists in the event of breakdown. There will be some temporary hard shoulder closures while this work takes place but it will not affect the main carriageway.
At the same time, the Highways Agency is starting a publicity campaign to make sure road users are informed about the widening scheme once work gets underway.
Public exhibitions will be held by the contractors Balfour Beatty Skanska Joint Venture in communities close to the motorway to explain what the work involves, when it will be taking place and how it may affect them. For drivers from further afield, the work will be publicised at key ports, airports, and motorway service areas in English, French and German.
Once work starts on the M1 carriageway in the New Year, there will be a dedicated area on the Highways Agency's website to update motorists on traffic management and associated information.
![](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 4 3"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
![](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1 1"%3E%3C/svg%3E)