Latest motorway sections with lighting turned off permanently

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Norfolktolancashire
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Latest motorway sections with lighting turned off permanently

Post by Norfolktolancashire »

I've noted on my travels that more and more lighting is turned off permanently on motorways.

So I propose a running list of the latest darkening routes!

The M6 between Haydock and the A49 Wigan exit
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Britain
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Re: Latest motorway sections with lighting turned off permanently

Post by Britain »

Are the approaches to the junctions still being lit?
I'm nobody special, just somebody who enjoys looking at and talking about infrastructure. Eager to learn as much as I can about the roads of the UK 🇬🇧 - please help me with this.
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ellandback
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Re: Latest motorway sections with lighting turned off permanently

Post by ellandback »

The M621 (j1 to M62) has been unlit these last few evenings, but I don't know if it's permanent. I noticed two temporary signs on the Leeds-bound carriageway this morning saying the lighting wasn't in use - but that's all they said.
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Re: Latest motorway sections with lighting turned off permanently

Post by stefan »

Highways England has been informed about M6 Haydock street lighting
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Bryn666
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Re: Latest motorway sections with lighting turned off permanently

Post by Bryn666 »

Works apace on the M66 to remove the switched off lighting. This has been done in parts on the M65 and also the entirety of the M67.

I suspect HE are ultimately pursuing a no-lighting policy except on the busiest stretches. They're currently taking six months (yes, six months) to replace the Petitjeans on the M60 between J17-18.
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Brenley Corner
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Re: Latest motorway sections with lighting turned off permanently

Post by Brenley Corner »

Most of the motorway lighting in Kent doesn't work anyway as the local HE Area seems to have lighting way down the list of priorities, so I'd rather they turned it off completely and be done with it. Most of the lighting on the M2 between 3 & 4, and on the M20 between 5 & 8 is in particularly poor repair, and it took 3 years before lighting at Brenley Corner roundabout (M2 J7) was replaced after cabling and columns had failed

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Patrick Harper
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Re: Latest motorway sections with lighting turned off permanently

Post by Patrick Harper »

M1 J4-6a central res. lighting has been dead since September 2018, accept for the southern approach to J5.
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Re: Latest motorway sections with lighting turned off permanently

Post by StockburyRoundabout »

Not technically a motorway I know but it is part of the London Orbital. The A282 between J2 and J1b has had all its central reservation street lighting removed. Whether this is because they were life expired and not replaced due to change in requirements or complaints from locals (lots of complaints about noise and pollution) I don’t know.
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Re: Latest motorway sections with lighting turned off permanently

Post by kevinse16 »

I'm pretty certain the entire M1 from London to the M6, at one stage was lit, but since the majority of its length has been converted to the dreaded variable speed limits and removal of the hard shoulder nearly all the lamposts have been removed.
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Re: Latest motorway sections with lighting turned off permanently

Post by StockburyRoundabout »

kevinse16 wrote: Wed Apr 29, 2020 19:55 I'm pretty certain the entire M1 from London to the M6, at one stage was lit, but since the majority of its length has been converted to the dreaded variable speed limits and removal of the hard shoulder nearly all the lamposts have been removed.
Regulations have changed since the M1, and a lot of motorways, was opened meaning that it may not be required at points where it would have back then.
HE are not going to replace streetlights on stretches where it is no longer required unless there is genuine reason for it. It would be needless extra cost for them in terms of maintenance etc.
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Re: Latest motorway sections with lighting turned off permanently

Post by Chris5156 »

StockburyRoundabout wrote: Thu Apr 30, 2020 20:59
kevinse16 wrote: Wed Apr 29, 2020 19:55 I'm pretty certain the entire M1 from London to the M6, at one stage was lit, but since the majority of its length has been converted to the dreaded variable speed limits and removal of the hard shoulder nearly all the lamposts have been removed.
Regulations have changed since the M1, and a lot of motorways, was opened meaning that it may not be required at points where it would have back then.
Most of the M1's lighting between the M25 and M6 dated from the 1970s and 80s. Back when it first opened, in the late 1950s and early 60s, lighting on rural motorways was unheard-of.
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Re: Latest motorway sections with lighting turned off permanently

Post by Debaser »

Chris5156 wrote: Fri May 29, 2020 15:52
StockburyRoundabout wrote: Thu Apr 30, 2020 20:59
kevinse16 wrote: Wed Apr 29, 2020 19:55 I'm pretty certain the entire M1 from London to the M6, at one stage was lit, but since the majority of its length has been converted to the dreaded variable speed limits and removal of the hard shoulder nearly all the lamposts have been removed.
Regulations have changed since the M1, and a lot of motorways, was opened meaning that it may not be required at points where it would have back then.
Most of the M1's lighting between the M25 and M6 dated from the 1970s and 80s. Back when it first opened, in the late 1950s and early 60s, lighting on rural motorways was unheard-of.
The big change was reducing the accident saving of using street lighting from 30% of darkness injury collisions to 10%. Once economic assessments are carried out (as they must be before renewing lighting) that 10% seldom justifies the cost.
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Re: Latest motorway sections with lighting turned off permanently

Post by Ben302 »

StockburyRoundabout wrote: Sat Mar 28, 2020 22:51 Not technically a motorway I know but it is part of the London Orbital. The A282 between J2 and J1b has had all its central reservation street lighting removed. Whether this is because they were life expired and not replaced due to change in requirements or complaints from locals (lots of complaints about noise and pollution) I don’t know.
A few on the M20 between J5 and 7 have been similarly decapitated also the A2 has had it's 1990's streetlighting removed completely (it had been switched off (aside from a few day-burners by Crayford turnoff) except at Crayford which has them on the slip roads
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Re: Latest motorway sections with lighting turned off permanently

Post by StockburyRoundabout »

Ben302 wrote: Fri May 29, 2020 23:34
StockburyRoundabout wrote: Sat Mar 28, 2020 22:51 Not technically a motorway I know but it is part of the London Orbital. The A282 between J2 and J1b has had all its central reservation street lighting removed. Whether this is because they were life expired and not replaced due to change in requirements or complaints from locals (lots of complaints about noise and pollution) I don’t know.
A few on the M20 between J5 and 7 have been similarly decapitated also the A2 has had it's 1990's streetlighting removed completely (it had been switched off (aside from a few day-burners by Crayford turnoff) except at Crayford which has them on the slip roads
I believe the ones on the M20 may have been removed due to safety concerns after one collapsed into the carriageway a few months back.
As for on the A2, I don’t know - although some were left on intermittent stretches and on one side but not the other.
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Ben302
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Re: Latest motorway sections with lighting turned off permanently

Post by Ben302 »

StockburyRoundabout wrote: Sun Jun 07, 2020 00:27
Ben302 wrote: Fri May 29, 2020 23:34
StockburyRoundabout wrote: Sat Mar 28, 2020 22:51 Not technically a motorway I know but it is part of the London Orbital. The A282 between J2 and J1b has had all its central reservation street lighting removed. Whether this is because they were life expired and not replaced due to change in requirements or complaints from locals (lots of complaints about noise and pollution) I don’t know.
A few on the M20 between J5 and 7 have been similarly decapitated also the A2 has had it's 1990's streetlighting removed completely (it had been switched off (aside from a few day-burners by Crayford turnoff) except at Crayford which has them on the slip roads
I believe the ones on the M20 may have been removed due to safety concerns after one collapsed into the carriageway a few months back.
As for on the A2, I don’t know - although some were left on intermittent stretches and on one side but not the other.
They've all gone now on the A2 between the M25 right up to the TFL boundary except for the Dartford Heath interchange which has them still on the slip roads.
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Re: Latest motorway sections with lighting turned off permanently

Post by kevinse16 »

Surely the removal of street lighting on motorways and main roads makes them less safe.
I noticed the section of the M4 in Berkshire which is been converted to the dangerous all lane running, I know that’s another thread, has also had some street lighting removed.
I now travel up and down the M1 on a regular basis and at night the nicest section to drive along is the fully lit section around Nottingham
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Re: Latest motorway sections with lighting turned off permanently

Post by TS »

kevinse16 wrote: Wed May 04, 2022 21:47 Surely the removal of street lighting on motorways and main roads makes them less safe.
I noticed the section of the M4 in Berkshire which is been converted to the dangerous all lane running, I know that’s another thread, has also had some street lighting removed.
I now travel up and down the M1 on a regular basis and at night the nicest section to drive along is the fully lit section around Nottingham
I find it much easier to drive in unlit nighttime conditions than the "half light" created by street lighting on motorways. I just find it easier to tell peripherally that there are some headlights bearing down on me, or whatever.

I know that data is not the plural of anecdote, but even so, that's my observation!
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Re: Latest motorway sections with lighting turned off permanently

Post by ManomayLR »

kevinse16 wrote: Wed May 04, 2022 21:47 Surely the removal of street lighting on motorways and main roads makes them less safe.
I noticed the section of the M4 in Berkshire which is been converted to the dangerous all lane running, I know that’s another thread, has also had some street lighting removed.
I now travel up and down the M1 on a regular basis and at night the nicest section to drive along is the fully lit section around Nottingham
The M4 was previously lit between J3 to 8/9 and J10 to 12.

J3 to 7 lighting will be retained under the new scheme, perhaps due to the density of junctions being higher, but J7 to 8/9 and J10 to 12 will not be lit.
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Re: Latest motorway sections with lighting turned off permanently

Post by Piatkow »

TS wrote: Fri May 06, 2022 14:44
kevinse16 wrote: Wed May 04, 2022 21:47 Surely the removal of street lighting on motorways and main roads makes them less safe.
I noticed the section of the M4 in Berkshire which is been converted to the dangerous all lane running, I know that’s another thread, has also had some street lighting removed.
I now travel up and down the M1 on a regular basis and at night the nicest section to drive along is the fully lit section around Nottingham
I find it much easier to drive in unlit nighttime conditions than the "half light" created by street lighting on motorways. I just find it easier to tell peripherally that there are some headlights bearing down on me, or whatever.

I know that data is not the plural of anecdote, but even so, that's my observation!
To be honest on a busy motorway it doesn't make much difference to me. It is on single carriageway roads where I can't see what is beyond an oncoming car's headlights that I find it an issue.
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Re: Latest motorway sections with lighting turned off permanently

Post by sevenman96 »

It does seem like different parts of the country are "over" or "under" lit on motorways - by memory areas of north west England are much more lit up on motorways and A roads then places like Devon or Cornwall.
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