THE first in a new generation of “smart” motorways has been opened today (Monday April 14) on the M25 near Waltham Cross.

An eight mile section of the motorway in Hertfordshire between junctions 23 (A1M) and 25 (A10) is the first in the country to make use of new technology and enable traffic to use the hard shoulder full time.

Infra-red CCTV has also been introduced to enable Highways Agency staff in control centres to have increased visibility of the network and respond more quickly to incidents.

The agency has said the smart motorway will reduce congestion and ease traffic flow, improving the reliability of journeys.

Graham Dalton, Highways Agency chief executive said: “The design changes have meant that smart motorways are quicker to build, more intuitive for drivers and more efficient to operate, while maintaining safety.”

An estimated 1.1m man hours went into the work, which began in February last year, with narrow lanes and speed restrictions in place.

The section between junctions 23 and 25 also includes new gantries, refuge areas, overhead signals and CCTV cameras.

Work is continuing to convert the motorway past Waltham Abbey between junctions 25 and 27 (M11) is underway and due for completion towards the end of 2014.

Similar schemes are due to follow elsewhere on the M25 and on the M1, M3, and M62 in the coming months.

Roads minister Robert Goodwill said: “The additional capacity on the M25 is part of the government’s record investment in the strategic road network, with £15.1bn being invested to add over 400 lane miles of capacity on our busiest motorways by 2021.

“Our motorways are the backbone of Britain and vital to building the UK economy, with approximately four million vehicles using them each day.”