Anyone noticed an improvement??
I’ve noticed a few people use the hard shoulder when there is a red X above it and no one use it when it’s open with a 50mph speed limit. Highways agency can pat themselves on the back.
I’ve noticed that when travelling southbound around mid morning, there’s only a few cars on the whole motorway, yet the hard shoulder is open.
A quick glance northbound shows ten times as much traffic yet hard shoulder is off limits.
Many a time I’ve gone northbound when its busy and the hard shoulder is closed.
All too often I’ve had lorries behind me waiting to get a move on, and I know there’s no point me using certain bits of the road as a few hundred yards later I’ll be pulling back into the lane I just left. (like near Toddington services southbound)
Seems pretty pointless really.
Yes everynight down to one lane northbound and getting stuck behind a nobsack who does 35 in a 50 hhuuuummmpphhhh
Why has this work taken so bloody long ? They probably built the entire length quicker !
dont worry bout the speed cameras they is a legal issue with them also those on the m25 in herts was on local radio… but every monday heading to mk from london i can drive on the hardshoulder heading north and go past loads from j10 to j13 and before you say its undertaking its not!! im merly in the flow of traffic for that lane thanks 
Darb:
Anyone noticed an improvement??
Proper dogs dinner last time I went down bout month ago 
Have our traveller friends had the M10 away as well
If it’s anything like the other managed motorways then there will be the usual chaos. Once again yesterday between junction 5 and the m42 on the m6(s) there were 4 ‘professional’ class one LGV drivers driving along the hard shoulder when there was no congestion or indication to say that it was available to use. As I overtook the back HGV as I was heading onto the M42 link for my southbound I shook my head at him, he obviously didn’t have a clue what for. He’d have been the first to shout the odds if I’d have moved across from the inside lane in front of him as the hard shoulder ended and became the slip road. Really, really annoys me. Idiots.
Managed motorways are bad for hgv’ers. The moment the 50mph signs come on there will always be someone doing 40 in the middle lane and inside lane. Politely sitting behind the middle laner does nothing. Giving them a friendly flash to say “move over please” makes them stubborn and unlikely to help you. As far as I know ramming them out the way is illegal. Managed motorways cause delays unnecessarily. They have made the M25 slower and the M42 round brum slower. Coming to the M4/M5 near brizzle soon
It really annoys me when you get a 50 or 40 limit and then it goes back to NSL on the next gantry.
Squiddy:
Coming to the M4/M5 near brizzle soon
Don’t forget the M62 by Leeds !
The managed motorways ironically have less vehicles on the hard shoulder when using it is permitted than they do when they aren’t ! Also, lane discipline gets even worse, cars travelling in what becomes the 3rd or 4 lanes at 40mph etc.