LIGHTING is to be switched off overnight on two stretches of motorway in the South West in the first phase of a Highways Agency's energy saving plan.
In a move to reduce carbon emissions and light pollution, lighting will be switched off from midnight to 5am on the M4 between junctions 21 and 22 near Bristol from Thursday March 26.
Lights will also be turned off on the M5 between junctions 29 and 30 near Exeter from midnight until 5am from Thursday April 16.
The motorway junctions will remain lit.
The agency said both motorway stretches have an excellent safety record and very low traffic flows between midnight and 5am, and had been chosen for first phase of the Highways Agency's programme after careful assessment.
Ginny Clarke, chief highway engineer at the Highways Agency, said: "We are looking for ways to reduce the carbon footprint of operating the motorway network and this is one step in that direction.
"We expect up to 40% savings in carbon emissions and energy use for each section of motorway where we do this, and local communities will benefit from reduced light pollution of the night sky.
"The traffic flows are so low in the early hours that when taken together with the good safety record of the sites, there would be no case for installing new lighting if the decision was based on the overnight figures alone."
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