THE Highways Agency has introduced a £4 million ramp metering system at six junctions along the M3 and M27 around Southampton to reduce bottlenecks and reduce the risk of accidents for drivers entering motorways from slip roads.

Operational during peak travel times, the pilot scheme sees traffic signals installed on motorway entry slip roads to control vehicle flow on to the main carriageway at a 'metered' rate. Ramp metering already operates in the United States of America at more than 3,000 sites, is used in France and Holland and is also used on the M8 in Glasgow and on the M6 in the West Midlands.