M1 All Set To Feel The Heat

Britain's oldest motorway is about to become a world leader - by getting its own 'electric blanket'!

Auto Express Car Reviews

By Rebecca Murrell/Graphic: Richard Burgess

17th May 2005

Accidents caused by snow or ice on the M1 could be a thing of the past, and winter gritters will be redundant. A pioneering invention is to be trialled on a service road, and it's essentially a new version of the undersoil heating that keeps top football pitches frost-free.

Summer sun shines on the asphalt, and the heat is transferred into a layer of water-filled collector pipes that sit below the surface. Pumps then circulate the warmed water to heat the surrounding ground. That energy is stored there, and during winter is released to warm the road and prevent snow and ice forming.
In the summer, the pipes help cool the tarmac to reduce expansion, making the surface last longer. An added bonus is that buildings near the road can also be heated by the system. The Highways Agency will pilot the scheme for two years under a 60-metre section of service road in Bedfordshire, near the Toddington rest area. The section is currently being resurfaced and is due to re-open with the system in place next month.

Ultimately, the system is designed to be fitted under the main carriageway, as in our diagram. It's the brainchild of London-based sustainable energy firm Icax Ltd. Director Mark Hewitt said: "The system is an environmentally friendly British invention that will transform the way roads are used. There will be no need for gritting in winter, roads will be cool in the summer and require less maintenance as surfaces last longer."