Highways Agency
 Printable version
|
 E-mail this to a friend
|
Work starts to ease congestion and bring more hard shoulder running to Birmingham
Work starts this week on a £150m scheme to cut congestion and make better use of the motorways around Birmingham.
It will result in two new stretches of hard shoulder on the M6 being opened to traffic to ease jams during busy periods and the use of other innovative techniques, like introducing variable speed limits to respond to and improve traffic conditions, being rolled out across parts of the M6, M42 and M40.
This follows Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly's announcement in July that she will take forward a £6bn investment programme to tackle motorway congestion and make better use England's key roads. As part of this, a further 500 miles of motorway are being considered for hard shoulder running during busy periods, following a successful trial of Active Traffic Management on the M42 to the south of Birmingham.
Ruth Kelly said:
"Hard shoulder running is one of the innovative ways in which we can use the existing road network to help drivers beat the jams. The trial on the M42 showed it really makes a difference - cutting people's journey times and giving business and commuters the reliability they need. That's why we're today extending it to more of the motorway network around Birmingham, and looking at where else around the country we can offer this as a solution."
Derek Turner, Highways Agency Network Operations Director said:
"I am delighted that work is starting on this exciting scheme. We are looking to keep all three lanes open during construction, especially during busy periods, to help limit any delays to road users. We will need to close the motorway for short periods but we will do this overnight and will publicise it well in advance.
"When completed, this scheme will bring benefits to road users across the West Midlands and the country as a whole."
These traffic management techniques are being extended following the success of Active Traffic Management on the M42 to the south east of Birmingham, where the use of the hard shoulder and reduced speed limits during busy periods saw average weekday journey times improve and the number of incidents drop.
Average weekday journey times fell by more than a quarter on the northbound carriageway and drivers' ability to predict their journey times increased by 27%. Safety on the road has also improved with the number of accidents reducing from an average 5.1 a month to 1.8 a month.
The scheme involves two main components; variable speed limits to help smooth the flow of traffic and the controlled use of the hard shoulder to provide an extra lane for vehicles at the busiest periods, or during the event of an incident. It will be expanded around Birmingham in two phases:
Phase 1 (August 2008 to end 2009)
* M40 Junctions 16 - M42 Junction 3A. Variable speed limits.
* M42 Junctions 7 - 9. Variable speed limits
* M6 Junctions 4 - 5. Variable speed limits and hard shoulder running, with the exception of 4A - 4 southbound, where variable speed limits alone will be used.
Phase 2 (early 2009 to spring 2011)
* M6 Junction 8 - 10A. Variable speed limits and hard shoulder running.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
1. The Highways Agency is an executive agency of the Department for Transport. We manage, maintain and improve England's motorways and major A roads on behalf of the Secretary of State.
2. The Highways Agency traffic information website is at http://www.highways.gov.uk/trafficinfo
3. For real-time traffic information, the Highways Agency 24-hour voice activated telephone service is on 08700 660 115. (Calls from BT landlines to 0870 numbers will cost no more than 8p per minute; mobile calls usually cost more).
4. To check the latest road conditions before leaving the house or office, people can listen to Traffic Radio on DAB digital radio. It's also available at http://www.trafficradio.org.uk
5. For general information about the Highways Agency and its work, visit the Highways Agency website http://www.highways.gov.uk, or telephone the Highways Agency information line on 08457 50 40 30 at any time. (Calls to 0845 numbers cost no more than 3p/min from BT residential landlines. Call charges from other and mobile networks may vary.)
6. Further details and benefits of individual parts of Birmingham Motorway 'Box' extension
Phase 1 (August 2008 to end 2009)
* M40 junction 16 - M42 junction 3A - variable speed limits to control the speed and flow of the traffic as it approaches the current Active Traffic Management stretch. This will help prevent the breakdown of traffic flow as the motorways merge.
* M42 junction 7 - 9 - variable speed limits to control the speed and flow of traffic as it leaves the current Active Traffic Management stretch. This will help smooth the flow of traffic leaving and joining the M42 for the M6 and M6 (Toll)
* M6 junction 4 - 5 - variable speed limits and hard shoulder running. This is a very busy stretch of the M6 and will benefit from an additional lane at busy times, making hard shoulder running an ideal solution. The section between 4A and 4 southbound will use variable speed limits only, and not hard shoulder running.
Phase 2 (early 2009 to spring 2011)
* M6 junction 8 - 10A - variable speed limits and hard shoulder running. This stretch of the M6 between the M54 at junction 10A and the M5 at junction 8 is one of the busiest stretches of motorway in the whole country and will benefit from an additional lane at busy times, making hard shoulder running an ideal solution.
