Plans to improve the reliability of journeys in the Midlands are moving a step closer with work staring on two major smart motorway schemes this month (March).
Work is soon to start on two smart motorway upgrades on the M6 at junctions 2 near Coventry to junctions 4 near Coleshill and on the M6 between junctions 13 at Stafford to 15 near Stoke on Trent.
Once complete they will add over 30 miles of new lanes to the strategic road network, increasing capacity by a third, and introducing new technology to tackle congestion and keep drivers informed.
These schemes are part of six schemes in the Midlands reaching major milestones between January and June this year.
Other key milestones on schemes in the Midlands include:
- the Preferred Route Announcement to ease three bottlenecks on the A38 in Derbyshire
- a consultation on the improvement of the M42 junction 6 near Birmingham Airport and the National Exhibition Centre (NEC)
- a public information event about the A45/A6 Chowns Mill roundabout upgrade
- the Preferred Route Announcement to upgrade the A46/ A428 at Binley, Coventry
The upgrades are funded by the Government’s £15bn investment in motorways and main A roads and being delivered by Highways England.
Highways England chief executive Jim O’Sullivan said:
These upgrades in the Midlands, will improve millions of journeys. Each of these milestones in the Midlands is evidence of Highways England delivering major infrastructure upgrades for the whole country.
April will mark three years since Highways England embarked on delivering the Government’s Road Investment Strategy, the biggest investment in the country’s major roads since the 1970s.
Nationwide, almost 40 projects will hit key milestones in the first half of this year, joining the 18 major projects that have already opened to traffic since April 2015 and 16 others currently under construction.
Completed schemes in the Midlands include the opening last year of the strategically important Catthorpe Interchange at the M1/M6/A14.
This interchange is providing direct access between these roads and removing the queuing associated with the two very small local roundabouts, previously used by over 45,000 vehicles per day.
