Motorway road works changes come into force tonight

HIGHWAYS England is changing the way it carries out work on the M62 near Warrington to reduce the number of overnight closures on the motorway.
With traffic volumes down by around two-thirds, the government-owned company is going to do more work during the day so it can install, test and commission new technology along the route.
This wouldn’t have been possible with normal traffic levels and it will mean up to 20 fewer overnight closures will now be needed on the M62, benefiting thousands of drivers who would have had to follow diversion routes.
Temporary lane closures will be introduced to enable the daytime work to be carried out safely.
Project manager Arasu Gurusamy said: “We’ve seen a significant reduction in traffic levels on the M62 over the past few weeks and so have reviewed how we can carry out the remaining technology work on the motorway.
“We’d originally planned to keep four lanes open in both directions during the day and only close the motorway at night, but we’re now able to carry out some of the work during the day to reduce night-time disruption.
“We’re also doing everything we can to keep workers safe on the project, and would urge drivers to do their bit too by sticking to the speed limit for their own and our road workers’ safety.”
The lane closures will start to be introduced in both directions from tonight (Monday May 4) on the nine-mile stretch of motorway which links the M6 (junction 10) to the M60 and M602 (junction 12).
Two lanes will remain open in both directions for drivers making essential journeys during the day, and the closed lanes will be reopened if government restrictions on travel are lifted.
The current 50mph speed limit will stay in place for the safety of drivers during the work, and road workers are following strict Public Health England safeguarding measures while working to complete the scheme.
Highways England opened a fourth lane in each direction on the M62 between Warrington and Eccles earlier this year, increasing the motorway’s capacity by a third.
The company is continuing to provide a free recovery service while work takes place to resurface parts of the route and introduce new technology.
CCTV cameras are also being used to monitor the motorway 24 hours a day, and control room operators can reduce the speed limit to 40mph and display warning messages during incidents.
A variable speed limit of up to 70mph will be introduced on the motorway in the autumn to help improve the flow of traffic and prevent stop-start conditions.
More details on the M62 smart motorway project are available at www.highwaysengland.co.uk/m62j10to12.