Road to the future: M62 ‘smart motorway’

Smart motorway

The M62 is being transformed into a four lane ‘smart motorway’ as part of a £1.5 billion scheme by Highways England.

Congestion on the M60 and M62 has led to a particular focus on the area.

Two smart motorway schemes on the M62 will run on a nine-mile section between junctions 10 at the M6 interchange near Warrington and junction 12 at the M60 interchange near Eccles, and on a 19-mile section between junction 20 at the A627(M) interchange near Rochdale and junction 25 near Brighouse, West Yorkshire.

Rochdale Council leader, Councillor Richard Farnell said that the smart motorway was a good idea “in principle”.

He said: “It’s a nightmare trying to travel around the M62 at peak times.

“You only need the slightest accident and the motorway gets closed, there are huge tailbacks and traffic gets diverted causing gridlock in our town centres.

“My only criticism is they take too long and we need a smarter way of doing it – when I drive along the M60 now I hardly ever seen anybody working on it.”

Alan Shepherd, North West Regional Director at Highways England, said: “We’re investing £1.5 billion on improvements to the North West’s motorways and major A roads over the next five years, creating the biggest increase in capacity on the road network for 50 years.

“That includes nearly 80 miles of smart motorway where the hard shoulder will be converted into extra lanes and variable speed limits will be used to keep traffic moving. New bypasses and new and improved motorway junctions will also all help to tackle congestion, benefitting both businesses and local residents.

“It’s vital that we continue to improve the existing road network as well, which is why we’re investing £90 million this year alone on resurfacing, safety barriers and other maintenance projects.”

Jeremy Bloom, Highways England’s Major Projects Director for the North, said: “These schemes will bring significant long-term benefits to drivers on motorways and major A roads in the North West, as well as to the economy as a whole.

“The construction work will, of course, bring some disruption in the short term but we will ensure that we keep this to a minimum to keep traffic flowing.

“When the schemes are completed, road users will experience safer, more reliable and less congested journeys.”