Major upgrade on the M6 gets underway

A major upgrade to one of the country’s busiest stretches of motorway has begun.

Highways England has started work to transform the 10-mile stretch of the M6 which links the M62 near Warrington (junction 21a) to the M58 near Wigan (junction 26).

More than 120,000 vehicles used this route every day before lockdown travel restrictions. The upgrade will increase capacity by a third as well as using new technology to relieve congestion.

The work will be done in phases, starting from junction 24 to junction 26. This will reduce the length of narrow lanes to five miles, minimising potential disruption to journeys.

A 50mph speed limit will be in place covering the length of the work area, adding only three minutes to journey times but increasing the safety for drivers and the workforce.

Agnes Usciak, Highways England’s project manager, said:

“During busy periods road users experience congestion and unreliable journey times. The improvements we’re making on the M6 between Warrington and Wigan will provide quicker, safer and more reliable journeys for the tens of thousands of drivers who travel along the route every day.”

As part of the upgrade, new radar detectors positioned along the motorway will monitor the flow of traffic and automatically detect any stationary vehicles, and the hard shoulder will be permanently converted to an extra lane to provide four traffic lanes in each direction.

A total of 92 electronic signs will be used to set variable speed limits to prevent stop-start conditions, and close lanes by displaying red Xs during incidents. And 39 new CCTV cameras will provide live images of the motorway to Highways England’s regional operations centre in Newton-le-Willows.

The metal barrier in the central reservation will be replaced with a new concrete barrier to increase safety and reduce maintenance, and lanes one and four on both carriageways are being resurfaced to create low noise surfacing for the benefit of road users and residents.

Drivers will also be able to use one of 10 new emergency areas if they experience a breakdown, with roadside telephones providing a direct link to the regional operations centre.

The scheme is due to be completed by spring 2023. For more details follow the Twitter account @HighwaysNWEST and visit www.highwaysengland.co.uk/m6-j21a-26.