THE upgrade of the M6 beetween Warrington and Wigan has moved to operation at 70 mph – helping to improve journey times and reliability for the tens of thousands of drivers who use the route daily.
The 50mph maximum speed limit in place since the middle of October has been lifted with the opening of an extra lane in each carriageway.
The national 70mph speed limit of 70mph was re-introduced following work to calibrate technology, including stopped vehicle detection (SVD), meaning the newly-upgraded stretch of M6 is now fully open to drivers. The upgraded motorway runs for 10 miles between the interchanges with the M62 at junction 21a at Croft and the M58 at junction 26 for Orrell.
Alongside adding an extra lane in both the northbound and southbound carriageways the £260 million upgrade, which began in March 2021, has involved providing extra technology and safety enhancements, including stopped vehicle detection.
Stopped vehicle detection uses radar technology to alert National Highways’ control centre operators who can then close lanes with a Red X signal, display speed limits and deploy traffic officers.
The project was extended last December to add an extra 12 emergency areas – with 22 provided in all – as well as resurfacing all lanes along most of the upgraded route. Drivers can use any of the 22 new emergency areas if they need to stop in an emergency.
National Highways launched a ‘Driving on motorways’ hub in 2022 – providing information about the main features of smart motorways, and advice and guidance on safer driving and what to do in an emergency:https://nationalhighways.co.uk/road-safety/driving-on-motorways/
Further details on the M6 upgrade are available at: https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-roads/north-west/m6-junction-21a-to-26-motorway-upgrade/
