Progress report

We are currently working on the smart motorway scheme design options for this part of the M6 while undertaking a range of surveys and assessments to help inform us about the local environment.

We are in discussions with local authorities and technical stakeholders to take into account their views on our scheme proposal.

What next

We will progress with the detailed design phase of the scheme leading into construction which is scheduled to commence before spring 2019.

We plan to hold public information events to provide information about the scheme and detailed design and construction phase. The timing of these events is to be confirmed.

Timeline

Why we need this scheme

The M6 forms part of the London to North West and Scotland strategic corridor, and the wider trans-European route, E05. The M6 between junctions 21a and 26 is a key strategic route carrying around 120,000 vehicles daily between Lancashire, Merseyside, Cheshire and Greater Manchester.

Congestion and unreliable journey times are currently experienced at busy periods and traffic is predicted to grow.

The M6 junction 21a-26 smart motorway scheme will relieve congestion and smooth the flow of traffic, improving safety and journey times.

Aims

With this scheme, we aim to:

• reduce congestion and smooth the flow of traffic to improve travel times, making journeys more reliable
• support the economy and facilitate economic growth within the region. Providing much needed capacity on the motorway will reduce the cost of economic delay to both commuters and business traffic
• continue to deliver a high level of safety performance on the network using smart motorway techniques
• minimise environmental impacts

The scheme in detail

Smart motorways are a technology-driven approach to tackling the most congested parts of the motorway network, improving journey reliability by controlling the flow and speed of traffic. Smart motorways also support the economy by providing much needed capacity on the busiest motorways, while maintaining safety for road users and those who work on the roads.

The design features of the M6 J21a to J26 smart motorway scheme include:

• variable mandatory speed limits
• driver information, including lane availability, provided through a mixture of gantries and cantilever signs
• queue detection and automatic signalling system, which provides queue protection and congestion management
• comprehensive low light pan-tilt-zoom CCTV coverage
• refuge areas where drivers can stop in an emergency

Environmental impact

We are undertaking an environmental assessment that covers topics including noise and vibration, water, air quality, ecology and visual impacts. The results will be presented in an Environmental Assessment Report and we will describe the measures we will take to minimise potentially significant adverse environmental effects.

Roadworks and Events for England

The latest incident information for England's motorway and trunk routes provided by Highways England