M60 delays expected as smart motorway works begin

WORK is beginning on a £200m project to cut congestion and improve journey times on parts of the M60 and the M62 in Greater Manchester.

The scheme, which will take more than three years to complete, will see a 17-mile stretch of the network between junction 8 of the M60 near Sale and junction 20 of the M62 near Rochdale upgraded to a ‘smart motorway’ – the first of its kind in the North West.

Around 1,000 jobs will be created during the works, the Highways Agency said.

The latest technology will be installed to monitor traffic levels, provide traffic information to road users, and ease congestion by using variable speed limits on overhead message signs.

The hard shoulder will also be permanently converted into an extra lane on a five-mile stretch of the M62 between junctions 18 and 20 to provide extra capacity on the part of the motorway which links the North West to Yorkshire.

Motorists will face a temporary speed limit of 50mph for the duration of the works, but all lanes will remain open.

Stephen Greenhalgh, project manager at the Highways Agency, said:
“Once completed, the smart motorway will tackle the congestion and unpredictable journey times that users of the M60 and M62 experience every day.”

The first stage of the project will see engineers carry out site surveys and ground investigation work. Some sections of the hard shoulder will be closed although vehicles will be able to get through the cones in an emergency. A free vehicle recovery service will also be provided for anyone who breaks down within the coned off areas.

From Monday July 21 , a temporary steel barrier to protect road workers will be installed in the hard shoulder between junction 18 of the M62 at the M60/M66 interchange and junction 20 at Rochdale. At the same time a 50mph speed limit will be introduced on the M62 section, to ensure the safety of the workforce and motorists.

The temporary speed limit, enforced with temporary average speed cameras, will then gradually be extended across the length of the smart motorway route over the following weeks.

All of the lanes on the motorway will remain open during the day throughout the roadworks but some overnight closures will be required later in the project.

Mr Greenhalgh added: “We will do everything we can to keep disruption to a minimum, but motorists are still well advised to leave enough time for their journeys, especially during the busy morning and evening peak periods, and to drive safely through the roadworks.”

Once completed, in autumn 2017, more than 200 new electronic signs on the M60 and M62 will warn drivers of changes in the mandatory speed limit, lane closures, and incidents ahead.

The project is being carried out by Balfour Beatty in partnership with Costain, Carillion and a BAM Morgan Sindall Joint Venture.