M62 - Your Local History
A lot of finds were uncovered during the archaeological evaluation carried out for the M62 Junction 6 Improvement scheme so we thought it would be nice to provide an interactive website so you can see what we found.
Better information for your journey
The National Traffic Control Centre collects real-time information on road conditions
Lane Hog!
John Stapleton looks into why people Lane Hog and what effects it has on the driver hogging the lane and other road users.
Educating tomorrow's drivers
See how we are driving through key messages about safety on our network for the drivers of tomorrow.
Meet the Ancestors
Find out about the history of roads and the work the Agency does to preserve archaeological remains.
See when traffic will be lightest
Our traffic forecaster can help get you there quicker
Explanation of Integrated Demand Management (IDM)
Integrated Demand Management (IDM)
When a motorway is widened, there is always the possibility that traffic will simply increase to fill the extra space to congest roads again, as more people decide to use the motorway when it is less congested. Integrated Demand Management will allow us manage the amount of traffic using the motorway by controlling the amount joining and leaving.
We could use different things to control traffic movements and manage demand, for example:
- Traffic signals at motorway junctions
- Traffic signals controlling access to the motorway
- Priority access lanes for high occupancy vehicles or freight users depending on the traffic conditions
We will use the traffic model to predict how these actions and measures will affect congestion on the roads. We can predict what will happen if we change the speed limits on the motorway, use car-sharing lanes or control the amount of traffic joining or leaving a motorway junction. We can then decide what is best to use on which junction and in which location.
Controlled Motorway
Driver information will be provided on overhead gantries so that the traffic flow can be managed and drivers informed about the traffic conditions ahead. Variable Speed Limits may be enforced to ease congestion, or to deal with problem areas such as for air quality. This is already in use on the M25 and M42.
Find out more about Active Traffic Management on the M42.
Staff in the Regional Control Centres will be able to impose speed limits or close lanes in an emergency or during heavy traffic flows. This will allow us to manage incidents better.
High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lanes
HOV lanes are already in use in other countries. A dedicated lane is provided for vehicles carrying more than one person. This provides an incentive for people to share vehicles, reducing congestion and providing environmental benefits. A HOV lane trial is under construction which will help to improve journeys for drivers using the M606 and M62 between Bradford and Leeds in West Yorkshire. When fully operational in 2008, the lane will improve journey times during peak periods.
Find out more about car sharing lanes.
Press Notice: M606/M62 Car Share Lane.
Motorway Access Management
We could use traffic lights to regulate the flow of traffic onto motorways at junctions.Motorway Access Management, has been trialled on various sites in the UK. The system detects spaces between vehicles on the motorway and allows vehicles waiting on the sliproad to move into the gaps. This allows the volumes of traffic to be managed on the motorway to prevent queuing. We see the most benefits either side of the main peak times. At peak times, when traffic queues up to the roundabout, the ramp metering will automatically turn off so as not to affect the local road network.
