Highways Agency

How does it affect the environment?

Active Traffic Management and its effect on the environment has been carefully considered. In line with the latest European and Government Directives, we have undertaken assessments of the impact of the scheme on the local environment. This included surveys of existing trees and shrubs, landscape, water and ecology as well as noise and air quality assessments in order to anticipate the likely effect of the scheme and its construction.

We have consulted with a number of organisations such as the Environment Agency, English Nature and the Local Planning Authorities over the findings of these assessments, which have shown that the impact of Active Traffic Management on the M42 will be minimal, particularly in comparison to widening or new road building.

All of the construction works and the resulting infrastructure of Active Traffic Management will sit within the existing highway boundary. This means there will be no need for any additional widening into adjourning agricultural or residential land. This means we have been able to keep the impact of Active Traffic Management on the local environment to an absolute minimum.

However, in order to ensure that impact is as low as possible, we have put in place a series of mitigation measures including ensuring that existing vegetation is retained as much as possible and we will be planting new vegetation to offset any impact. The lighting that has been installed along the project scheme length to supplement existing lighting has been designed to the latest rigorous standards to ensure that any light spill, in particular that effecting local residential areas, is kept to an absolute minimum.

In the longer term, Active Traffic Management may have a beneficial impact in certain areas such as local air quality, where more efficient traffic flow will result in a local reduction of harmful vehicle emissions.