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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.
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Better information for your journey
The National Traffic Control Centre collects real-time information on road conditions
Quick Links
Don't Cross or Walk Along Motorways
The Highways Agency aims to make more people aware of the dangers of walking or crossing our motorway. We have launched a poster and radio campaign aimed at 16-25yr olds. Hopefully with our hard hitting posters, our message will come across.
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
What's different to a normal motorway?
Drivers on the M42 will have noticed the following changes since Active Traffic Management was introduced.
Lightweight Gantries
These support the technology that makes ATM possible. They carry cameras as well as electronic signs and signals to show drivers which lanes are available, the current speed restriction and warnings of any incidents or congestion ahead.
Lane Specific Signals
There is one of these signals above each lane. They inform drivers of the current mandatory speed limit as well as showing which lanes are currently open.
Driver Information Signs
These warn drivers of congestion or incidents ahead. They also now include internationally-recognised pictograms to help drivers recognise quickly what is happening ahead of them.
Digital Enforcement Technology
Purpose-built digital safety cameras are used to enforce the mandatory speed limits.
Entry/Exit signs
Signs have been erected to inform drivers when they are entering or leaving an Active Traffic Management area
Emergency Refuge Areas
Positioned adjacent to the hard shoulder, these are safe areas away from the traffic for use in the event of a breakdown or emergency. They are wider than the hard shoulder to provide additional safety and are connected to our regional control centre in nearby Quinton by both CCTV cameras and emergency roadside telephones. In the event of a breakdown when the hard shoulder is not in use as a running lane, you can still use the hard shoulder in the event of a breakdown, as outlined in the Highway Code. We would however recommend that emergency refuge areas are used for all breakdowns and emergencies as, because they are away from the main carriageway, they offer additional protection.
Emergency Roadside Telephones
These are situated in every single emergency refuge area and offer a direct link to our regional control centre at nearby Quinton. They are the latest model telephone and have foreign language and text facilities.
CCTV Cameras
Comprehensive CCTV coverage of this stretch of motorways helps operators open the hard shoulder safely as well as allowing them to spot incidents quickly.
Full Motorway Lighting
This provides a safer driving environment at night and in bad weather as well as allowing operators to see the motorway on CCTV during darkness.
Sensors
Electronic sensors are buried in the road surface to measure the general speed and flow of traffic. The sensors are used, via a computer system called MIDAS (Motorway Incident Detection and Automatic Signalling,) to automatically set the most appropriate speed limit for current traffic conditions.
