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
Variable Message Signs
Information While You Are Driving
Variable message signs are the large electronic signs you see above or adjacent to the motorway. We use them to communicate information and advice to you about roadworks, incidents, emergencies and events near the motorway network that may cause delays. This information also helps to improve safety by slowing down traffic as it approaches queues and can minimise the impact of congestion by suggesting diversion routes where appropriate.
We have around 2200 variable message signs on our road network, with 459 of these located at key decision points such as major junctions to allow you to change your route if necessary.
The signs can be set by operators at one of our control centres, but the vast majority are set via an electronic system called MIDAS (Motorway Incident Detection and Automatic Signalling.) This system detects congestion using sensors located in the road surface and automatically displays messages on the overhead signs such as QUEUE CAUTION or QUEUE AHEAD to warn you of conditions ahead. These signs are set several miles back to slow down traffic approaching the queues. Sometimes, by the time you reach the site of the original incident, the traffic flow may have already returned to normal, meaning you won’t see either a queue or the cause of the incident.
We have recently started using the variable message signs to display real-time travel and delay times, helping to give you a realistic indication of how long your journey is likely to take.
