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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
Biodiversity
Ecology, Nature Conservation and Biodiversity
What are ecology, nature conservation and biodiversity?
Ecology is the science that examines inter-relationships between animals, plants and their habitats. Nature conservation is the approach that seeks to manage human use of these elements of the natural environment. Biodiversity is a concept used to refer to the wide variety of animals, plants and habitats. It does not focus on just the rare or threatened species or habitats, but can be used by ecologists as a simple measure of nature conservation activities.
Why are ecology, nature conservation and biodiversity important to the Highways Agency?
The Highways Agency owns around 30,000ha of land referred to as the 'soft estate', which includes the area between highway fences which is not occupied by the carriageway. This is made up of a range of habitat types, including sites of national importance, designated for their wildlife and natural features. The Agency's activities, including road construction projects and maintenance schemes, have the potential to impact on protected sites, habitats and species.
While the Agency has had a long-term strategy for the conservation of habitats and species, this has more recently been reinforced by legislation and Government targets. The Agency now has specific duties to conserve biodiversity, and to further the conservation and enhancement of sites of national importance.
What does the Highways Agency do about ecology, nature conservation and biodiversity?
In 2002 the Agency published its own Biodiversity Action Plan. This sets specific actions and targets to enhance the value of the Agency's estate and to maximise the Agency's contribution to biodiversity.
The Agency has also published its own guidance on nature conservation and biodiversity issues, this is included with the Design Manual for Roads & Bridges. This guidance is maintained and supplemented through continued research on aspects of environmental best practice associated with its activities.
