Highways Agency - Safe roads, Reliable journeys, Informed travellers

Update

Following the Chancellor's Autumn statement on the 29 November (http://cdn.hm-treasury.gov.uk/autumn_statement.pdf), the M6 J10a - J13 Managed Motorway is one of six schemes previously announced for delivery in future spending review periods that will now be able to start works in the next three years, subject to the completion of statutory processes.  We are working up detailed programmes for schemes announced in the Autumn Statement to identify the most efficient start of work dates.

For more information visit our Future Delivery Programme page.

Background

M6 between Birmingham and Manchester is a strategic route that carries high volumes of heavy goods and other vehicles. Congestion and unreliable journey times are already being experienced at busy periods and traffic is predicted to continue to grow over time

The M6 meets a number of important high level needs:

• It is part of a Trans European Network of Roads (Route E5)
• It is part of the national motorway network making a major contribution to the UK economy
• It forms an integral part of the main transport corridor connecting the Midlands, the North West of England, Scotland and Wales
• It is a major transport link for the movement of freight and other strategic traffic
• It facilitates the movement of holiday traffic and access to national events

Before 2008, proposals to widen M6 between Junction 11a and 19 were being considered. This followed earlier consideration between 2004 and 2006 of an M6 tolled Expressway.

In January 2009, the Secretary of State for Transport (Geoff Hoon) announced a Managed Motorway strategy and identified a number of Projects that would be progressed over the next few years. M6 Junction 10a-13 was announced as a scheme that would commence construction by 2015, whilst the remainder from Junction 13 to 19, forms part of a longer-term strategy that is not expected to commence construction before 2015. 

The previous M6 Junction 11a to 19 widening scheme has now been abandoned. Information about the related M6 Junction 13 to 19 Managed Motorway schemes can be reached by visiting the M6 Junction 13 - 19 Managed Motorway website.  Information can also be found about other nearby managed motorway schemes on M6 through Birmingham by following the links: M6 Junctions 5 to 8 and M6 Junctions 8 to 10a.

The Project

This project is formed of two distinct sections:

Junctions 10a-11a

It is proposed that this section between M54 and M6 toll would have the benefit of controlled motorway technology that can use gantry signing to control lane discipline and speeds, but would not necessarily implement hard shoulder running. This would enable the full benefit of providing dedicated slip road lanes at the interchanges with M54 and M6 toll to help accommodate the high flows expected to enter and leave the M6 at these motorway interchanges when hard shoulder running is in place to the north and/or south.

Junctions 11a-13

It is proposed that this section from M6 toll to Stafford would have the benefit of controlled motorway technology combined with hard shoulder running during busy periods.