Highways Agency

Traffic Management

The latest schedule of closures and restrictions is available from the Traffic Management page in the right hand menu.

Update

Advance site clearance works started on 3 March 2008. The main works started on 17 March 2008. We aim to publish a quarterly newsletter which will have details of the forthcoming works including traffic management. The latest newsletter is available to download from the Publications page. Details of how work is progressing can also be found on the Scheme Progress page.

CEEQUAL Award

We are pleased to announce that our project has been awarded the Interim Client & Outline Design Award - Excellent Level, by The Civil Engineering Environmental Quality Assessment and Awards Scheme (CEEQUAL). The award is given by industry professional institutions and it is recognition of our efforts to minimise the effect of this project on the environment.

The Project

The new proposals would form a dual carriageway bypass of the M40 Junction 15, allowing vehicles traveling on the A46 to avoid this busy junction. The bypass would be routed to the west of the junction and connect to the existing A46, north and south of the motorway.

The northern connection between the new bypass and the A46 Warwick Bypass would be a two level free flow link. A new 4 span bridge would be built to take the new dual carriageway over the M40 motorway. The southern connection between the new dual carriageway and the A46 Stratford road would be a roundabout, which would also provide access to the B4463 and M40 Junction 15. The roundabout would include underpasses to allow the safe movement of farm vehicles and non-motorised users under the A46.

The existing M40 Junction 15 roundabout would be widened to 4 lanes, the approaches to the roundabout would be improved, and new traffic lights installed. The signing, road markings, road lighting and road pavement would be updated to improve safety and driver understanding. The proposals would also include earth mounding, noise fencing, landscaping and improved drainage measures to minimise the effects on the surrounding area.

Why The Improvement is Needed?

• The M40 Junction15 roundabout forms an important interchange for traffic using the M40, A46 Stratford Road, A46 Warwick Bypass and A429 Warwick Road. The A46 is part of the national strategic road network, providing the main link to Coventry, the M1 and the M6.
• The M40 Junction 15 carries around 75,000 vehicles per day, which causes significant delays, contributing to queues building up on the approaches to the roundabout. This includes increasing queue lengths on the M40 exit slips, which raises the potential for high-speed accidents on the M40.
• Continued traffic growth will exacerbate this situation leading to increased driver stress and potentially an increased number of accidents on the roundabout.
• In the past four years, there have been a total of sixty eight reported accidents involving injuries to one hundred and five people within the scheme area.
• The improvements built in 2003/2004 (though producing excellent short-term benefits) are already starting to show signs of stress as traffic levels have increased.