M4/M5 junction closure planned for tonight now cancelled (From Gazette Series)

Tonight's closure of junctions 19 & 20 of the M4 near Almondsbury and the M5 south link road to the M4 have been cancelled because of the freezing conditions

3:59pm Monday 21st January 2013 in News

DUE to adverse weather conditions, tonight’s planned closure for roadworks of the M4 east and west junctions 19-20 and M5 South to M4 West link road have been cancelled.

The Highways Agency will re-assess weather conditions regarding the remainder of this week’s closures.

The M4/M5 scheme will be the first managed motorway in the South West region. The value of the contract awarded to Balfour Beatty is £77.6m for construction costs.

Managed motorways use a range of innovative technology combined with new operating procedures to actively control traffic flow. Techniques such as varying the speed limits and opening up the hard shoulder to traffic are features of managed motorways, all designed to improve traffic flow and reduce congestion.

Key findings from research published in March 2011 shows that accidents have more than halved since hard shoulder running was introduced on 10.5 miles of M42 (J3a to J7), to the east of Birmingham; with journey times improved between the M40 J16, near Lapworth, and M6 J5, near Birmingham.