Multi-million pound project revealed to improve traffic flow on M4 and M5 (From Gazette Series)

Multi-million pound project revealed to improve traffic flow on M4 and M5

11:37am Thursday 26th January 2012 in News By Marion Sauvebois

A MAJOR £88.6 million scheme to increase capacity, reduce congestion and improve safety on the M4 and M5 near the Almondsbury Interchange has been rolled out by the Roads Minister this week.

The first of its kind in the South West, the managed motorway project will cover 3.4 miles of the M4 between junctions 19 and 20 and 3.1 miles of the M5 between junctions 15 and 17.

Work on these busy stretches of road will include strengthening the hard shoulder, building emergency refuge areas, installing gantries and electronic signs and fitting sensors to measure traffic flow.

CCTV cameras will also be set up to monitor the motorway and new emergency refuge zones.

Roads Minister Mike Penning said the scheme would significantly increase the safety of the motorways’ 140,000 daily users.

He said in a statement: "While this will be the South West’s first managed motorway, experience on the M42 and M6 around Birmingham, shows that managed motorways deliver significant safety and journey time benefits.

"That's why I am delighted that work is getting underway today to provide much-needed additional capacity on the M4 and M5 near Bristol."

New measures such as the use of variable speed limits and opening up the hard shoulder as an extra lane at peak times are also expected to smooth out traffic flow.

Mr Penning added that the multi-million pound government project, due to be completed in 2014, would boost employment in the area.

He said: "The scheme will bring economic growth to the South West and is great news for jobs as well, with around 200 people working on this project at the height of construction."

It is one of 20 major strategic road improvement projects due to be launched before March 2015, as part of a £2.1 billion Government investment to improve the economy.

Highways Agency senior project manager Paul Unwin was responsible for overseeing delivery of the first managed motorway schemes around Birmingham.

He said construction work would be carried out in stages to keep disruption to a minimum.

"The improvements to these sections of motorway near Bristol are greatly needed and will make journeys better for regular commuters, business users and for those travelling on holiday or shopping trips," he said.

"In order to minimise delays to road users, we are carrying out this work in phases, starting on the M4 section, and keeping three lanes available to traffic in both directions at peak times throughout the construction.

"A reduced speed limit of 50mph will be in place 24/7, enforced with average-speed safety cameras, to ensure the safety of road users and our workforce."

Residents and road users will receive regular updates of the works’ progress.