road

The UK Government has started work on the second phase of the smart motorway project in Greater Manchester.

Expected to to cost £201.6m, work on the project started in mid-2014 and will end in late-2017.

According to the UK Highways Agency, smart motorways deliver similar benefits to conventional widening, although at a lower cost with less impact on the environment during construction. These schemes also take lesser time than conventional widening.

The smart motorway scheme is a combination of three previous schemes which had been announced as part of the 2010 spending review, namely M60 Junction 15 to 12 Lane Gain, M60 Junction 8 to 12 Managed Motorway and M62 Junction 18 to 20 Managed Motorway.

"Our teams have been working hard on the smart motorway project since July, with the majority of work taking place overnight so that we can keep all of the lanes open throughout the day."

The M60 and M62 to the north and to the west of Manchester are integral parts of the main east-west transport corridor in the North West and links Merseyside and greater Manchester with Yorkshire and Humberside.

Junctions 18 and 20 on the M62 will see narrow lanes and a steel safety barrier as a part of the project.

After the completion of the project, a total of 200 new electronic signs will warn drivers of changes in the mandatory speed limit, lane closures and incidents ahead.

As a result of the work on the project, the eastbound side as well as the westbound side will see closures. Diversions will be in place when the motorway is closed.

The agency has said that the implementation of the smart motorways on the M60 will help in reducing congestion and make journeys more reliable.

Highway Agency project manager Stephen Greenhalgh said: "Our teams have been working hard on the smart motorway project since July, with the majority of work taking place overnight so that we can keep all of the lanes open throughout the day.

"We’re now at a stage where we can begin the main construction work and so need to introduce narrow lanes on a five-mile stretch of the M62 for the safety of our workforce."

Image: The smart motorway project on the M60 will help in easing congestion. Photo: courtesy of UK Highways Agency.