Highways England is to start work on a £7m pilot scheme to cut congestion along the M62 near Warrington in Cheshire this month.

The project at Croft Interchange - where junction 21a of the M6 meets junction 10 of the M62 – aims to give drivers more reliable journeys along the eastbound M62, one of the busiest commuter congestion hotspots in the region.

From next summer, smart motorway technology, such as electronic information signs and variable mandatory speed limits on the M62, will be used alongside traffic lights on the motorway link roads from the northbound and southbound M6.

Andy Withington, Highways England programme delivery manager for the North West, said: “This is an opportunity to combine existing technology and traffic management systems in a novel way to see whether we can give drivers using the frequently congested eastbound M62 lower journey times during peak hours and smoother, more reliable journeys.”

The new system will be monitored for up to one year, and if successful, could be used on other motorway to motorway slip roads in the UK.

Large elements of the pilot project will also form part of the permanent M62 junction 10 to junction 12 smart motorway system between Warrington and Manchester, which is due to start construction during 2018/2019.

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