Towering 40ft “super-gantries” have been installed on the M6 just yards from a housing estate after residents were told they would barely be able to see them.

The huge new stanchions, which can be seen from homes on Walsall’s Beechdale Estate, as part of work to open up the hard shoulder to motorists during peak times. Families were put up at the Holiday Inn, at Junction 10, on Friday, by the Highways Agency, while the latest phase of Managed Motorways scheme was carried out.

But despite being warned of the overnight work and the installation of the gantries, Murdock Way resident Alan Sanders said it had caused outrage among families in surrounding roads. “When we arrived back home, we couldn’t believe how ugly these things are,” he said.

“The fence outside my living room window is 11ft high. I was told by the Highways Agency that I would hardly be able to see the gantries, and they are towering another 20ft over it.”

He added: “I’ve heard about gantries before, but these are super-gantries.

“Fortunately, they’d put us up in the hotel, but I spoke to one woman on the road and she said her whole house was vibrating.”

The work will eventually allow motorists to use the hard shoulder between Junction 8 for the M5 and Junction 10a for the M54.

Highways Agency spokesman Nathan Wallis said today: “We will continue to work with our contractor to address the concerns of residents.”

The agency refused to say how many complaints it received about the gantries.