M6 roadworks due to finish in June to run until Christmas
Long-running roadworks that have caused disruption on the M6 for the past two years will finally be finished at the end of December.
The £87.5million project to introduce a raft of improvements between junctions 10a for the M54 and 13 for Stafford was originally due to be finished in June but was delayed until the autumn.
Bosses at Highways England say 'autumn' for them means the end of December, meaning the 50mph speed limit will be in place until after Christmas.
Signs have also now appeared on the motorway telling drivers that there will be an overnight closure of the southbound carriageway between junctions 14 and 13 for the north and south of Stafford between 9pm on Monday and 6am on Tuesday.
It will allow traffic sensors to be installed to record the amount of cars on the motorway which can influence overhead traffic messages and help set advisory speed limits during peak times or when there is congestion.
Highways England spokeswoman Sophie Powers said: "The scheme is still on schedule and is expected to be completed in the autumn, so within the next couple of months.
"We do not have an exact date yet and we are looking to make an announcement soon.
"It could be the end of December. For us autumn can mean the end of the year. It is just the way we record things."
Earlier this year the Express & Star revealed that between October 2013, when the works began, and August this year nearly 8,000 people had been slapped with £100 fines for breaking the temporary limit.
On average 461 motorists a month were penalised not including January, February and March this year when hundreds escaped punishment because the cameras were not working.
It is estimated 120,000 vehicles a day travel on the stretch between junctions 10a and 13.
The project - referred to as a 'Smart Motorway Scheme' - is designed to relieve congestion by introducing a number of measures including improvements to the hard shoulder between junctions 11a and 13 so it can be used as a running lane.
Other enhancements include new emergency refuge areas, new gantries and information signs as well as resurfacing works.
