Lanes to shut for new phase of work on M6
Lanes will be closed and drivers will face up to 14 miles of diversions for the next phase of the £125 million project to bring the M6 hard shoulder into operation during peak hours.
Overnight carriageway closures will start this weekend between junction five at Castle Bromwich and junction seven at Great Barr.
The closures are to allow highways workers to continue to install the new gantries and CCTV camera masts.
Work will also include the installation of new communications equipment, resurfacing work and street lighting works.
The work will start tomorrow and will continue the following weekend on June 7 and 8.
Closures will again be in place on June 15, 21, 22, 28 and 29, where again motorists will face lengthy diversions.
Highways bosses state that once completed, the managed motorway scheme will cut congestion, make journey times more reliable and improve safety through the use of variable mandatory speed limits and by opening the hard shoulder as an extra running lane.
Rob Edwards, project manager for the scheme, said: "We would like to thank road users for their continued patience as the scheme progresses. Work is going well and we now have 18 of the 20 new gantries in place.
"Using overnight closures gives us full access to the motorway and means we can remove and then install the gantries, signs and signals as quickly and efficiently as possible.
"Closing the M6 also ensures the safety of road workers and the travelling public as the road workers will be working overhead and will be working with large and heavy equipment.
"Although the closures will be in place overnight when there is less traffic on the M6, we do advise road users to allow more time for their journeys and to follow the clearly signed diversion route, which will be available via the local road network.
"When driving through the roadworks, which are there for the safety of road users and the workforce, drivers should observe the reduced speed limit, get into the correct lane and leave plenty of time for their journeys."
Road users are also being advised that between now and the end of June various other overnight lane closures and slip closures may be implemented.
Closures on Friday and Saturday nights will take place from 10pm to 8am.
Any closures on Monday to Thursday nights will be in place from 10pm to 5.30am.
