Creative BHM18 0060 RHK Smart Motorway M6 Junctions 13 to 15

Welcome

Smart motorway M6 junctions 13 to 15 public information exhibition

Highways England – Creative BHM18_0060_RHK Smart motorway M6 junctions 13 to 15

Smart motorways

Smart motorways are a technology driven Drivers are enjoying the benefits of smart approach to the use of our motorways, motorways across the country without safety increasing capacity and relieving congestion being adversely affected – our motorways while maintaining safety. Smart motorways help continue to be some of the safest in the world. make journey times more reliable. If you would like to know more about the M6 Technology is installed to monitor and manage junctions 13 to 15 smart motorway scheme you traffic flow. As well as the additional capacity can contact us at: from the extra lane, the technology manages traffic using variable speed limits to smooth [email protected] traffic, reducing frustrating stop-start flow and improving journey reliability.

It is also used to support the response to incidents, using the signs and signals to close any lane in advance of the incident scene.

Tranche Est. start Est. to be Tranche 0 of works open for Newcastle traffic Upon Tyne Tranche 0 Tranche 1 M1 J32-35a Live Scheme - A1M M1 J28-31 Live Scheme - M6 Tranche 2 M1 J39-42 Live Scheme - M3 J2-4a Live Scheme - M6 J10a-13 Live Scheme - M25 J5-7 Live Scheme - A1M M25 J23-27 Live Scheme - York M1 J39-42 Tranche 1 Leeds M1 J19-16 Commenced Q4-17/18 M5 J4a-6 Live Scheme - M1 J32-35a M6 J16-19 Commenced Q3-18/19 Liverpool Manchester Tranche 2 M1 J28-31 M1 J24-25 Commenced Q3-18/19 M6 J16-19 M1 M4 J3-12 Q4-16/17 Q4-21/22 M6 M6 J2-4 Q4-17/18 Q4-19/20 Nottingham M6 J13-15 Q4-17/18 Q4-20/21 M6 J13-15 M1 J24-25

M6 J10a-13 Norwich Schemes open Q = Quarter within year to traffic M6 J2-4 M1 J19-16 Birmingham M1 © Crown copyright and database rights 2016 Ordnance Survey 100030649 M5 Bedford M5 J4a-6 M11 A1M M25 J23-27

[ACTION: check with SMP London Bristol M4 M25 comms that this map and M4 J3-12 M3 table is up-to-date each time you use this template. Southampton Brighton Exeter M25 J5-7

DELETE this box after M3 J2-4a action has been done]

Highways England – Creative BHM18_0060_RHK Smart motorway M6 junctions 13 to 15

M6 junctions 13 to 15 smart motorway

We are improving the busy 17 miles (28km) A53 Newcastle- stretch of the M6 between Junction 13 at under-Lyme Stoke-on- Stafford and Junction 15 near Newcastle-under- A500 Trent Lyme and Stoke-on-Trent by upgrading it to an A53 15 ‘all lane running’ (ALR) smart motorway.

Construction is scheduled to begin in March SOS SOS

2018 and the smart motorway is expected to be M6 A51 open to traffic by March 2022. SOS

SOS A34 The project involves: A51

Converting the hard shoulder to create a SOS permanent fourth lane between junctions 13 SOS and 15. SOS A520 SOS New electronic information signs and signals and CCTV cameras on gantries. These will SOS SOS Stone show variable mandatory speed limits and manage traffic flow and incidents. Stafford S Services S Stafford Eccleshall 20 Emergency Areas (EAs). Services SOS A51 A5013 The hardening of the central reserve and SOS A34 installation of a reinforced concrete barrier to M6 A5013 SOS improve safety. SOS Great Replacement of Burton Bank footbridge. Bridgeford 14 Demolition of Creswell Home Farm A513 overbridge. A34 SOS SOS Installing approximately 2km of new noise M6

SOS Stafford barriers. A518 A449 SOS A34 New lighting and improvements to the slip SOS A513 roads at Junction 15. SOS

13 A34

A449 Acton Trussell

Highways England – Creative BHM18_0060_RHK Smart motorway M6 junctions 13 to 15

Smart technology

A smart motorway has technology installed to CCTV and sensors detect and monitor monitor and manage traffic flow. It is important congestion and incidents, so we can set that you understand the signs and comply. appropriate speed limits and manage incidents effectively. When lanes are closed, signs display a red X showing which lanes cannot be used. Speed limits vary and are applied at times of congestion, to prevent stop-start conditions. Signs in the verge or above the carriageway If no speed limit is shown the national speed advise you of the speed limit, any lane limit applies. closures and provide information on road conditions such as severe weather.

new gantries

new signals

new CCTV cameras

traffic monitoring emergency areas radar detector

message signs

lower noise surfacing

signs

concrete barriers

under carriageway ducts technology ducting

Highways England – Creative BHM18_0060_RHK Smart motorway M6 junctions 13 to 15

Better journeys

Smart motorways are an effective way Our M25 two year after reports show that all to provide more capacity on our busiest lane running smart motorways are meeting our motorways while maintaining safety and at a expectations; improving journey time reliability, third of the cost of widening schemes, meaning reducing collisions and casualty rates while better value for the tax payer. being used by more vehicles.

All lane running, which involves permanent The approach also supports economic conversion of the hard shoulder as a live lane growth. The M6 junctions 13 to 15 scheme is for traffic to use, provides an opportunity an important element of Highways England’s to modernise and improve far more of our continuing plan to improve England’s motorways than under previous approaches. motorway network.

A representation of what smart motorways look like

Highways England – Creative BHM18_0060_RHK Smart motorway M6 junctions 13 to 15

Emergency areas

Emergency Areas provide an area of relative If you are driving at 60mph you will reach a safety following a breakdown. place you can stop in an emergency every 75 seconds on average. There will be 20 visible new Emergency Areas within the M6 junctions 13 to 15 There is an emergency telephone in each smart motorway scheme. Motorway service Emergency Area. This connects you to areas and hard shoulders where available Highways England’s Regional Control can also be used. Centres and pinpoints your location.

Remember to use the emergency telephone as this automatically pinpoints your location

Highways England – Creative BHM18_0060_RHK Smart motorway M6 junctions 13 to 15

Incident management

Incidents such as accidents and The control centre monitors traffic conditions breakdowns are managed by our control throughout each incident and reopen lanes centre staff. as soon as it is safe to do so.

If the accident or breakdown means vehicles We are working closely with the emergency are unable to get off the carriageway or reach services as these major improvements are an emergency area, we can use technology rolled out on our motorways. to close any lane on the motorway.

Control centre staff set signs to inform other road users about what is happening and manage traffic so that the people involved in the incidents are protected and an access route is cleared for emergency vehicles.

1 Incident detection 2 Emergency service on scene

3 Incident protection and clearing 4 Incident cleared and smart motorway re-opened

Highways England – Creative BHM18_0060_RHK Smart motorway M6 junctions 13 to 15

Red signs

Red signs are used for safety reasons to close lanes:

to protect road users who may have broken down or been involved in an incident. to provide access and protection for the emergency services, our traffic officers and our road workers.

If you see a Red symbol on a gantry sign over or at the side of the motorway it means that the lane is closed for one or more of these reasons.

Driving in a lane with a Red symbol is A representation of a Red X illegal and dangerous and drivers must not message sign on the verge use it.

A representation of a Red X message sign on a full gantry

Highways England – Creative BHM18_0060_RHK Smart motorway M6 junctions 13 to 15

Environment

Highways England is committed to delivering The key issues considered include: better environmental outcomes. In remaining within current motorway boundaries, smart Air quality, noise and visual impacts in motorways have the built-in advantage of relation to nearby housing. minimising scheme environmental footprints. In addition, we carry out thorough environmental The sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) assessments to identify and assess potential at Doxey and Tillington Marshes and King’s environmental impacts and recommend and Hargreaves Woods. mitigation that can be included in the scheme to minimise them. Surveys for protected species: we have identified bats, badger setts and great We have carried out an environmental crested newts next to the motorway. assessment that covers topics including noise and vibration, air quality, ecology and visual The setting of conservation areas and impacts. heritage assets such as Trentham Park.

Public Rights of Way.

Great crested newts being observed in nearby ponds

Highways England – Creative BHM18_0060_RHK Smart motorway M6 junctions 13 to 15

Construction

It is anticipated that during construction The work will involve installation of gantries and traffic management will be in place including monitoring equipment, new drainage systems, narrow lanes, temporary safety barriers, safety barriers, construction of emergency contraflow and speed restrictions to protect refuge areas and carriageway resurfacing. our road workers and the travelling public. The construction of the scheme will be There will be temporary closures of the governed by the Construction, Design and carriageways at night on some occasions. In Management Regulations. these instances clearly signed diversions will be put in place. Further details will be provided on the project web pages as they become available If you live near the motorway, your view of both before and during construction. the M6 between junctions 13 and 15 may change during construction as we will need Construction is due to start in March 2018 to remove some vegetation to build new and we expect to open the smart motorway gantries. We will be replanting where we by March 2022. can to help to screen views of motorway equipment.

Existing noise barriers will be taken down in sections during the construction and will be replaced.

Working on building retaining walls for EAs

Highways England – Creative BHM18_0060_RHK