£5.75 million driver information improvements near completion
A major investment in technology to help tackle congestion and give better information to drivers across parts of the North West will be completed by the Highways Agency by the end of the month.
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Improvements worth more than £5.75 million – with extended CCTV coverage of the region’s motorways and new electronic variable message signs (VMS) – are being delivered by the Highways Agency as part of the Government’ £317 million pinch point programme.
Work on installing new electronic signs and CCTV cameras – which will give Highways Agency traffic officers and partner organisations like the police better intelligence on incidents and queues – started at the end of last year and is due to be completed by March 31.
Highways Agency project manager Philip Tyrrell said:
These new electronic signs will give better information to drivers when there is congestion and incidents. The extended CCTV coverage will ensure we have better intelligence and allow our traffic officers and partners to provide an even more effective response to incidents and congestion – boosting safety and journey times.
The improvements include:
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4 new electronic signs worth £1 million covering the busy Switch Island interchange near in Merseyside where the M57 meets the M58 as well as the A5306 Liverpool docks route.
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4 new electronic signs and 4 new CCTV cameras worth £1.4 million at Stoak Interchange on the Merseyside and Cheshire border where the M56 meets the M53 – aiding incident response and helping give drivers information about congestion and incidents along both motorways and the A55 around Chester.
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£836,000 to provide 7 new CCTV cameras along the M6 between junction 27 at Charnock Richard and junction 28 at Leyland in Lancashire – providing coverage along three sections of the route for the first time.
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3 new CCTV cameras worth £371,000 at junction 5 of the M56 at Manchester Airport which is heavily congested at peak times.
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£129,000 for 2 new CCTV cameras at junction 11 of the M56 at Daresbury.
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12 new CCTV cameras worth £876,000 in Cheshire along the M6 between junction 16 at Barthomley and junction 19 at Knutsford to increase coverage of one of the busiest sections of motorways in the region.
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£148,000 for 2 extra CCTV cameras to plug gaps in coverage at Thelwall Viaduct - an exposed section of the M6 that is susceptible to high winds and other severe weather incidents.
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£744,000 for new CCTV cameras at other locations including the M60 between junctions 20 and 21 near Middleton and junctions 5 and 6 near Sale; the M62 between junctions 20 and 21 near Rochdale; The M61 between junctions 4 and 5 west of Bolton; M66 around junction 3 near Bury and M65 at junction 2 near Walton Summit at the interchange of the motorway with the M61.
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£250,000 to double the number of CCTV cameras from 2 to 4 at Tarbock Island interchange in Merseyside where the M62 meets the M57 and A5300 Knowsley Expressway local route for Speke and Liverpool John Lennon Airport.
The schemes, due for completion at the end of the month, are in addition to technology schemes already delivered through the Pinch Point programme on the M6 at junction 33 and junction 35 around Lancaster where new electronic signs have been installed to give drivers better warning of hazards, incidents and congestion. New VMS signs are also currently being installed at both ends of the A590 in Cumbria.
General enquiries
Members of the public should contact the Highways Agency Information Line on 0300 123 5000.
Media enquiries
Journalists should contact the Highways Agency press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.