Work on Greater Manchester’s £208m ‘smart motorway’ to start soon

The phased opening of a new smart motorway that could slash traffic congestion and improve journey times in Greater Manchester is due to start this Autumn.

The first sections of the £208m Highways England scheme to complete will be along a five-mile stretch of the M62 near Rochdale and two miles of the M60 near the Trafford Centre.

The full project stretches from Junction 8 of the M60, near Sale, to Junction 20 of the M62 by Rochdale.

According to Highways England, a similar scheme delivered on part of the M62 in West Yorkshire resulted in commuters saving an average of 30 minutes per week.

The company said the work will represent its most complex smart motorway project to date, covering 13 junctions along the UK’s second busiest motorway.

Jon Stokes, senior project manager at Highways England, said: “We will be able to begin a phased opening of the new smart motorway scheme this autumn – benefiting the 180k drivers who use the route every day.

“When the smart motorway is complete, drivers will be able to travel in an extra lane on the M62 and variable speed limits will keep traffic moving at a steady speed – tackling the stop/start conditions and tailbacks caused by sudden braking.”

He added: “Nearly 600 people are currently working to complete the project and we will open each section along the route as soon as possible.”