Drivers warned of months of M62 woe

Commuters have been hit by tailbacks, often at peak times, during work on a £150m project to ease congestion by allowing the hard shoulder to be used.

Around 1,500 vehicle breakdowns between junctions 25 and 27 since the scheme began in October have been blamed for causing delays.

Around 10 per cent of breakdowns were caused by drivers running out of fuel.

Yesterday, the Highways Agency said the project was on schedule to fully open in October next year.

A total of 35 new gantries have been installed and another 16 are currently being upgraded. The first section, between junction 27 and 28, is due to be completed by May.

David Pilsworth, Highways Agency project manager, thanked motorists for their patience, adding: “Although the scheme may look finished in places, we still have a lot of work to do to bring the managed motorway into operation – including ‘behind the scenes’ work to install and test the extensive new technology that is a key feature of every managed motorway.

“We do understand the frustration caused by delays as a result of incidents on the network and we do all we can to keep the network running smoothly. However, with some incidents, full or partial road closures are unavoidable while emergency services carry out important recovery and investigation work.”

He said drivers had a role to play in reducing problems.

“We would remind road users to drive within the speed limit – which is 50mph for a good reason – keep in the correct lane, leave plenty of distance between them and the vehicle in front, and allow extra time for their journeys.

“Breakdowns in live lanes can also lead to delays, and our figures show that there have been more than 1,500 breakdowns between junction 25 and junction 27 alone, in both directions, since work began.”