M6 J16-19 smart motorway project update

Highways England would like to inform you of their progress on the M6 junction 16-19 (Crewe to Knutsford) smart motorway project.

Final stages

At 6am on Friday 8 March, M6 junction 18 (Middlewich) and junction 17 (Sandbach) became fully operational, with drivers able to travel at variable speeds up to the national speed limit.

The 60mph speed restriction has now been lifted and this section is now complete.

Overhead electronic signs provide drivers with live information about their journeys, including changes in the speed limit, lane closures and incidents ahead.

The remaining link J16 (Crewe) to J17 (Sandbach) will be open to 4 new running lanes at 60mph next week.

The entire 18-mile upgrade is on schedule to be finished by the end of March, improving journeys for the 120,000 drivers who use the M6 every day.

 What is left to complete?

The remaining work includes commissioning the new technology along the route and some landscaping work to the motorway verge.

What will happen when the smart motorway is complete?

When the smart motorway is complete, traffic sensors will automatically monitor the flow of traffic and adjust the speed limit accordingly, tackling the stop/start conditions and tailbacks caused by sudden braking. New CCTV cameras will provide 100% coverage of the route and allow Highways England’s traffic officers and the emergency services to respond quickly to incidents.

More details on the scheme are available at www.highwaysengland.co.uk/m6j16to19