The 16km upgrade of a stretch of the M6 motorway in the North West of England is now complete. The widening work for the Junction 21-26a upgrade between Warrington and Wigan is now finished. In October, National Highways opened an extra lane for drivers on both the northbound and southbound carriageways along all 16km of the M6 junction 21a to junction 26 between Warrington and Wigan.
National Highways has now lifted the temporary maximum speed limit of 80km/h that had been in place since October, following the completion of work to calibrate stopped vehicle detection technology. This safety system uses radar technology to alert National Highways’ control centre operators who can close lanes with a red X signal, display modified speed limits and deploy traffic officers.
Costain, as part of the SMP Alliance, has been the on-site partner for the £260 million upgrade, leading the delivery of improvements on the busy route that is increasing mobility across the North West of England. The introduction of the 112km/h (70mph) speed limit marks the final stage for the scheme. The two additional lanes, one in each direction, provide extra capacity, reduce congestion, improve travel times and make journeys more reliable for the estimated 120,000 vehicles/day that use the route.
