Extra lanes to open on 10-mile stretch of M6 between Wigan and Warrington after £260million smart upgrades

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The M6 will benefit from an extra lane as roadworks are finally lifted on a 10-mile stretch of motorway between Wigan and Warrington this week.

Work has started to remove the roadworks which have hindered travel on the M6 between junctions 26 and 21a for the last three and a half years.

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It marks the beginning of the end of the £260million smart motorway upgrade which commenced in March 2021.

Sections of the M6 between Wigan and Warrington are nearing completion following years of Smart motorway upgradesSections of the M6 between Wigan and Warrington are nearing completion following years of Smart motorway upgrades
Sections of the M6 between Wigan and Warrington are nearing completion following years of Smart motorway upgrades

National Highways said drivers will be able to use a new fourth lane between the two junctions from tomorrow (Thursday, October 17).

It said the extra capacity should improve journey times for thousands of motorists who use the route every day. However, the current 50mph speed limit will remain in force until next year while National Highways ‘fine-tune’ the motorway’s newly installed safety and technology features.

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Gantry signs will continue to warn motorists to stick to the reduced speed limit until work to calibrate the ‘smart’ technology, including stopped vehicle detection, is completed.

National Highways said the 70mph speed limit is expected to be restored by spring 2025.

Sections of the M6 between Wigan and Warrington are nearing completion following years of 'smart motorway' upgradesSections of the M6 between Wigan and Warrington are nearing completion following years of 'smart motorway' upgrades
Sections of the M6 between Wigan and Warrington are nearing completion following years of 'smart motorway' upgrades | National Highways

Efforts to lift the roadworks began at the weekend with temporary cones, signs and some barriers removed from sections of the motorway between junction 22 at Winwick and junction 21a at Croft.

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And, by the end of this week, there’ll be an extra lane open to drivers on both the northbound and southbound carriageways along all 10 miles of the M6 between the Croft interchange with the M62 and junction 26 at Orrell interchange with the M58.

What’s changed?

Alongside adding an extra lane in both directions, the upgrades provide extra technology and safety enhancements, including stopped vehicle detection.

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Stopped vehicle detection uses radar technology to alert National Highways’ control centre operators who can then close lanes with a Red X signal, display speed limits and deploy traffic officers. 

The project was extended in December to add an extra 12 emergency areas – with 22 provided in all – as well as resurfacing all lanes along most of the upgraded route.

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This followed the Government’s scrapping of further smart motorways amid safety concerns, while those already under construction would continue so long as more emergency areas were installed.

Temporary CCTV cameras used for the roadworks will remain alongside permanent cameras installed in the upgrade, and a free recovery service will remain in place for anybody who breaks down.

Drivers will also be able to use any of the 22 new emergency areas - 11 on each carriageway - if they need to stop in an emergency. It means, on average, someone travelling at 50mph will reach a place to stop in an emergency every 37 seconds. 

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