Roads Minister starts M4/M5 roadworks

5th February 2012, 10:19

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Roads Minister Mike Penning has officially launched the £88 million scheme to increase capacity, reduce congestion and improve safety on the M4 and M5 near Bristol.

When the scheme is complete in spring 2014, drivers should benefit from improved journey times thanks to the use of variable speed limits to smooth out traffic flows and opening up the hard shoulder as an extra traffic lane.

The managed motorway scheme - the first of its kind in the South West - on the busy Almondsbury Interchange will cover 3.4 miles of the M4 between junctions 19 and 20 and 3.1 miles of the M5 between Junction 15 and Junction 17.

Roads Minister Mike Penning told Heart why the scheme is so important:

Listen here

Work on the M4 and M5 will include strengthening the hard shoulder, building emergency refuge areas, installing gantries and electronic signs, and installing sensors in the road to measure traffic flow. CCTV cameras will also be installed to monitor the motorway and emergency refuge areas.