Work to start at Junction 12

4 September 2010, 06:00

Work to ease congestion at junction 12 of the M5 will start this week.

The Highways Agency says the work will take 14 weeks, but will be carried out between 8pm and 6am to reduce any possible delays.
 
The project will increase capacity by adding lanes to the busiest parts of the junction – including new dedicated lanes, north and southbound, between the M5 and Gloucester. This will improve the flows of motorway traffic.

Other work taking place includes the installation of traffic signals which will help to balance the flow between traffic exiting the motorway and other traffic using the roundabout.

Mark Arberry , project manager at the Highways Agency said:

“Peak time congestion is a real problem for drivers on this busy section of road. The work we are doing will increase the capacity of the junction, improve traffic flow and reduce the safety risk of traffic queuing back on to the M5 main carriageway.
 
“We have planned every section of this project carefully to keep delays to road users to an absolute minimum. Throughout the work, there will be no reduction in the number of lanes available to road users during the day but the junction will be closed between 8pm and 6am each night with a diversion in place.”

Work was last carried out on the junction in 2006, but since then traffic using the junction has increased, particularly from new developments near by.

Work will start overnight on September 6 and will continue each night for 14 weeks.