Motorists may be allowed to use the hard shoulder on two motorways to avoid a repeat of the traffic gridlock which caused misery at last year’s V Festival.
Travellers on the M54, many of them previously unaware the festival was taking place, sat fuming in stationary cars because of the sheer volume of traffic.
Crowds of 90,000 are expected at this year’s festival on August 16 and 17.
They will bring with them 35,000 cars, so there is likely to be congestion again this year, particularly if the motorways are blocked by road accidents.
The Highways Agency is now seeking powers to open up the hard shoulders on both the M54 and M6 and to close slip roads and part of the A5 as a way of tackling traffic jams.
An order is due to be made under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, “because of the likelihood of danger to the public as a result of increased traffic levels during the V Festival at Weston Park”.
This would apply for the four days, starting from August 14, giving traffic officers a flexible range of powers to cope with problems.
Anthony Aston, for the agency, said: “It is a contingency measure allowing us to adapt to changing circumstances.
“Opening the hard shoulder to traffic would be a last resort, because it is normally important to keep it free for emergency vehicles.”
The orders would allow officers to direct traffic onto the hard shoulder on the southbound carriageway of the M6 from north of Junction 12, near Penkridge.
A similar rule would apply to the hard shoulder of the westbound M54 between Junctions 2 and 3, the Wolverhampton and Tong turnings.
Officers would also have powers to close slip roads on the M6 at Junction 12 and the M54 at Junction 3, as well as the westbound A5 from Churchbridge, near Cannock.
Vehicles used by traffic officers, police, fire and ambulance would be exempt from the closures.
By Peter Johnson
Share this article:
What are these?