Five months of Shropshire M54 roadworks starting tonight
Tonight will mark the beginning of a run of night time closures along six miles of the M54 lasting for five months.
Junctions three to five of the motorway will also be reduced to two narrow lanes throughout the work, with speed restrictions in place during the day.
The work forms part of a £10.8 million improvement scheme – and, barring a short respite over Christmas, it will provide a permanent headache until April.
Overnight closures will last from 10pm to 6am each night until April
The motorway will be reduced to two narrow lanes from 6am to 8pm
Traffic will be reduced each day to one lane from 8pm to 10pm
A 50mph limit will be in place eastbound and 40mph westbound
Eastbound traffic will be diverted at junction three to the A41, A5 and A464 and back on to the M54 at junction four in overnight closures
Westbound traffic will travel along the same route to junction four and then on to the A464 to the A442, to rejoin the M54 at junction five
Workmen will remove and replace the central reservation, creating a concrete barrier like that recently installed on other motorways including the M5 and M6. Drainage will be improved and the surface will be replaced to make it quieter.
Highways Agency project manager Purnima Kaul today said the work was necessary for the upkeep of the motorway and the safety of drivers – but accepted that it would cause problems for commuters who use the M54 daily.
She said: "This is a very important scheme to replace and upgrade safety features on this stretch of the M54.
"We are replacing the central reservation barrier and improving the drainage. This will help keep drivers safe, whilst the drainage improvements will reduce spray from the road surface.
"We are making further improvements to journeys at the same time, by replacing the road surface.
"The new surface will be smoother and much quieter, and should reduce the need for further work in this area for some time to come.
"We have planned this work to deliver the maximum benefit for road users in the long-term.
"We encourage all road users to properly plan their journeys and check all traffic and weather information before setting out.
"As we will be working in phases, it will be important for road users to make sure they have the latest information so they know what to expect before setting out."
She said the new concrete barriers were superior to the current barriers made of metal. There have been cases on motorways of vehicles crashing through metal barriers onto the other carriageway.
