£10.8 million improvements to M54 in Telford start this month
Work to improve the M54 between junctions 3 and 5 in Telford will begin this month.
The westbound carriageway will be closed overnight between 28 November and late April 2015 as part of a £10.8 million improvement scheme.
The Highways Agency will keep both westbound lanes open during peak times to minimise the effect on traffic, but traffic will be limited to one lane during off-peak times and weekends.
The work is vital to remove and replace safety features, improve drainage and make the road surface quieter.
Highways Agency project manager Purnima Kaul 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.
The Agency will be working 24-hours a day, seven-days a week to deliver the scheme.
Around six miles of the road will be affected – mainly on the westbound carriageway.
Diversions will be in place throughout.
During full overnight closures of junction 3 to junction 4, traffic will be diverted off at junction 3 to follow the A41 north to the A5 westbound, onto the A64640 and back onto the M54 at junction 4.
During closures of the westbound M54 from junction 3 to junction 5, traffic will be diverted along the same route to junction 4, then taken via the A464 south to the A442 to re-join the M54 at junction 5.
Traffic on the westbound carriageway will be subject to a mandatory 40mph speed limit during the work. Eastbound traffic will be limited to 50mph. This is necessary to keep road workers and drivers safe during the scheme. Speed limits will be enforced by cameras.
Purnima Kaul added:
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.
General enquiries
Members of the public should contact the Highways Agency Information Line on 0300 123 5000.
Media enquiries
Journalists should contact the Highways Agency press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.