I have been contacted by a number of constituents about lane restrictions at junction 4a of the M5. Restrictions have been put in place as part of the ongoing smart motorway project and have caused significant congestion and delays.
I am disappointed with the current situation and share my constituents' frustrations at the extent of the delays that are being experienced. I know that traffic, noise and tree landscaping have all been ongoing concerns for people who live around and use the M5 and I have always made efforts to make Highways England aware of every complaint and comment amongst my constituents.
In this vein, I contacted Highways England to communicate the local frustrations about traffic in relation to lane closures. This was their response:
Please be assured our Regional Control Centre is monitoring congestion and driver behaviour closely, and will continue to do so throughout the duration of the works. As with any new traffic management scheme there is always bedding in period before this stabilises. We are liaising with Worcestershire County Council regarding traffic data they can provide on surrounding routes, and we will continue to work with them to analyse the impact across the local area. We are doing all we can to minimise the impact on local roads. We have also been liaising with Worcestershire County Council in relation to signage on the local network and have agreed to implement additional signage around M42 Junctions 2 and 3. We will continue to work with WCC in relation to signage and the overall impact of the scheme.
Highways England are investing over £100m in essential repairs of Oldbury Viaduct, a vitally important elevated stretch of the M5 which carries 120,000 journeys every day. We understand this follows the recent upgrade of M5 4a-6 Smart Motorways. To minimise the impact around the wider West Midlands including Worcestershire, we have programmed this scheme to begin now before other works in the region take place, such as the construction of HS2. Undertaking these necessary repairs now will also prevent greater disruption in the future, and will ensure that this important road remains safe and reliable.
In advance of the works beginning, we carried out extensive research using the latest traffic models to establish the best solution for the whole of the West Midlands. The lane restrictions at M5 junction 4a are part of a package of carefully planned measures to balance the flow of traffic across the wider region. The M5 J4a location is the last point at which road users can decide to use an alternative route on the motorway network, rather than less suitable local roads - which would cause widespread congestion. Traffic management is also in place at M6 J8 (Walsall) to ensure similar southbound congestion is minimised.
Whilst I am glad that Highways England are monitoring the impact of these lane closures on an ongoing basis, I have made clear to them the frustration of my constituents and the significant congestion problems that are being caused. I am glad that my neighbouring MPs Robin Walker and Harriett Baldwin are also making efforts to communicate our area’s problems to Highways England and I fully support their calls for a further review into these lane closures on the M5. Temporary speed restrictions, whilst still far from ideal, may be a better management method than lane closures and could lead to significantly reduced traffic. The Smart Motorway project has caused my constituents and others too many inconveniences and I think that every effort should be made to reduce these congestion issues.
I will continue to monitor this situation closely with other local MPs.