Friday 16:08
M1 J6A TO J10 WIDENING - OVERNIGHT CLOSURE OF J6 - J7 The M1 is to close overnight between J6 (M25) and J7 (Hemel Hempstead) to allow for the safe installation of new overhead gantries, which will display road information and lane directions for drivers.
The northbound M1 will be closed overnight on Tuesday, 19 August, while the southbound carriageway will be closed overnight on Wednesday, 20 August. Both closures will be from 10pm to 5am.
The gantries are an important part of the widening project and will provide drivers with lane information and warnings about speed limits. Fully signed diversion routes will be in place. During the northbound closure M1 traffic will be diverted via the A405 and M10. Drivers on the M25 wishing to join the M1 will be diverted to J21A, where they will pick up the diversion above. During the southbound closure M1 drivers will follow the above route in reverse (M10 then A405) and M25 drivers will not be affected.
For safety reasons the work is weather dependent and will not take place during high winds. Should work be postponed on either night it will be carried out overnight on Thursday, 21 August.
Drivers are also reminded of the speed restrictions between junctions 9 and 10:
* Traffic on the M1 north of Junction 9 is now subject to the national limit of 70mph. Traffic is leaving the roadworks and travelling on the finished motorway layout so it is appropriate to increase the speed limit to the national limit.
* The 70mph limit southbound into the scheme has been extended to just past Junction 10, where it will reduce to 50mph. By keeping the speed limit on the southbound four-lane section at 50mph, this will help traffic flow into the three-lane section below Junction 9 where work is continuing and therefore minimise congestion.
During the day three reduced width lanes on the M1 are open to traffic in both directions. Overnight the M1 may be reduced to one lane in each direction and junctions closed. Motorists are advised to pay special attention to the roadworks signs and get into the correct contra-flow lane early to minimise delays.
Drivers are reminded to drive safely through the roadworks and leave extra time for their journeys.
M11 J12 - SOUTHBOUND OFFSLIP IMPROVEMENTS Work to improve the M11 J12 offslip near Granchester, Cambridgeshire, will be carried out overnight on Monday, 18 August, between 8pm and 6am.
The work involves refreshing road markings and installing new road studs and speed perception strips.
The slip road will be closed during overnight work with traffic diverted south to J11, to leave and rejoin the northbound carriageway to exit at J12.
There will also be an overnight lane closure and two-way traffic lights in operation on Granchester Road, with a temporary 30 mph speed restriction in place.
Drivers should allow extra time for their journeys.
A5 - RESURFACING, BEDFORDSHIRE Resurfacing work will be carried out overnight on the A5 near Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, starting on Monday, 18 August.
The work involves resurfacing approximately half a mile (800m) of the carriageway in both directions, starting from a point 300m south of the Sheep Lane/Woburn Road roundabout and running south towards Hockliffe.
The resurfacing will be carried out from Monday, 18 August, for four nights, and then for one night on Wednesday, 27 August. Work will start at 8pm each night and finish at 6am the following morning.
Overnight lane closures will be in operation, with two-way traffic signals and a temporary 40 mph speed restriction in place. There will be no overnight access into Sandhouse Lane from the A5 or from Woburn Road while the work is taking place. Traffic will be diverted via the Sheep Lane Roundabout.
Drivers should allow extra time for their journeys.
Safety at roadworks
The Highways Agency is working with the industry and road users to reduce the risks of working on the roads. For the safety of roadworkers and all road users, when you are approaching roadworks:
* Keep within the speed limit - it is there for your safety. * Get into the correct lane in good time - don't keep switching. * Concentrate on the road ahead, not the roadworks. * Be alert for works' traffic leaving or entering roadworks. * Keep a safe distance - there could be queues in front. * Observe all signs - they are there to help you.
ONGOING WORK:
M1 J10 TO J10A - BRIDGE REFURBISHMENT WORK, LUTON Refurbishment of the bridge that carries the M1 over Newlands Road, Luton, between J10 and J10A, started on Monday, August 11, for approximately seven weeks.
The work on Stockwood Bridge does not affect the M1 itself but requires temporary, 24-hours-a-day lane closures on Newlands Road for the duration of the work. The lane closures affect 75m of the road either side of the bridge. Two-way temporary traffic lights and a 40 mph speed restriction will be in place.
This work is essential to improve the safety of the bridge and involves replacing the old brickwork cladding to the abutments and embankment walls.
The work will be carried out from 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. There will be no overnight or weekend working but, for the safety of motorists, it will be necessary to leave the temporary traffic signals in place. This is the second phase of the safety works undertaken last year when loose brickwork was removed.
Drivers using Newlands Road are advised to allow extra time for their journeys. Motorists using the M1 will not be affected. This work is not related to the M1 J6a-10 widening scheme.
M1 J13 TO J15 - OVERNIGHT RESURFACING WORK, MILTON KEYNES Overnight resurfacing work of the M1 northbound carriageway near Milton Keynes started on Monday, July 7.
The work will require overnight lane closures on 14 miles (22 km) of the M1 northbound carriageway between J13 and Gayhurst Wood (midway between J14 and J15). A temporary 50 mph speed restriction will be in place and some entry and exit slip roads will be closed.
Slip road closures will only affect one junction at a time. When an exit slip road is closed, traffic will be diverted to the next junction to return on the opposite carriageway and use the southbound exit slip. When an entry slip road is closed, traffic will be diverted southbound to the previous junction, before returning north to continue on their journey.
All work will be carried out between the hours of 10pm and 5.30am, Monday to Thursday; 10pm and 7am, overnight Fridays; 10pm and 8am, overnight Saturdays; and 10pm and 5.30am, overnight Sundays.
It is expected work will be completed by the end of August. Drivers are advised to plan and leave extra time for their journeys while the work is taking place.
M1 - BRIDGE SAFETY SCHEME, BEDFORDSHIRE A £2.6m scheme to replace concrete bridge parapets and improve safety of bridges at four locations over the M1 in Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire started on Monday 28 July and is expected to be complete by end of January 2009.
At times during the course of the works there will be lane closures overnight on the M1 beneath each bridge on both the northbound and southbound carriageways in order to safeguard roadworkers and the road user.
The scheme will improve the Broughton/Salford Road bridge in Bedfordshire, the Flore to Brockhall Road bridge, Watling Street to Brookhall Road bridge and the Brockhall private access bridge, all in Northamptonshire.
While the work is taking place there will be a lane closures on the Broughton/Salford Road bridge controlled by temporary traffic lights and a 40mph speed restriction.
The remaining two public road bridges will be closed for the duration of the works and clearly signed diversion routes put in place. The private bridge will also be temporarily closed.
The work will take place 24 hours a day, seven days a week on the bridges themselves. On the M1, lane closures will be in place on Monday to Thursday between 11pm and 5am, on Fridays between 11pm and 6am, on Saturdays between 10pm and 8am and on Sundays from midnight to 5am.
M11 J8 - REFURBISHMENT AND IMPROVEMENT OF TRAFFIC SIGNALS Work to refurbish and improve the existing traffic signal system at junction 8 of the M11 at Bishop's Stortford in Hertfordshire started on Monday 7 July.
The work, which will take place during weekday and weekend nights, is due to be complete by Friday 26 September.
It will involve refurbishing the existing traffic signal installation at junction 8 and work will also take place to upgrade the computerised system that controls the timing of the lights. At the same time road markings at the junction will also be renewed.
In total, the work will affect 1.8 miles of carriageway on the M11 junction 8 roundabout, southbound exit slip road and northbound exit slip roads. It will also affect the A120 east and west of junction 8. Work will take place between 8pm and 6am on Monday to Thursday and Saturday and between 9pm and 6am on Friday and Sundays.
Lane closures will be in place in various locations during the works with some closure of slip roads. Temporary 50 mph speed restrictions will be in effect for the main part of the works and a 10mph speed restriction with convoy working will be in place for work activities where safety zones cannot be provided.
Diversion routes will be in place as follows:
* M11 Southbound - closure of exit slip road to junction 8. Motorists should continue down the M11 to junction 7 and around the roundabout to join the M11 Northbound back to junction 8.
* M11 Northbound - closure of exit slip to junction 8. Motorists should use the northbound exit slip to junction 8A and then via Priory Wood roundabout and the A120 westbound to junction 8.
* B1256 - closure of westbound approach to junction 8. Use the A120 Great Dunmow to Priory Wood roundabout and then the A120 Thremhall Avenue westbound to junction 8.
* A120 Thremhall Avenue - closure of westbound approach to junction 8. Use the B1256 from A120 Great Dunmow to M11 junction 8.
* Closure of sections of the roundabout at M11 junction 8. One roundabout closure will mean traffic will be diverted westbound along the A120 to return to junction 8 using the A120/A1250 roundabout and A120 eastbound.
The other roundabout closure will require traffic to divert eastbound along the A120 Themhall Avenue to Priory Wood roundabout and back along the A120 westbound to junction 8.
Drivers should allow extra time for their journeys.
M11 J8 - MAINTENANCE WORK, BISHOPS STORTFORD Essential maintenance works on the M11 at Junction 8 near Bishops Stortford continues and is set to last until late August.
The works are taking place on a 2 mile (3.3km) section of the motorway between Junction 8 and a point 350 metres south of the Stansted Road Bridge at Elsenham.
They include laying new quiet surface material, replacing the safety barrier and installing a concrete barrier in the central reservation. A 24-hour contraflow is in place while the work is carried out. The northbound entry slip road onto the M11 at Junction 8 is also reduced to one lane. A 50mph speed limit will be in place for the safety of drivers and road workers.
Drivers are advised to plan and leave extra time for their journeys while the work is taking place.
M11 - TECHNOLOGY UPGRADE Work continues on the major scheme to provide better information for drivers on the M11. Electronic message signs and a queue protection system to warn drivers of slower traffic ahead will be installed between Junction 6 (M25) and Junction 8 (Stansted) in Essex. CCTV coverage is also being provided to help Traffic Officers deal with incidents more quickly.
The work covers 15 miles of the M11 from one mile south of Junction 6 (M25) to two miles north of Junction 8 (Stansted). All the signs will be installed in the verges with work being undertaken from the hard shoulder.
To reduce disruption to the M11 during the work, all three lanes will remain open to traffic during the daytime. Lane closures will be required overnight to allow safe access by heavy machinery for construction of foundations for the signs.
A temporary 50 mph speed restriction will apply when overnight closures are in operation, to protect the workforce.
Testing and commissioning of the electronic systems will follow and the signs should be fully operational in two months.
A1(M) J6 - BRIDGE REPAIRS, NEAR WELWYN, HERTS Work to repair the A1(M) bridge over The Avenue, Pottersheath, near Welwyn, Hertfordshire started on Monday 21 July. The bridge is half a mile north of Junction 6.
The £150,000 scheme will repair the concrete parts of the bridge, replace the bridge joints on the central reserve of the A1(M) and ensure safe access is in place for future maintenance.
To be able to complete the work during daytime hours, single lane closures controlled by temporary traffic signals will be in place on The Avenue Mondays to Fridays between 8am and 5pm.
From Tuesday 26 August, there will also be 5 weekday nights of lane closures on the A1(M) near Junction 6. Work will affect lane 2 north and southbound for about 1.2 miles between 8pm and 6am.
The work will be suspended on the Bank Holiday Monday (25 August). All work is due to be completed by Saturday 27 September.
A1 BLACK CAT TO BIGGLESWADE CARRIAGEWAY PATCHING SCHEME A £1.1m scheme to replace and improve the road surface of the A1 between Biggleswade in Bedfordshire and St Neots, Cambridgeshire started on Monday 21 July.
The work, which takes place overnight on weekdays, will also include repair works to Tempsford Bridge over the River Ouse.
Both the northbound and southbound carriageways of the A1 over the 7.5 mile stretch between Biggleswade North Roundabout to Black Cat Roundabout will be repaired to improve the road condition and reduce the noise level.
The work will take place from 8pm to 6am on Monday to Thursday and on Fridays between 9pm to 6am and will involve some carriageway closures.
Clearly signed diversion routes will be in place. There will be no work over the August bank holiday weekend (Friday, 22 August to Tuesday, 26 August) and the work is due to be completed by late August.
The work is being carried out in phases. Remaining work is:
* Monday 4 August to Tuesday 19 August: Overnight closure of the southbound carriageway between the Black Cat and Sandy Roundabouts.
* Tuesday 19 August to Saturday 30 August: Overnight closure of the A1 southbound between the Sandy and Biggleswade North Roundabouts.
The diversion route for the Northbound closure between Biggleswade North and Sandy roundabouts, and the Northbound closure between Sandy and Black Cat Roundabouts, is as follows:
Traffic wishing to travel northbound on the A1 will exit the A1(M) at junction 10 for Baldock, onto the A507 westbound to Clophill roundabout. Motorists will then join the A6 northbound to the A421 roundabout at Elstow and then onto the A421 eastbound to rejoin the A1 at Black Cat roundabout.
When the A1 southbound is closed, traffic will follow the same diversion route in the opposite direction. Local access will be maintained.
A14 BOTTISHAM - CONSTRUCTION OF HARD-STANDING Work to construct a layby for a mobile electronic message sign is taking place overnight, for 18 nights from Monday 4 August.
The nearside lane of the A14 westbound will be closed from 7pm to 6am, for one kilometre, starting one mile west of J36. The work will improve safety and reduce congestion by giving mobile variable message information to road users.
A14 - HAUGHLEY NEW STREET TO STOWMARKET IMPROVEMENTS Works began in July to tie-in the new offline section of the A14 with the existing A14 westbound and eastbound carriageways. Until now work has been mainly offline to construct the new section of the A14 and there has been minimal impact on drivers on the existing road. The work to tie-in the offline section will require lane closures and lane restrictions on the existing A14. There will be a permanent 40mph speed limit in place during the works with weekend contraflows in both directions. The contraflows will be from late Friday nights until early hours of Monday mornings. The work will be carried out in phases over six weekends and the first began on Friday 18 July. Clearly signed diversion routes are in place and access to local businesses and homes are maintained at all times. By limiting works to the weekends when traffic is lighter, delays will be kept to a minimum. The new road is due to be open to traffic on Monday 1 September 2008.
A slip road on to the A14 is now closed so that work can continue on the £32m scheme to build the stretch of road between Haughley New Street and Stowmarket.
The slip road on to the A14 westbound from Chilton Way, Stowmarket, is permanently closed to all traffic, with no access to the A14. Clearly signed diversion routes are in place, directing traffic via Gipping Way to join the A14 at Junction 50.
Work is now taking place to construct the new access road for Shepherds Farm House and Woodside Farm that will run parallel to the A14 from the existing Chilton Way. When the road improvement scheme is complete, there will be no direct access from Chilton Way and Shepherd's Lane to the A14. However, drivers will be able to use the new junction at Tot Hill, to access local roads.
The improvement scheme will improve safety on the A14 by building a new 2.3 mile dual carriageway between Haughley New Street and Stowmarket. The majority of the work is being carried out away from the existing A14 carriageway to limit any delays to road users.
Haughley Road was closed in April. This is to allow the construction of the new Haughley Road underpass on the A14 and its connection to the existing Haughley Road. The road is closed from the A14 junction to London Lane, a distance of 0.8kms. There is no access via Haughley Road to and from the A14. A diversion route for local residents is in place throughout the work period. Haughley Road is expected to re-open to traffic in mid-September 2008.
Changes to access roads are as follows:-
No access to A14 from Haughley New Street and The Folly, eastbound, until completion of works in September
No access from The Folly to Harleston across the A14 at Quarries Cross until scheme completion
No access to A14 eastbound at Fishponds Way until scheme completion
No access across central reservation to Eden Nurseries - access via J47 and return on eastbound carriageway
No access across central reservation
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. The Highways Agency is an executive agency of the Department for Transport. We manage, maintain and improve England's motorways and major A roads on behalf of the Secretary of State.
2. Real -time traffic information for England's motorways and major A roads is now available:
* From our new Traffic Radio service, available on DAB digital radio and the internet at http://www.trafficradio.org.uk To tune into the DAB service, simply press the "scan" button on your radio. The radio will tune into all available channels and you can select the new service by scrolling through the channels until you reach "Traffic Radio".
* On the internet at http://www.highways.gov.uk/trafficinfo
* By phone from the Highways Agency 24-hour voice activated phone service on 08700 660 115. (Calls from BT landlines to 0870 numbers will cost no more than 8p per minute; mobile calls usually cost more).
3. Before using a mobile, find a safe place to park. Never stop on the hard shoulder of a motorway except in an emergency. Make sure it's safe and legal before you call.
4. For more general information about the Highways Agency and its work, visit the Highways Agency website http://www.highways.gov.uk, or telephone the Highways Agency Information Line on 08457 50 40 30 at any time. (Calls to 0845 numbers cost no more than 3p/min from BT residential landlines. Call charges from other landlines and mobile networks may vary)
Issued on behalf of the Highways Agency by COI News & PR.
Client ref E84-08
COI ref 164660P
