Agency to hold exhibitions on the £1.3 billion project to improve the M1 and M62 in South and West Yorkshire.

United Kingdom – The Highways Agency has announced that it is to unveil the details of proposed M1 and M62 improvements in Yorkshire through a series of exhibitions.

The improvements are expected to increase available lane space on two of the country’s busiest motorways and will use a new compact motorway design and new technology to reduce congestion and increase safety.

In South Yorkshire, exhibitions explaining the finer points of the project will take place at the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield and the Central Library in Barnsley from 10:00 BST to 20:00 BST on June 16th 2006 and from 10:00 to 17:00 on June 17th 2006.

In West Yorkshire, the exhibitions will be held at St John the Evangelist Church, Church Street, Cleckheaton and the Galpharm Stadium in Huddersfield on June 23rd 2006 from 10:00 BST to 20:00 BST and on June 24th 2006 from 10:00 BST to 17:00 BST.

There will be a further exhibition in Wakefield at the Jubilee Hall, Townley Road, Lupset, from 10:00 BST to 20:00 BST on June 30th 2006.

For 38 miles of the M1 between Junctions 30 to 42 (Chesterfield to Leeds) and on a ten mile stretch of the M62 between Junctions 25 and 28 (Huddersfield to Leeds), the motorway will be widened to four lanes in each direction.

In addition, an extra lane will be added in both directions on the M1 between Junctions 30 and 32.

Work is due to start during autumn 2006, with the scheme requiring no extra land.

In 2011, an additional lane each way will be built between Junctions 39 and 42.

On the M1 between Junctions 32 and 39 and on the M62 between Junctions 25 and 28, the four running lanes will be slightly narrowed to 3.5m and the hard shoulder will be replaced by a 2.5m hardened edge strip and verge for use in emergencies.

Brand new electronic signs mounted overhead on gantries will give better driver information and enable lanes to be managed by the Agency as required.

A number of other measures are also being investigated to enhance the benefits of widening the motorway, by restricting the number of vehicles on the network and maximising the use of available road space.