The MoU puts an emphasis on both parties working more closely together to promote and develop relevant transport initiatives, for example by developing clearer travel warnings in instances of severe weather such as snow and ice warnings for HGVs.

Theo de Pencier, CEO of FTA, said: “Both organisations share mutual aims in terms of better serving road freight operators, whether that is about access to up-to-date information or, in the longer term, secure lorry parking provision. With closer collaboration and a sharing of intelligence we look forward to effecting real change for the better.”

Graham Dalton, Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, said: “We are delighted to renew and formalise our strong working relationship with the Freight Transport Association, reflecting our aim to work more closely together to help all road users experience safer and more reliable journeys.

“We’ll be working with FTA to keep freight operators informed, both on immediate issues on the network and on longer-term developments and improvements, and to investigate ways to improve the way we operate for the benefit of the transport sector and wider UK economy.”

Work to replace the existing steel safety barrier in the central reservation of the motorway west of Thurcroft near Rotherham will get underway on Tuesday 3 January and should be completed by Sunday 1 April.

Concrete barriers are stronger and more robust – reducing the risk of vehicles involved in accidents crossing from one side of the motorway to the other and improving the safety of road users and road workers. The barriers are also unlikely to require repairs after vehicle impact.

As well as the barrier works some resurfacing will also be taking place during the project that will affect a 1.5 mile stretch of the motorway around Junction 32 and encompassing the section where motorway and the M18 are linked.

Work will be taking place around the clock with the permanent closure of lane 3 in both directions to allow safe working in the central reservation. However, the hard shoulder will be used as a running lane to maintain three lane running in both directions although a 50mph speed limit will be in place past the roadworks for the safety of drivers as well as roadworkers.

Narrowed lanes will also be in place and some overnight closures of the southbound and northbound carriageways – on different dates – will be required with clearly signed diversions in place using the link roads onto the M18.

Some of the overnight closures of the M18 link roads will also be required again with some short and clearly-signed diversions in place.

Occasional, whole-weekend, lane two closures along the northbound carriageway will also be required.

Highways Agency project sponsor Tim Calvert said, “The existing steel barrier has reached the end of its serviceable life and its replacement with a concrete barrier will improve safety for road users.

“It will also improve the safety of our roadworkers as the new barrier will require less maintenance as it is less likely to be damaged in barrier strikes and require subsequent repairs. This will also reduce inconvenience to motorway users.

“During lane and the occasional overnight carriageway closures we will also be taking the opportunity to carry out some general repairs and maintenance including some resurfacing.”

In all, 118 sets of roadworks are due to be completed ahead of the Christmas and New Year holiday period. A further 19 sets of roadworks and lane restrictions are due to be removed by 06:00 on Friday 23 December and will not be put back before 00:01 on Tuesday 3 January. Lane restrictions or temporary speed limits will need to remain in place at 26 locations for the safety of drivers and their passengers, including on the M1 near Luton and on the M25 where important widening work will continue over the holiday period.

Transport secretary Justine Greening said: “Christmas is one of the busiest times on our roads and that’s why we will be completing or lifting roadworks wherever possible to help people get back to see their families and loved ones.

“More than 98 percent of the strategic road network will be roadworks free, meaning that more lanes will be open and many speed restrictions lifted.

“The Highways Agency is well prepared for winter, but experience from recent years shows that we must all play our part. I’d urge all drivers to make time for winter and visit the Highways Agency’s website, where there are lots of tips to help keep winter journeys safe and trouble free.”

The Agency will continue to offer a range of traffic information services to help road users plan their seasonal journeys and its Traffic Officers will be on patrol throughout the holiday period, to help clear up any incidents as quickly as possible. In addition, a few very simple steps taken now can reduce the risk of being caught out by the weather. Check your vehicle before you set out; take a severe weather emergency kit with you; check traffic and weather conditions and always plan your journey.

Phase one will begin on 12 December and will involve drainage and barrier works to the verges. Work will also be undertaken to prepare the hard shoulder to receive running traffic for the phase two works. Work will be carried out during off peak day time hours and overnight. Various off peak lane closures will be in place on both the north and southbound carriageways, as and when necessary. This phase of work is expected to be completed by 23 December.

Phase two will begin on 4 January 2012 and involves constructing 1.7km (miles please) of concrete barrier along the central reserve. Ancillary works include drainage and bridge pier protection. Again work will be carried out using a combination of day time and night time working, although this will not be limited to off peak hours. Both northbound and southbound traffic will be reduced to two lanes, with traffic running on the hard shoulder and lane 1. These works are expected to be completed by 19 February.

During both phases of the scheme, traffic management will be in place for approximately 2.5 miles.

For the safety of the workforce and the travelling public, there will also be a temporary 50 MPH speed limit which will be enforced by average speed cameras. Minor delays are expected due to reduced speed and reduced traffic volume through that section of motorway.

Highways Agency project sponsor Dave Frampton said: “These works will help improve travelling safety and mitigate the risk of cross over crashes. The Highways Agency will make every effort to ensure that any disruption to road users is minimised throughout the scheme.”

Roads Minister Mike Penning said: “The Highways Agency is ready for winter, but the experience of recent winters is that we must all play our part and be prepared. A few very simple steps taken now, such as putting together a severe weather emergency kit for your car, can reduce the risk of being caught out by the weather.

“Not every journey is essential in severe weather, but if you really must travel in the worst conditions, check your vehicle before you set out; take a severe weather emergency kit; check traffic and weather conditions and always plan your journey. For more information and advice I’d urge all drivers to make time for winter and visit the Highways Agency’s website, where there are lots of tips to help keep winter journeys safe and trouble free.”

The Highways Agency is well prepared for winter, with a fleet of 500 state of the art winter vehicles on stand-by, supported by tried and tested winter resilience plans. The Agency has reviewed salt stock levels, and started this winter period with stocks of more than a quarter of a million tonnes – 25% more than at the same time last year.

As well as snow and ice, strong winds, heavy rain and thick fog can affect journeys in the winter season. Met Office weather forecasters based at the Highways Agency’s National Traffic Operations Centre will provide information on weather conditions across the motorway and trunk road network.

Alyson Bedford, Head of Government Business at the Met Office, said: “We work closely with Highways Agency throughout the year and during the winter period our forecasters work with Highways Agency staff to provide them with the very latest weather forecasts. When making any journey always make sure you check the weather forecast for the latest weather information.”

For detailed information on local and national weather conditions, visit the Met Office website or listen to local radio broadcasts.

Extreme winter weather caused massive disruption to the UK’s supply chain last year. The winter preparation session will give managers all the information they need to minimise this disruption and to assist their drivers when the weather is becoming more unpredictable, and delegates will also learn about the work FTA does to pass on winter campaign messages to its members.

The nationwide seminar series, aimed at preparing transport managers for the year ahead, has already passed the 1,000 delegate mark – a significant increase on delegate numbers from 2010. The seminars are supported by leading tyre manufacturer Goodyear and one of the world’s leading energy providers Shell, and are aimed at arming transport managers with the tools they need to meet the challenges of an increasingly pressured environment in which their role is often changing.

Two expansion joints on the Roundhill Viaduct are being replaced by the Highways Agency, and drivers are being advised that the work will require the closure of separate carriageways overnight.

The essential joints allow the structure to expand and contract with seasonal changes in temperature. Since those on the viaduct failed, plates have been installed on the road as a temporary measure to cover the components and ensure the A20 remains open safely in both directions. Once the expansion joints have been replaced, the plates can be removed.

Arvind Ranpuria, Highways Agency project leader, said: “The repair work has been carefully planned to cause as little disruption as possible and will be carried out as quickly as possible. Weather permitting it will be complete before the end of January. These specialist joints had to be custom-made and we have been working closely with our contractor and the manufacturer to make sure the repair is effective.

“The temporary plates we have had in place since the joints failed have allowed us to have, latterly, two lanes of traffic running coastbound and one lane Londonbound.

“We are now having extra plates made so that, during the day when the carriageway is open, traffic will soon be able to run on two lanes London-bound as well as coast-bound. The temporary 30mph speed restriction through this location will remain in place for safety reasons.

“While the road is closed overnight we will also take the opportunity to carry out some necessary resurfacing of the road.

“We would like to thank road users for their continued patience while we carry out this essential work to get the A20 running with two lanes in each direction.”

The repair work will take place overnight, between 8pm and 6am, when traffic flows are lowest and will be carried out seven days a week. One carriageway at a time will be closed.

Clearly signed diversions will be in operation while the closures are in place. Coastbound traffic will be diverted off the M20 at junction 13, on to the A259 and the A260 to rejoin the A20 at Alkham Valley. Londonbound traffic will follow the same route in the opposite direction.

Roads Minister Mike Penning said: “The Highways Agency is ready for winter, but the experience of recent winters is that we must all play our part and be prepared. A few very simple steps taken now, such as putting together a severe weather emergency kit for your car, can reduce the risk of being caught out by the weather.

“Not every journey is essential in severe weather, but if you really must travel in the worst conditions, check your vehicle before you set out; take a severe weather emergency kit; check traffic and weather conditions and always plan your journey. For more information and advice I’d urge all drivers to make time for winter and visit the Highways Agency’s website, where there are lots of tips to help keep winter journeys safe and trouble free.”

The Highways Agency is well prepared for winter, with a fleet of 500 state of the art winter vehicles on stand-by, supported by tried and tested winter resilience plans. The Agency has reviewed salt stock levels, and started this winter period with stocks of more than a quarter of a million tonnes – 25% more than at the same time last year.

As well as snow and ice, strong winds, heavy rain and thick fog can affect journeys in the winter season. Met Office weather forecasters based at the Highways Agency’s National Traffic Operations Centre will provide information on weather conditions across the motorway and trunk road network.

Alyson Bedford, Head of Government Business at the Met Office, said: “We work closely with Highways Agency throughout the year and during the winter period our forecasters work with Highways Agency staff to provide them with the very latest weather forecasts. When making any journey always make sure you check the weather forecast for the latest weather information.”

For detailed information on local and national weather conditions, visit the Met Office website or listen to local radio broadcasts.

The award was presented yesterday to Simon Sheldon-Wilson, the Highways Agency’s Director of Traffic Management, at the Agency’s West Midlands regional control centre in Quinton, Birmingham.

Adrian Walsh, Director at RoadSafe, who presented the award on behalf of Prince Michael of Kent, said:

“Traffic officers make a significant contribution to the safety of our major roads, their presence certainly deters drivers from breaking the law and they are often the first on the scene when a crash occurs.”

Simon Sheldon-Wilson said: “The Traffic Officer Service handles around half a million incidents a year on England’s strategic road network. Our traffic officers are always out on the road network or working in our regional control centres, they attend to vulnerable motorists, make sure that vehicles are recovered, set warning signs and signals and help people involved in collisions and other incidents. Traffic officers also play a key role in supporting the emergency services in dealing with incidents on the network.

“Traffic officers work during all hours and in all conditions and are routinely tested by incidents ranging from debris on the carriageway to the effects of the most severe winter conditions in decades. I am very proud of their dedication and professionalism, helping and supporting road users in a range of pressurised and sometimes traumatic circumstances and I’m delighted to accept this prestigious award on behalf of everyone within the Traffic Officer Service.”

Representatives from the Traffic Officer Service will now join around four hundred people and special guests including roads minister Mike Penning at the annual awards ceremony in London, where Prince Michael will announce his 2012 Premier Award. This is presented to the most outstanding winner of any category and kept as a surprise until the announcement is made.

The male driver, from Leeds, pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention at Rochdale Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (November 1) and was also ordered to pay court costs of £85 and a victim supplement of £15.

The court heard Highways Agency Traffic Officers from their outstation at Milnrow near Rochdale were dealing with a road traffic collision between junctions 21 and 22 of the motorway in March when they needed to operate the rolling road block.

The road block was put in place to keep traffic back from the accident scene ahead where fellow Traffic Officers were working to quickly clear the carriageway and restore normal motorway conditions.

However, soon after launching the road block and displaying the ‘don’t pass’ sign from their high-visibility patrol vehicle, the two traffic officers in the patrol car saw the Leeds driver’s vehicle passing them and heading straight towards their colleagues in the carriageway. A warning was instantly dispatched to the incident scene, the operation temporarily abandoned and the driver’s registration reported to Greater Manchester Police who pursued this week’s prosecution.

Rolling road blocks are used by police and Highways Agency Traffic Officers to slow down traffic and hold it back – creating a safe environment ahead to allow them to remove broken down vehicles or hazardous debris.

John McTaggart, head of on road operations for the Highways Agency Traffic Officer Service in the North of England, said, “This is an expensive lesson for this driver and we hope other drivers across the region take heed.

“Drivers need to be aware it is an offence to ignore the instructions of Highways Agency Traffic Officers and they risk a fine, driving ban or even a jail sentence if they fail to comply with those directions and drive into protected areas of the motorway where Traffic Officers, the police and other roadworkers are just trying to get on with their jobs – making the roads safer for everyone else.

“We thank Greater Manchester Police for pursuing action over this issue. Highways Agency Traffic Officers and other roadworkers need to be sure they can work safely at incidents and roadworks without the fear of drivers breaking through cones or rolling roadblocks – putting themselves and the roadworkers at risk of serious injury or death.”

A 1.8 mile section of road between Fontwell and Crockerhill will be completely resurfaced in both directions to give drivers better, safer journeys, and drainage on the road will be improved. The westbound carriageway between the two roundabouts at Fontwell will also be resurfaced.

The work has been carefully planned to keep disruption to a minimum, and no carriageway closures are expected. Work gets underway this Wednesday (19 October) and is expected to be complete by the end of the year.

Highways Agency asset manager Peter Scott said: “Improving the road surface and the drainage on this busy section of the A27 is part of our ongoing commitment to safe roads and will have real benefits for the 40,000 drivers who use it each day. Drivers will notice the new, smoother road surface, and the improved drainage will reduce the risk of standing water on the carriageway during periods of heavy rain.

“We’ll do all we can to keep disruption to a minimum, but I would advise drivers to check conditions before setting out and to leave some extra time for their journeys if necessary. We’ve chosen a working method that allows us to keep the road open at all times, but the road layout past the work site will change often, so it is important that people drive with extra care through the roadworks.”

Two lanes will remain open at all peak times throughout the work, with a reduced 40mph speed limit. At other times, traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction using temporary lane closures and overnight contraflow running.

Work will be carried out during the day and overnight, and will be suspended between 7.30am and 9.15am, and from 4pm to 6.45pm each day. Traffic flow will be continually monitored to ensure that it is running as smoothly as possible while the work is carried out. A free recovery service will be in place throughout the work.

Work is expected to be complete, with all restrictions removed, in time for the Christmas holiday period.

On 29 October 1986 the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher opened the final 13-mile section of the motorway.

On the eve of the anniversary, Mike Penning hailed the economic benefits of London’s Orbital route and looked ahead to plans for the continuing improvement of the motorway for road users, when he visited the Highways Agency’s regional control centre at South Mimms.

He said: “The M25 has been and continues to be a catalyst for economic growth. The opening of the M25 in 1986 was a celebration of engineering excellence, and since then communities, businesses and millions of road users have benefited from the vastly improved transport connections it provides for them.

“Today as we mark this significant milestone we can look forward to continued government investment to further improve traffic flows and reduce congestion. The M25 will be a vital transport link during the London 2012 Games next summer, when the current widening work has finished.

“Before 2015 we aim to start work on two major schemes to open up sections of the hard shoulder on the M25 as an additional running lane, benefiting all road users, including freight traffic and commuters, and boosting the economy.

“Today is a proud day for all who have ensured the M25 continues to provide its vital operation for the nation.”

The Minister visited the Highways Agency’s East Regional Control Centre, one of the two hubs from which the M25 is managed on a day-to-day basis.

The Highways Agency’s uniformed on-road traffic officers and control centre staff, backed up by information systems using the latest technology, work around the clock 365 days a year to keep traffic moving and ensure the safety of road users.

On average 150,000 to 200,000 vehicles use the busiest sections of the M25 each day.

The M25 has continued to evolve, and currently the final phases of schemes to add a fourth lane in each direction between junctions 16 and 23, and between junctions 27 and 30 are being carried out; they will be completed ahead of the 2012 London Games.

To further improve traffic flows, the hard shoulder will be opened up on two further sections of the motorway as an additional traffic lane. Work to introduce this system to the M25 between junctions 5 and 7 and junctions 23 and 27 will begin before 2015 subject to the completion of statutory processes.

Service areas will now be able to display up to six logos indicating the facilities and franchises operating at each site. Currently only generic symbols – such as a knife and fork – are allowed.

Surveys of motorists previously undertaken have indicated that a particular value is placed on information that tells them where they are. Having taken on board this feedback, there will now also be a requirement for operators to include geographical information on the new signs situated a mile and then again at half mile before a services.

Roads Minister Mike Penning said: “By encouraging drivers to take regular breaks, motorway service areas make a vital contribution to road safety and it is common-sense that motorway users should have as much information as possible about the choices available at service areas.

“The system I inherited just wasn’t fit for purpose for either road users or the operator. To get brand names on signs, some operators even went as far as re-naming their company to reflect the main franchise operating on their sites because there was no flexibility in the rules.

“Now, they will no longer need to do this. The more descriptive signs will encourage drivers to take regular breaks, increase healthy competition and contribute towards service areas improving the services they provide to road users. ”

Operators will be invited to submit applications with a view to the first signs being installed later this year. As now, the cost of installing these signs will be met fully by the motorway service area operators.

The change is being made as part of the Government’s wider review of traffic signs.

Work is due to start on Wednesday 19 October and will finish on Wednesday 30 November. Wherever possible, works will be undertaken outside of peak hours and diversion routes will also be signposted.

Purnima Kaul, Highways Agency project sponsor, said: “These essential works will improve driving conditions for motorists. The work has been carefully planned to keep disruption to a minimum. However, we do advise drivers to check conditions and leave extra time for their journeys if necessary.”

For more information, motorists can contact the Highways Agency Information Line on 0300 123 5000.

Keith Hutchinson, Highways Agency project sponsor, said: “This work will maintain the road surface and minimise the need for emergency roadworks.

“The work has been carefully planned to keep disruption to a minimum and that is why it is taking place overnight when traffic flows are lowest.

“We ask that drivers allow extra time and take extra care when travelling along the diversion routes.”

While the work is carried out there will be overnight closures of the A428 between 9pm and 5.30am Mondays to Fridays, with no work taking place on Saturday and Sunday nights. Westbound through traffic using the A428 will be diverted onto the A14 at Girton Interchange (junction 31) to Brampton Hut (junction 21). It will then be directed southbound on the A1 to Wyboston junction to rejoin the A428 westbound. Eastbound traffic will follow the same diversion in reverse.

Local traffic travelling westbound will be diverted onto the A1198 northbound at Caxton Gibbet to join the A14 westbound at Godmanchester and southbound on the A1 to Wyboston to re-join the A428. Local eastbound traffic will be diverted north on the A1 to join the A14 eastbound at Brampton Hut and will then be separated from through traffic at Godmanchester (junction 24) onto the A1198 southbound to Caxton Gibbet. Access will be maintained for local residents.

The Highways Agency route is near Chadderton and links the A627(M) and M60 motorways.

The £140,000 project will focus around the carriageway and link roads around Junction 21 of the M60, including Broadgate and Broadgate Roundabout, as well as the northbound and southbound carriageways of Broadway between Hollinwood Avenue and Moston Lane East.

Resurfacing and renewal of road markings will also be taking place along a short section of the northbound carriageway onto Chadderton Roundabout.

Some localised resurfacing and renewal of road markings will also be taking place along the A663 between Whitegate Avenue and Semple Way.

The work is due to begin on Monday (October 10) and be completed by Sunday, November 6. However, work will only be taking place over ten nights within this time scale and during two weekends in carefully-planned phases.

Exit and entry points along the A663 with several local roads will need to be closed when a short phase of the work is taking place around them. Junctions affected include:

- northbound access from the A663 onto the anti-clockwise M60

- southbound access onto the clockwise M60

- southbound access into the Costco site

- southbound left turn and northbound right turn into Semple Way

- southbound access into Whitegate Avenue.

Clearly-signed diversions will be in place when junctions along the route are closed.

As well as junction closures there will be a 30mph speed limit along the A663 but only at times when the repairs are being carried out.

Overnight work on weekdays will be between 9pm and 5am with weekend working starting at 7am on Saturdays and finishing by 3pm on Sundays.

Highways Agency project sponsor Peter Gee, said, “This is routine but important maintenance of this vital link road between the A627(M) and the M60 and it is needed to ensure road users in this part of Greater Manchester continue to enjoy safe, smooth and reliable journeys.

“We have timed the work to take place when traffic numbers are at their lowest to minimise any inconvenience to road users. Parts of the route are in a residential area and we will also be working to limit any noise and disruption to local people.”

The exercise involved a simulated serious crash in one of the tunnel bores between a tanker, a minibus, and other vehicles.

The completion of a major improvement project on the tunnel in May this year included improved lighting and ventilation through the 0.7 mile-long tunnel. New fire safety systems were also installed and critical areas of the tunnel structure were protected with passive fire protection. CCTV cameras to help traffic officers spot and clear up incidents in the tunnel more quickly were also installed.

Last night’s exercise included a complicated scenario, with artificial smoke to reduce visibility, a vehicle carrying LPG, and risk of leakage of an environmental pollutant all testing the response by the services involved.

Volunteer actors played the role of casualties who suffered a variety of injuries and trauma, and had to be safely rescued from the tunnel.

Eamonn Colgan, senior project manager for the Highways Agency, said: “Simulations like this are essential to ensure our readiness to deal swiftly and effectively with any incidents in this tunnel, and other similar structures on our network. The exercise successfully demonstrated the ability of the organisations taking part to work together in an emergency situation, and helped to ensure that the emergency procedures and equipment in place performed well.

“We would like to thank road users for their patience in using the diversion route whilst the exercise took place.”

Representatives of the police, ambulance, fire and rescue service, Highways Agency, local authority, and St John Ambulance all took part, as well as other organisations closely involved in public safety and the management of the tunnel.

Chief Inspector Donna Pierce of Hertfordshire Police said: “Police officers have a highly important role in helping to ensure public safety and welfare at significant incidents like the one simulated in this exercise. Working in partnership with the Fire and Rescue Service, Ambulance Service, and other authorities, our procedures and communications worked well to deliver an effective command structure, and our officers gained invaluable further experience in working in an unusual environment.”

The tunnel refurbishment, which began in 2009, was part of a 30 year deal to maintain and improve the M25, awarded by the Highways Agency to private company Connect Plus in 2009.

Work starts on Monday (26 September), and is expected to be complete by mid-November.

Peter Phillips, Highways Agency route manager for West Sussex, said: “This section of cable barrier has reached the end of its maintainable life. Concrete barriers are immensely strong, and significantly reduce the risk of a vehicle crossing over from one carriageway to the other, improving safety and reducing the duration of incident-related congestion. They are also virtually maintenance free and will last twice as long as normal metal barriers.”

Lane 3 of the motorway will be closed in each direction while the work is carried out. Three narrow lanes will remain open to traffic, with vehicles directed to use the hard shoulder and a 50mph speed limit in place.

The Highways Agency has further plans to upgrade the remaining 1.9 miles of high tension cable barrier on the M23 as their replacement becomes due.

Work will start on Wednesday 5 October and is due to finish on Wednesday 19 October. All works will take place overnight between 8pm and 6.45am to minimise disruption to road users. Diversion routes will be signposted.

Highways Agency project manager, Purnima Kaul said: “These works will improve driving conditions for motorists. The work has been planned to keep disruption to a minimum, and so is being carried out overnight. We do advise drivers to check conditions and leave extra time for their journeys if necessary.”

For more information, motorists can contact the Highways Agency Information Line on 0300 123 5000.

The vital, £1.6m project to repair a two mile section of the route between North Cave and South Cave, will improve safety and starts on Monday (26 September) requiring full overnight and weekend carriageway closures.

Highways Agency project sponsor Steven Wright said, “This is vital work to renew the carriageway along the A63 between North Cave and South Cave, and it is important we carry out these repairs to ensure road users can continue to enjoy safe, smooth and reliable journeys in this part of the strategic road network.

“As regular users of the route will appreciate the carriageway surface is severely worn, with lots of cracks and rutting evident. The westbound carriageway requires full reconstruction in places where the foundation of the road is failing and it is not possible to do this kind of work safely and effectively using just overnight closures.”

The work, along the dual carriageway in both directions, includes some carriageway reconstruction, resurfacing and renewing the road markings and road studs. It is set to take around four weeks and is due to be completed by Sunday 23 October.

While most of the work will be done overnight, consecutive weekend closures of the westbound carriageway will also be required with a fully-signed diversion in place.

Weekday overnight working on the eastbound carriageway will be taking place until Thursday 6 October with westbound weekday overnight working commencing on Monday, 10 October until 22 October. Overnight working will be done between 8pm and 6am each night.

The reconstruction works to the westbound carriageway require deep excavations before the carriageway surface is renewed and will require up to four weekend closures starting on 30 September. The closure will be in place between 8pm each Friday, and finishing at 6am each Monday.

Due to the lack of suitable diversion routes from the North Cave junction, where the western end of the A63 merges with the M62, diversions between Junction 37 of the motorway at Howden and the A63 South Cave junction with the A1034, will be in place when work is going on.

Work on the eastbound carriageway involves a long diversion from Junction 37 and back onto the A63 at South Cave via the A614, A1079 and A1034. Motorway traffic will be diverted along the reverse route onto the M62 at Junction 37 when the westbound carriageway of the A63 is shut for the repairs. Other, local, diversions will be in place for non-motorway traffic.

Mr Wright said, “Unfortunately, the roads around the A63 at the North Cave interchange where it meets the M62 are not suitable for diversions so motorway traffic will have to leave or join the motorway at Howden, depending on which carriageway is closed.

“We have timed this work to take place when traffic volumes are low but we are conscious that the diversion route in both directions is long and we urge drivers to plan their journeys during the period when this work is taking place.”

The improvements, which include better access for disabled people, are being carried out in £133,000 worth of works on the Houghton and Beaconsall footbridges over the M55 near Broughton in Lancashire and the Scalebar and Hardendale footbridges over the M6 near Shap in Cumbria.

The project is due to start on Monday, October 3 and be completed by Friday, October 28.

Each of the bridges will need to close for the duration of the work.

The work on the bridges includes bridge deck and stairway resurfacing and work under the Disability Discrimination Act including hard standings on the approaches to the stairways, improved hand railings and easier-access kissing gates.

The motorway carriageways under the footbridges will not be affected by the works although short sections of the motorway hardshoulder under each bridge will be closed throughout the project to provide safer access for contractors.

Highways Agency project sponsor Mark Mosley said, “These bridges provide valued links across the M6 and M55 and this is important maintenance to ensure the footbridges remain safe to use are updated to current standards.”

The southbound carriageway north of Junction 37 of the motorway near Killington Lake will be resurfaced in the £158,000 Highways Agency project.

Work will start on Friday, October 21, and is due to finish by 4pm on Wednesday, October 26.

A 50mph speed limit will be place around the clock throughout the roadworks which will see the resurfacing done on a lane-by-lane basis to ensure the motorway is kept open at all times to keep drivers on the move.

Road users are reminded to stick to speed limits through roadworks which are put in place for the safety of drivers as well as road workers.

Highways Agency project sponsor Jakub Malaj said, “This is important, if routine, maintenance to ensure drivers in this part of the motorway network can continue to smooth, safe and reliable journeys.”

The Highways Agency says combining the two projects in one ‘hit’ will provide economies of scale and reduce the amount of time motorway users in the area are exposed to traffic management and a temporary, 50mph speed limit through the roadworks.

As well as vital bridge repairs to Eastham Viaduct at Junction 5, the combined project will also deliver a new-style concrete central reservation safety barrier between Junctions 8 and 9 at Ellesmere Port.

The work between Junctions 8 and 9 will start on Monday (September 19) and is due to be completed by Thursday, December 15. The project will also involve renewing lighting and moving it from the central reservation to the verge as well as renewing sections of barrier between the hard shoulder and the verge.

The new new-style concrete central reservation safety barriers are stronger and more robust – reducing the risk of vehicles involved in accidents crossing from one side of the motorway to the other and improving the safety of road users and road workers. The barriers are also unlikely to require repairs after vehicle impact.

Moving lighting from the central reservation to the verges will allow boost safety for roadworks and reduce the need for lane closures for lighting maintenance. Sections of the carriageway will also be resurfaced during the four month project.

The Eastham Viaduct work involves renewing the waterproofing of the bridge deck base, resurfacing and replacing bridge joints. The joints allow structures to expand and contract with seasonal changes in temperature.

The bridge work is set to begin on Monday week (September 26) and be completed by Wednesday, November 9.

The round-the-clock work on the two projects requires four miles of traffic management – running from a point south of Junction 4 at Bebington to just beyond Junction 9 at Ellesmere Port – and a 50mph speed limit through the roadworks to protect the safety of road users and roadworkers.

This work also requires short periods of contraflow running, occasional lane closures with the hard shoulder being used as a running lane and occasional overnight alternate closures of carriageways for the installation and removal of traffic management.

The motorway slip roads onto the southbound carriageway motorway at Junction 8 and onto the northbound carriageway at Junction 9 will also be closed until the end of the concrete barrier project from mid-October.

All traffic management and closure diversions will be clearly signed.

Highways Agency contractors will be working to minimise construction noise from the roadworks site and are writing to local residents to keep them informed about the work.

More information about the scheme including access to updates can be accessed at www.highways.gov.uk/roads/projects/32924.aspx

Highways Agency project sponsor Mark Mosley said, “This is an important investment in the motorway network in this part of Merseyside and Cheshire – the M53 is key link between the Wirral and the rest of the motorway network for businesses, residents and commuters.

“The work at Eastham will prolong the life of the structure and reduce the need for visits to carry out unplanned repairs which can lead to lane closures and inconvenience for drivers.

“The work around Ellesmere Port will also reduce the frequency and inconvenience of maintenance visits and provide smoother, safer and more reliable journeys for our customers around this very busy junction.

“Combining these projects will minimise future inconvenience to drivers and has reduced the cost of the work to the taxpayer. We have also worked hard to keep most lane and carriageway closures to overnight periods and to secure as much lane capacity as possible during the day to help keep drivers on the move through the roadworks.”

The work reflects ongoing investment in the M53 with major improvements continuing at Bidston Moss Viaduct around Junction 1 of the motorway at Wallasey in joint scheme with Wirral Borough Council and Mersey Travel.

A £1.56m Highways Agency scheme to improve the Stoak Interchange where Junction 12 of the M53 meets the M56 is also underway and is due to be completed early next month.

The six month project includes adding a new-style concrete safety barrier in the central reservation and new ‘tiger tail’ lay-outs at the end of the link roads from the M6 onto the M62 at Croft Interchange – allowing drivers to join the eastbound M62 more safely by providing extra entry lanes onto the carriageway.

The work is due to begin on Saturday, September 17 and be completed by the end of March.

As well as a new section of concrete safety barrier and ‘tiger tails’, the £9.5m improvements include new safety barriers between the verge and hard shoulder and moving lighting from the central reservation to the verge to make maintenance safer and reduce disruption for drivers.

Matt Sweeting, the Highways Agency’s regional Asset Delivery Manager, said, “This is a significant investment in this key part of the local motorway network which will improve safety, reduce maintenance visits and associated disruption for drivers and deliver safer, smoother and more reliable journeys for commuters and other users of the motorway.

“We will also be using lane and limited carriageway closures to ensure we carry out routine maintenance at the same time.”

The improvements are taking place along a 4.5 mile section of the motorway between Junction 9 of the motorway at Winwick and Junction 11 at Birchwood.

In detail the work includes:

- Renewing the lighting between Junction 9 and 10 at Croft Interchange and moving the lighting from the central reservation to hard shoulder verges;

- Extending the existing concrete safety barrier west from 11 to Junction 10

- Improving the roads linking Junction 10 of the M62 with Junction 21a of the M6 at Croft Interchange – one of the busiest motorway intersections in the region.

The improvements will be delivered using day and night lane one and hard shoulder closures and a 50mph speed limit through roadworks. Narrowed lanes will also be used in places.

Some overnight closures of the main motorway carriageway as well as slip roads and the links roads with the M6 will also be needed but these will be publicised in advance and with clearly-signed diversions in place.

Weekly updates and progress reports on the work will be available at http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/projects/32456.aspx

The new project builds on £6.5m worth of improvements along a two-mile stretch of the motorway between junctions 11 and 12 of the motorway near Irlam in spring of last year – including the first stretch of concrete central reservation safety barrier in the area.

The new barriers are stronger and more robust – reducing the risk of vehicles involved in accidents crossing from one side of the motorway to the other and improving the safety of road users and road workers. The barriers are also unlikely to require repairs after vehicle impact.

And in July, at the eastern end of the motorway near Manchester, an improved junction layout along the M62′s eastbound interchange with the M60, including an extra, two-mile running lane, was opened.

The closures will be in place between 8pm and 6am and signed diversions via the A194 Lindisfarne roundabout and the A19 will be in place. During the works sliproads will be reduced to single lane operation 24-hours a day.

Steve Bishop, Highways Agency project sponsor, said: “This carriageway resurfacing work is needed to improve the road surface and the safety of this stretch of road.

“We recognise that this comes soon after the completion of the works on bridges at Whitemare Pool, but we have programmed the works using overnight closures so that delays to road users should be minimal.”

The works are due to start on Monday, 3 October and be completed before Christmas with a full weekend closure currently scheduled to take place between Friday 7, October and Monday, 10 October.

A fully-signed diversion, which has been agreed with North Yorkshire County Council, will be in place during this closure. As a contingency a second weekend closure in November has been pencilled in but may not be required.

The work involves resurfacing two long sections of the A64 around Ganton and further west between East Heslerton and Sherburn and will require the weekend closure of the A64 in both directions so the work can be done safely.

During the weekend closure access to local communities will be maintained right up to the carriageway closure points but through traffic will be diverted along the A170 – with eastbound traffic heading for Scarborough and Filey joining the A170 from the A169 between Malton and Pickering.

The Highways Agency is announcing the planned works three weeks in advance to ensure local businesses and residents get as much advanced warning as possible.

Highways Agency project sponsor Peter Godfrey, said, “We will be announcing full details of the working schedule as soon as we can through the media and by writing to those directly affected by the roadworks and by the weekend diversion.”

More than £340,000 is being spent on the two Highways Agency projects to resurface single carriageway sections of the trans-Pennine trunk road between Appleby and Sandford east of Appleby and High Barn and Whinfell west of the town.

The £323,000 of work between Appleby and Sandford will start on Monday, October 3 and is due to be completed by Sunday, October 23.

The work, for just over a mile along the A66 both sides of its junction with the B6259 to Sandford, involves renewal of road markings and verge drainage repairs as well as resurfacing.

Both the eastbound and westbound carriageway will be affected by the works with traffic controlled by manually-operated temporary traffic lights during the day and convoy working controlled by temporary traffic lights during night time working.

The convoy working will require a 10mph speed limit overnight but a with 40mph restriction through the works in place during the day.

The smaller, £24,000 project, between High Barn and Whinfell, which will take place overnight only, is expected to start on Monday, September 26, and is due to be completed by Sunday, October 9.

Highways Agency project sponsor Jakub Malaj said, “This is important if routine maintenance to ensure drivers using these sections of the A66 can continue to enjoy safe, smooth and reliable journeys.

“We are doing the work overnight where possible to minimise inconvenience to road users and we are manually operating traffic lights during the day to reduce needless queuing. However, short delays are likely during the day between Appleby and Sandford are likely and we would like to thank drivers in advance for their patience.”

The Highways Agency has been unable to display signs and signals on the north and southbound carriageways to operate this section of the managed motorway, or use essential CCTV to check the hard shoulder is safe to open and to monitor traffic flows.

Highways Agency contractors have been working round the clock to repair the section of stolen cable, which had only just been replaced after it was struck by vandals earlier in the week.

Officers from Central Motorway Police Group and West Midlands Police will be stepping up patrols in the area to prevent a recurrence and will also be deploying the West Midlands Police helicopter to keep a close watch on the motorway overnight. Officers are now trawling through hours of motorway CCTV footage to see if the theft was caught on camera.

James Lowth, Highways Agency West Midlands Regional Operations Manager, said: “I want to assure road users that we are working flat out to restore hard shoulder running during peak travel times as soon as it is safe to do so.

“These criminals have caused delays for travellers on the M6 at peak times and disrupted the essential freight deliveries upon which our economy relies.

“The scrap value of the cable is just a few pounds but it will now cost thousands of pounds of taxpayers money to repair the damage, money which would be far better spent keeping the West Midlands’ motorways in good and safe condition.”

The work is part of the Highways Agency’s commitment to keep journeys on the A303 and A30 safe and reliable.

Schemes include:

* A303 resurfacing on section of carriageway between South Petherton to Ilminster (September 2011)

* A303 Embankment repairs at West Horton (September to October)

* A30/A303 Replacement of direction sign between Honiton and Iliminster (September to October, 2011)

* A303 Street lighting replacement at Cartgate Roundabout (September to October)

* A303 Resurfacing at Marsh (January to February 2012)

* A30 Resurfacing on section of carriageway between Honiton and Haynes Farm (Jan 2012)

* A30 Resurfacing Rawbridge/Devonshire House (February 2012)

* A30 Programme of Safety Schemes between Honiton to Ilminster (February to March 2012)

Highways Agency Service Delivery Manager, Chris Pope, said: “Keeping journeys safe and reliable is a top priority to the Highways Agency and this package of repair and maintenance works will help us achieve this on the A303 and A30.

“We have planned this work carefully to keep any delays to an absolute minimum and, where possible, it is taking place overnight, when traffic flows are lowest.

“I would urge all road users to drive with extra care past the work site, and to leave some extra time for their journeys if they are travelling at times when work is being undertaken.”

The work starts with embankment repairs just before the West Horton junction on the A303 eastbound between September 12 and the beginning of November.

Throughout the works traffic will be reduced to a single lane in both directions and a temporary 30mph speed limit will be in place.