Little festive cheer on the M5
MORE than 400 miles of roadworks are being suspended for Christmas – but don’t tell drivers on the M5.
Because the festive cheer does not extend to motorists caught up in disruption caused by the £100 million Oldbury Viaduct repair scheme.
So while other major roadworks across the UK are suspended over Christmas and New Year, restrictions will remain in place.
Since September, a stretch of the M5 between Junctions 1 and 2 has been reduced to just one lane with a 30 mph speed limit.
The restrictions are in place until next October and it is currently one of the biggest road repair schemes in the UK. The works have led to long queues and congestion on surrounding routes.
Highways England say the roadworks cannot be lifted because their size means it would take too long to disman- tle and reassemble them. So the lane and speed restrictions will stay in place – despite no workmen being there.
A Highways England spokesman said: “The Oldbury Viaduct scheme is the current UK flagship concrete repair scheme, costing £100 million. It’s massive and simply wouldn’t make sense to get it all off then put it all back again for just a short period over Christmas.”
Elsewhere, roadworks will be suspended on hundreds of miles of motorways and major A roads from Friday, December 22 to January 2.
And work to replace safety fencing on a 1.5-mile stretch of the A446 Stonebridge Road northbound, near Coleshill, have been finished.