M6 Warrington to Wigan upgrade fully open with move to 70 mph

The upgrade of the M6 between Warrington and Wigan moved to operation at 70 mph today (Thursday 19 December) helping to improve journey times and reliability for the tens of thousands of drivers who use the route daily.

At 7am National Highways lifted the 50mph maximum speed limit in place since the middle of October and when an extra lane in each carriageway was opened to drivers for the first time.

Operation at the maximum national speed limit of 70mph was introduced today following work to calibrate technology, including stopped vehicle detection (SVD) – meaning the newly-upgraded stretch of M6 is now fully open to drivers. The upgraded motorway runs for ten miles between the interchanges with the M62 at junction 21a at Croft and the M58 at junction 26 for Orrell.

Alongside adding an extra lane in both the northbound and southbound carriageways the £260 million upgrade, which began in March 2021, has involved providing extra technology and safety enhancements, including stopped vehicle detection. Stopped vehicle detection uses radar technology to alert National Highways’ control centre operators who can then close lanes with a Red X signal, display speed limits and deploy traffic officers.   

The project was extended last December to add an extra 12 emergency areas – with 22 provided in all – as well as resurfacing all lanes along most of the upgraded route. Drivers can use any of the 22 new emergency areas if they need to stop in an emergency.