Work started to improve congestion and safety at Junction 20 (Thornham) on the M62

Date published: 30/01/2006

The Highways Agency are to carry out a £900,000 scheme to improve congestion and safety at Junction 20 (Thornham) on the M62.  Work started today, Monday 30 January.

The work will include installing 'flexible' traffic signal posts as a safety measure for the first time on the North West road network, together with 'intelligent' lights, which respond to traffic build-up around the junction.

The innovative traffic signal posts are designed to bend or break when struck by a vehicle.  They are being  introduced after extensive safety tests at high and low speeds showed they caused less damage to vehicles and helped protect passengers from serious injury.

The new posts are part of safety improvements being introduced at M62 Junction 20, which is the junction with the A627(M) to Oldham and Rochdale.  The  improvements to signals and lane markings at the junction are aimed at reducing the number of accidents.  The junction has experienced  with 50 recorded accidents in the three year period
between 1999 and 2002.

Many of the accidents were   shunts between vehicles, so the traffic signals will be installed on high poles to improve visibility.

The part time traffic signals will be replaced with innovative 'intelligent' full time signals operated by loops in the road.

The 'intelligent' system will co-ordinate  vehicles movements through the roundabout by measuring queue lengths and automatically changing the traffic lights to allow the maximum amount of traffic through.

Other measures at the junction include improved lane markings and anti-skid surfacing.

Highways Agency project manager Mark Mosley said:

"We aim  to improve congestion and safety at a busy junction with a high accident rate.

"By using 'intelligent' traffic lights and improving the road markings we hope to improve congestion and the introduction of the 'bendy' traffic lights we will be improving safety.

"There are 32 traffic lights at this junction, 24 of which will be protected by safety fences.  The remaining eight will be of the new 'bendy' design, because it is not possible to provide safety barriers."

"The new flexible signs have been tested and because they bend or break on impact cause less damage to vehicles and help protect passengers from serious injuries."

Last year,  the Highways Agency approved the use of flexible sign posts as a safer option  when signs needed to be replaced.

The Highways Agency is working to make its roads safer and while road signs and traffic signals are essential to inform motorists, if they are not protected by safety barriers it is recognised that there are safety considerations.

The M62 Junction 20 improvement project will be completed by the end of March, with the work being carried overnight to minimise disruption to motorists.