Latest news with #M54
BBC News
2 days ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
West Mercia Police say 144 drivers took photos of M54 lorry crash
A police force has said it saw 144 drivers using their phones to take pictures and videos of a motorway Mercia Police said it was called to the M54 westbound near junction two for Featherstone, Staffordshire, at about 07:40 BST on crash, between two lorries, saw one overturn and cause damage to the central force said all of the drivers, including 20 HGV drivers, would be contacted by officers. It is illegal to use a mobile phone while driving, and can result in six points on a driving licence and a £200 fine. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
M54 delays in Staffordshire after lorry overturns in crash
Long delays have been reported on the M54 in Staffordshire after two lorries crashed, causing one of them to crash happened shortly before 08:00 BST on Thursday between junctions two for Wolverhampton and three for Cosford, Shropshire, National Highways overturned lorry struck the central reservation barrier before coming to a halt, the network added. One lane has been closed on both sides of the are currently delays of up to two hours, with six miles of congestion eastbound. People have been urged to allow extra time for their journeys. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
The Independent
08-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Road schemes will ‘probably' be finished in under a decade
Three long-awaited road projects will 'probably' be completed in less than a decade, the Transport Secretary has said after giving construction the green light following a hold-up. Heidi Alexander was unable to give a concrete timeline for when the schemes involving junction upgrades and dualling at key locations across Britain will be delivered, but said further details would be published in a strategy next March. The Government on Tuesday announced the revival of major road and rail projects outside London and the South East, backed by £92 billion from last month's spending review. Most have been in the works for several years and many have already received planning permission, but their future was thrown into doubt last year when Labour announced a review of transport infrastructure projects. In a statement to Parliament, then-transport secretary Louise Haigh accused the Tories of leaving a £2.9 billion gap between improvements it had promised and what it had funded. Almost a year after launching its internal review, the Government will now press on with five major road schemes, five rail projects and 28 smaller road schemes, which it says will cut journey times, ease congestion, create jobs and support new housing. These include a widening of the A66 Trans-Pennine route, first proposed in 2016, the M54-M6 link, and junction improvements in places like Derby around the A38. Asked whether the projects would be delivered within five years, Ms Alexander told Sky News most would 'start construction' within that period but take 'varying lengths of time.' Pressed on whether they were in fact decade-long schemes, the minister replied: 'I don't believe that they will take a decade to deliver, no. 'I think they will be delivered more swiftly than that, but it is true to say that these are very significant schemes which will take a number of years to deliver, probably not stretching out as far as 10 years.' She said estimates for when the three projects will finish are to be published when the Government releases its road investment strategy in March. Preparatory work for some of the schemes has continued despite the pause, but Tuesday's announcement means they can now proceed in full. The reopening of the railway between Portishead and Bristol, which has been the subject of a 25-year campaign, has also been given the green light. The A66 upgrade was given planning permission in March 2024, but was delayed by an ultimately unsuccessful legal challenge and put on hold by the new Government's review. Construction is now expected to start this winter. Former prime minister Rishi Sunak, whose constituency is served by the A66, welcomed the announcement, saying it would improve 'journey reliability'. The Portishead line, reopening a railway that was closed in the 1960s, was also thrown into question by the review, but then West of England mayor Dan Norris announced funding had been secured in February this year. On Tuesday, the Government announced it would invest another £27 million in the project, which it said would 'connect an additional 50,000 people' and support 'a significant new housing development'. Other major road schemes confirmed on Tuesday include the M54-M6 link, the M60 Simister Island junction near Manchester, the A38 Derby junctions and improvements to the A46 Newark bypass. Both the Simister Island and Newark bypass projects are yet to receive planning permission. The Government has also confirmed its commitment to build new stations at Wellington and Cullompton in the South West and Haxby in Yorkshire, which had all been part of the Conservatives' Restoring Your Railway project that was scrapped when Labour came to power. Funding for the stations, along with the Midlands Rail Hub plan to add 300 trains a day to the West Midlands network, was previously announced at last month's spending review. Other, smaller, schemes include improvements to the Middlewich Eastern Bypass, in Cheshire, and the A382 between Drumbridges and Newton Abbot, in Devon. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the investments were 'long overdue' and would 'transform local communities and improve living standards across the country'. Ms Alexander said: 'Transport is the backbone of our economy, which is why we are giving them the record funding boost they need, putting taxpayers' money where it matters most and making everyday journeys easier.' But the Conservatives accused the Government of using the announcement as a 'distraction tactic'. Shadow transport secretary Gareth Bacon said: 'Labour are re-announcing projects that are already under way in order to distract from their failing economic strategy of high tax and high borrowing. They just don't have a plan. 'Rachel Reeves's catastrophic economic mismanagement and Keir Starmer's total inability to control his own party has led to a string of unfunded U-turns, meaning that more tax rises are coming.'
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Road schemes will ‘probably' be finished in under a decade
Three long-awaited road projects will 'probably' be completed in less than a decade, the Transport Secretary has said after giving construction the green light following a hold-up. Heidi Alexander was unable to give a concrete timeline for when the schemes involving junction upgrades and dualling at key locations across Britain will be delivered, but said further details would be published in a strategy next March. The Government on Tuesday announced the revival of major road and rail projects outside London and the South East, backed by £92 billion from last month's spending review. Most have been in the works for several years and many have already received planning permission, but their future was thrown into doubt last year when Labour announced a review of transport infrastructure projects. In a statement to Parliament, then-transport secretary Louise Haigh accused the Tories of leaving a £2.9 billion gap between improvements it had promised and what it had funded. Almost a year after launching its internal review, the Government will now press on with five major road schemes, five rail projects and 28 smaller road schemes, which it says will cut journey times, ease congestion, create jobs and support new housing. These include a widening of the A66 Trans-Pennine route, first proposed in 2016, the M54-M6 link, and junction improvements in places like Derby around the A38. Asked whether the projects would be delivered within five years, Ms Alexander told Sky News most would 'start construction' within that period but take 'varying lengths of time.' Pressed on whether they were in fact decade-long schemes, the minister replied: 'I don't believe that they will take a decade to deliver, no. 'I think they will be delivered more swiftly than that, but it is true to say that these are very significant schemes which will take a number of years to deliver, probably not stretching out as far as 10 years.' She said estimates for when the three projects will finish are to be published when the Government releases its road investment strategy in March. Preparatory work for some of the schemes has continued despite the pause, but Tuesday's announcement means they can now proceed in full. The reopening of the railway between Portishead and Bristol, which has been the subject of a 25-year campaign, has also been given the green light. The A66 upgrade was given planning permission in March 2024, but was delayed by an ultimately unsuccessful legal challenge and put on hold by the new Government's review. Construction is now expected to start this winter. Former prime minister Rishi Sunak, whose constituency is served by the A66, welcomed the announcement, saying it would improve 'journey reliability'. The Portishead line, reopening a railway that was closed in the 1960s, was also thrown into question by the review, but then West of England mayor Dan Norris announced funding had been secured in February this year. On Tuesday, the Government announced it would invest another £27 million in the project, which it said would 'connect an additional 50,000 people' and support 'a significant new housing development'. Other major road schemes confirmed on Tuesday include the M54-M6 link, the M60 Simister Island junction near Manchester, the A38 Derby junctions and improvements to the A46 Newark bypass. Both the Simister Island and Newark bypass projects are yet to receive planning permission. The Government has also confirmed its commitment to build new stations at Wellington and Cullompton in the South West and Haxby in Yorkshire, which had all been part of the Conservatives' Restoring Your Railway project that was scrapped when Labour came to power. Funding for the stations, along with the Midlands Rail Hub plan to add 300 trains a day to the West Midlands network, was previously announced at last month's spending review. Other, smaller, schemes include improvements to the Middlewich Eastern Bypass, in Cheshire, and the A382 between Drumbridges and Newton Abbot, in Devon. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the investments were 'long overdue' and would 'transform local communities and improve living standards across the country'. Ms Alexander said: 'Transport is the backbone of our economy, which is why we are giving them the record funding boost they need, putting taxpayers' money where it matters most and making everyday journeys easier.' But the Conservatives accused the Government of using the announcement as a 'distraction tactic'. Shadow transport secretary Gareth Bacon said: 'Labour are re-announcing projects that are already under way in order to distract from their failing economic strategy of high tax and high borrowing. They just don't have a plan. 'Rachel Reeves's catastrophic economic mismanagement and Keir Starmer's total inability to control his own party has led to a string of unfunded U-turns, meaning that more tax rises are coming.'
BBC News
08-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Plans to build M54-M6 link road announced
A plan to build an improved link between the M54 and M6 motorways is among more than 50 transport schemes to receive government projects have been announced by the Department for Transport following a £92bn settlement from the government's national Spending is currently no direct motorway link allowing drivers using the M54 to get onto the northbound carriage of the M6, meaning they must use roads such as the has led to high volumes of both long-distance and local traffic using roads through villages including Featherstone, Hilton and Shareshill. National Highways bosses said the road was not designed for the amount and type of traffic currently using it, and this had led to delays, congestion and high accident were also air quality issues in villages along the A460 due to the high volume of traffic, they proposed scheme would helped relieve congestion on the A460, A449, and A5, they would support economic growth in Telford, Shrewsbury, Wolverhampton, Cannock and Tamworth, bosses claimed, by improving traffic flow on east-west and north-south routes."These vital investments are long overdue, will transform local communities and improve living standards across the country," said Chancellor Rachel Reeves. 'Victory belongs to everyone' A government spokesperson said the anticipated reduction in journey times would save thousands of hours every week for commuters, businesses and freight said officials were also committed to continuing 28 local road schemes - including the Middlewich Eastern Bypass in proposed road will be a two-way single carriageway road that will connect a new roundabout junction off Pochin Way to a new roundabout junction to the south, connecting with the A533 Booth 1.6-mile route would include a new bridge over the Trent and Mersey Canal and a new bridge over the Sandbach-to-Northwich railway line."The campaign to build the bypass has been running for over 40 years," said Mid-Cheshire MP Andrew Cooper."We may have got this over the line, but this victory belongs to everyone who wrote a letter, signed a petition, and campaigned hard for so many years to get this on the government's agenda."Congleton MP Sarah Russell said it had been a major lobbying campaign."For the sake of our residents and the connection between our two constituencies, I'm glad we can finally confirm that the project is happening," she said. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
