The idea of building a new tolled 'expressway' between Manchester and Birmingham to provide capacity to relieve the M6 has been abandoned.
A 2004 consultation document suggested that a new expressway might be delivered more quickly than widening the M6, by avoiding the need to build new bridges, and avoid substantial disruption to traffic during construction. But roads minister Dr Stephen Ladyman has told MP that detailed development work by the Highways Agency 'has not borne this out'.
The Highways Agency would now focus solely on widening the M6, Ladyman said, including possible demand management measures to 'lock-in' benefits of additional capacity.
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