The Highways Agency and Cheshire Constabulary do not intend to take any action on the M56 between junctions 15 and 12, despite a spate of collisions in recent months.

The Chronicle has reported on seven more crashes on that stretch of motorway near Frodsham since October 9, when a multi-vehicle collision tragically claimed the lives of two motorists – 49-year-old HGV driver Anthony Bainbridge from County Durham and Julie Darnell, 39, from St Helens.

A spokesman for the Highways Agency said that safety is their ‘top priority’ and that they will continue to monitor the M56 between junctions 15 and 12 and ‘take action when appropriate’.

He added that improvements are being made to tackle congestion at junction 12 as part of the Mersey Gateway project and that proposals to build a new junction to the east of junction 12 near to where the A56 crosses the M56 in Sutton Weaver are in development.

“The scheme is still at an early stage but it could help to tackle congestion and enhance safety on the M56 by improving the flow of traffic,” he said.

Roads Policing Inspector Liz Cunningham, of Cheshire Constabulary, told the Chronicle that she can understand people’s concerns because ‘at first glance it does appear that something is going on’ but added: “If we started to see a trend and we felt that immediate action could be taken then we would be flagging that up to the Highways Agency.

“At this point in time they are indicating that they will take action when appropriate.”

Insp Cunningham added that drivers’ inattention was a key factor in a lot of road traffic collisions.

“What you will notice with the M56, because of the way the junctions are, is that there is an ebb and flow in the traffic and you need to be able to react to that,” she said.

But motorist Ian Lancaster, who lives in Frodsham and uses the M56 to drive to his place of work in Ellesmere Port, believes there is a problem at junctions 12 and 14 which has ‘definitely got worse’, prompting him to write to Weaver Vale MP Graham Evans calling for change.

The UK technical manager for Nynas said: “Typically it has been the eastbound traffic that is worse but this year, and the last few months in particular, have been awful.

“There have been a lot of times when there are collisions and disruption.

“I cannot explain why it has suddenly got worse other than the fact that there seems to be a lot more traffic.

“Some of the junctions are not particularly well designed. The section where the M53 and the M56 merge where you have got traffic coming on and going off is always asking for trouble and then you have got junction 12 and that seems to take people by surprise.

“I think it is a volume and capacity issue.”

Mr Lancaster said that he feels a ‘sense of dread that something is going to go wrong’.

He thinks a managed motorway scheme and limited hard shoulder running over the Weaver Viaduct would ease the potential for disruption and that the smart motorway scheme destined for the M53 which was recently announced in the Chancellor’s autumn statement is more necessary on the M56.

He added: “There are some really bad knock-on effects in Frodsham, especially when we have had trucks that do not realise that they cannot get under the railway bridge and then it leads to gridlock there.

“Unless you have reasonable local knowledge, you have got real problems getting home. Certainly the last few years I have had to learn escape routes.”

Adrian Meikle said on our Facebook page of the collisions: “A weekly occurrence there’s a problem at that junction that needs addressed.”

While Welshie Dale Miles said: “I wont drive that stretch.”

Graham Evans MP said he regularly hears from users of the M56 regarding the delays on both the motorway and Chester Road following collisions.

He has contacted the Highways Agency asking them to explore ideas for reducing congestion when such incidents occur.