A CONCRETE central reservation, lighting and barriers will make a stretch of the M53 in Ellesmere Port safer.
The £2.5m project between Junctions 8 and 9 began on Monday and is due to be completed by Thursday, December 15.
Existing street lights will be removed from the central reservation and new lights erected on the verge, while sections of barrier will be renewed between the hard shoulder and the verge.
The new safety barriers are stronger and more robust – reducing the risk of vehicles involved in accidents crossing from one side of the motorway to the other. The barriers are also unlikely to need repairs after being hit.
Highways Agency contractors will be working to minimise construction noise and are writing to local residents to keep them informed about the work.
Highways Agency project sponsor Mark Mosley said: “This is an important investment in the motorway network in this part of Merseyside and Cheshire – the M53 is key link between the Wirral and the rest of the motorway network for businesses, residents and commuters.
“The work around Ellesmere Port will also reduce the frequency and inconvenience of maintenance visits and provide smoother, safer and more reliable journeys for our customers around this very busy junction.”
Moving lighting from the central reservation to the verges will increase safety and reduce the need for lane closures for lighting maintenance. Sections of the carriageway will also be resurfaced during the project.
Work on the two projects requires four miles of traffic management – running from a point south of Junction 4 in Bebington to just beyond Junction 9 in Ellesmere Port – and a 50mph speed limit through the roadworks.
Short periods of contraflow, occasional lane closures with the hard shoulder being used as a running lane and occasional overnight alternate closures of carriageways will also be needed.
The motorway slip roads on to the southbound carriageway motorway at Junction 8 and on to the northbound carriageway at Junction 9 will also be closed until the end of the concrete barrier project from mid-October.
