M40/M42 interchange safety barrier upgrade
Enhancing safety on this busy gateway for the west Midlands.
Smart motorway upgrade cancelled
On 15 April 2023 the Government announced that plans for new smart motorways would be cancelled in recognition of the lack of public confidence felt by drivers and cost pressures. This follows an announcement in January 2022 to pause the rollout of new all lane running smart motorways, yet to start construction.
The M40-M42 interchange upgrade is one of the schemes being cancelled. National Highways is continuing to invest in safe and reliable journeys at this location and is upgrading the central reservation barrier from steel to concrete.
The Government and National Highways continue to invest £900 million in further safety improvements on existing smart motorways, and to give motorists clear advice when using existing smart motorways.
For more information please visit: https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-work/smart-motorways-evidence-stocktake/
Project information
Although the M40/M42 interchange all lane running upgrade has been cancelled, we'll be carrying out other safety enhancement work including:
- upgrading the central reservation barrier with a new reinforced concrete barrier to provide better safety
- installing new drainage infrastructure in the central reservation
- replacing central reservation lighting where applicable
Concrete barriers significantly reduce the risk of vehicles crossing over from one carriageway to another.
They improve safety by reducing the duration of incident-related congestion. As they are virtually maintenance-free, lasting twice as long as the current ones, future requirements for closures for routine repairs will be greatly reduced.
They are part of National Highways’ ongoing work to improve safety, maintain traffic flow and offer road user assurance.
M40 / M42 Interchange Statutory Instrument Consultation (variable mandatory speed limits) - 23 January 2020 to 20 February
Documents

Traffic information
Information about scheduled roadworks and events on our motorways and major roads.X
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