M62 junction 20 to 25 smart motorway
We're improving the M62 motorway between junctions 20 to 25 by upgrading it to an 'all-lane running' smart motorway.
Upgrade paused
On 12 January 2022 the Government’s response to the Transport Select Committee’s inquiry into the roll out and safety of smart motorways was published. It included a commitment to pause the rollout of future all lane running (ALR) smart motorway schemes until a full five years’ worth of safety and economic data is available from upgrades delivered before 2020.
The M62 J20-25 upgrade is one of the schemes being paused.
During the pause, we will continue to make sure all existing ALR smart motorways are equipped with best-in-class technology and resources and are as safe as they can possibly be.
At this location on the M62 we are planning to upgrade the existing central reservation barrier to concrete, which will deliver safety benefits. We are currently planning this work and will share more information as soon as possible.
The rest of the upgrade is being paused until five years of safety data is available.
Project information
The M62 is the only east-west motorway spanning the north of England. Running between Merseyside and Yorkshire through Cheshire and Greater Manchester, it serves as both a regional route for longer distance trips and as an important inter-urban route between the Manchester and Leeds city regions.
The government’s Northern Powerhouse strategy identified a need for improved east-west major road links to ensure better and more reliable journey times between the major cities within the north.
The M62 junction 20 to 25 smart motorway is approximately 19 miles long, running through a rural Pennine landscape that contains the highest point on a motorway in England. This high altitude increases the risk of disruption caused by severe weather and the steep gradients creates congestion caused by slower moving vehicles.
We’ll be converting this stretch of the M62 into an all lane running smart motorway, converting the hard shoulder into a permanent traffic lane.
Our scheme aims to:
- reduce congestion and delays
- improve journey time reliability
- maintain a high standard of safety
- support economic growth and job creation
Documents

Traffic information
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