Distribution premises in Avonmouth approve new M4/M5 interchange

Distribution premises in Avonmouth, Bristol and further afield in the West and Southwest are all benefitting from the new M4/M5 Smart Motorway Interchange.  The scheme was opened at the beginning of the year marking the end of a two year, £86m project which has introduced various technologies to manage congestion and improve safety on one of the busiest sections of the South West road network.

Highways Agency Senior Project Manager Paul Unwin said:

“The M4 and M5 scheme demonstrates how a smart and efficient solution can deliver improvements that road users need – more capacity and better management of traffic to reduce congestion and make journey times more reliable. We’re pleased to see local businesses and commuters already experiencing the benefits of the smart motorway and have received feedback to this effect.”

‘Smart Motorways’ are a technology driven approach to managing congestion on sections of the Highways Agency network. Technology introduced on the M4 J19-J20/M5 J17-J15 Smart Motorway Scheme – overhead signals, illuminated signs, traffic sensors and CCTV systems – will allow staff at the South West Regional Control Centre to manage congestion in two ways: by varying the speed limit and by opening the hard shoulder as an additional running lane during peak periods.

Road users are invited to comment on the new junction via the Highways Agency website.