M54 Extension and M6 Toll/M42 Jct Improvements announced

The study of British and Irish roads - their construction, numbering, history, mapping, past and future official roads proposals and general roads musings.

There is a separate forum for Street Furniture (traffic lights, street lights, road signs etc).

Registered users get access to other forums including discussions about other forms of transport, driving, fantasy roads and wishlists, and roads quizzes.

Moderator: Site Management Team

Post Reply
User avatar
Lewis
Member
Posts: 1765
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2005 11:40
Location: Shoreham, Nr Brighton, Sussex

M54 Extension and M6 Toll/M42 Jct Improvements announced

Post by Lewis »

The Highways Agency have announced an M54 Extention and M6 Toll/M42 Junction Improvements. It will be funded by MEL, but the M54 will not be tolled. It doesnt say whether the new road from the M54 will be motorway or not.
Highways Agency wrote: Toll operator finances road benefits
24 May 2006: New West Midlands road improvements worth GBP112 million funded by M6 Toll operator.
Motorists are set to benefit from GBP112 million road improvements in the West Midlands which will be funded by Macquarie Infrastructure Group (MIG) - the M6 Toll operator, transport secretary Douglas Alexander announced today.

Funded through resources released from refinancing of the M6 Toll, the improvements will include the construction, operation and maintenance of a new road from the M54 and Telford to the M6 and the M6 Toll as well as improvements worth up to GBP10 million to the slip road access from the M42 to the southern end of the M6 Toll.

The new road will not be tolled like the M6 Toll. Douglas Alexander said: "I am pleased to record that MIG have agreed to fund GBP112 million of road improvements in the West Midlands from their total refinancing resources.

"This is a good deal for taxpayers and a good deal for motorists. By using resources released from the M6 Toll's refinancing the Highways Agency will be able to speed up the construction of the new link from the M54 to the M6 and M6 Toll."

He added: "The government is committed to improving the road network and to tackling congestion. These new improvements will bring real benefits to traffic in the West Midlands."


© 2006 Adfero Ltd.
User avatar
Bryn666
Elected Committee Member
Posts: 35717
Joined: Thu Jun 20, 2002 20:54
Contact:

Post by Bryn666 »

While I'm glad this has been announced, how many times have we heard:

"The government is committed to improving the road network and to tackling congestion. These new improvements will bring real benefits to traffic in the West Midlands."

from this Government, who have realistically done very little to improve the road network in the past decade?
Bryn
Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.

Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
X - https://twitter.com/ShowMeASignBryn
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrynBuck
samxool
Member
Posts: 512
Joined: Fri May 28, 2004 16:00

Post by samxool »

i have a question, why on earth wasn't this link road built at the same time as the M6Toll?
also, why has it taken until now to decide to link the m54 with the M6 going north?
Ryk
Member
Posts: 749
Joined: Fri Sep 16, 2005 17:16
Location: Biddulph

Post by Ryk »

Can someone get the Highways Agency logo, and then we can have a caption contest, the best line underneath it that best describes there logic, in a Slogan stylee.

I'll go first.

Somtimes It's Better Never Than Late, And The Rest It's Better Late Than Never.
If At First You Don't Succeed, Then Sky Divng Isn't For You.
User avatar
Ian198
Member
Posts: 2884
Joined: Sun Oct 23, 2005 18:15
Location: North Berwick
Contact:

Post by Ian198 »

Does "resources released by refinancing" mean "money borrowed against future revenue"? And what's in it for the Toll operators - more traffic feeding onto the pay-for bit?
User avatar
Birchington
Member
Posts: 900
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2004 18:58

Post by Birchington »

samxool wrote:i have a question, why on earth wasn't this link road built at the same time as the M6Toll?
also, why has it taken until now to decide to link the m54 with the M6 going north?
True! Why on earth didn't they just bung it in with the rest of the M6 Toll plans instead of waiting another 5-10 years for it to get built. Knowing the Highways Agency, the road will be all-purpose.
Cheers, Birchington
User avatar
gepree68
Member
Posts: 852
Joined: Mon Jun 10, 2002 13:12
Location: Bristol, UK

Post by gepree68 »

hunkyash01 wrote:
samxool wrote:i have a question, why on earth wasn't this link road built at the same time as the M6Toll?
also, why has it taken until now to decide to link the m54 with the M6 going north?
True! Why on earth didn't they just bung it in with the rest of the M6 Toll plans instead of waiting another 5-10 years for it to get built. Knowing the Highways Agency, the road will be all-purpose.
But if it is a motorway, what number should it have? M546 perhaps?

Or will it be like the bit of the M5 that leads towards M6/7, in other words no new number but simply signed "M6 North / M6 Toll" from the M54, and "M54 Telford" from the M6?

Geoff
samxool
Member
Posts: 512
Joined: Fri May 28, 2004 16:00

Post by samxool »

well,i imagine it'll be M54 as its simply connecting the end of the M54 to the M6 and M6Toll
User avatar
bucephalus
Member
Posts: 706
Joined: Sat Mar 11, 2006 03:35
Location: Manchester
Contact:

Post by bucephalus »

it will be very difficult and expensive to design junctions M6 11A and M54 1A. there is not much room for leyway
User avatar
SouthWest Philip
Member
Posts: 3473
Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2002 19:35
Location: Evesham, Worcestershire

Post by SouthWest Philip »

Perhaps this will be what it takes to finish off MEL. I'm surprised that an apparantly debt ridden failing company has been allowed to take on more debt. I would have thought the top priority would be to return a profit and pay off the existing debts.
User avatar
Truvelo
Member
Posts: 17456
Joined: Wed May 29, 2002 21:10
Location: Staffordshire
Contact:

Post by Truvelo »

SouthWest Philip wrote:Perhaps this will be what it takes to finish off MEL. I'm surprised that an apparantly debt ridden failing company has been allowed to take on more debt. I would have thought the top priority would be to return a profit and pay off the existing debts.
I think MEL is keen to pay for the new link as it means M54 traffic will have direct access to the M6 Toll therefore enticing more potential customers onto their road.
How would you like your grade separations, Sir?
Big and complex.
User avatar
Steven
SABRE Maps Coordinator
Posts: 19144
Joined: Tue Feb 12, 2002 20:39
Location: Wolverhampton, Staffordshire
Contact:

Post by Steven »

hunkyash01 wrote:
samxool wrote:i have a question, why on earth wasn't this link road built at the same time as the M6Toll?
also, why has it taken until now to decide to link the m54 with the M6 going north?
True! Why on earth didn't they just bung it in with the rest of the M6 Toll plans instead of waiting another 5-10 years for it to get built. Knowing the Highways Agency, the road will be all-purpose.
Because the M54 - M6 Northern Link was part of the Western Orbital, not part of the M6 Toll.

It's not exactly a new announcement either, desptte the grand words.
Steven
Motorway Historian

Founder Member, SABRE ex-Presidents' Corner

Add your roads knowledge to the SABRE Wiki today!
Have you browsed SABRE Maps recently? Try getting involved!

User avatar
bucephalus
Member
Posts: 706
Joined: Sat Mar 11, 2006 03:35
Location: Manchester
Contact:

Post by bucephalus »

Steven wrote:
Because the M54 - M6 Northern Link was part of the Western Orbital, not part of the M6 Toll.

It's not exactly a new announcement either, desptte the grand words.
now there's a thought.. does it make sense to build bits of a proposed route whenever possible. i.e., when it comes to joining up those 'bits' in the future, the case is much stronger for the opposition because we're talking about a 'link' or an 'extension' rather than a brand new road.

Maybe the Coulsdon relief road should have been D3H :wink2:
User avatar
Danno B10M
Member
Posts: 2821
Joined: Mon Nov 15, 2004 17:08
Location: Stafford, mostly

Post by Danno B10M »

Midlands Today said it's going to be a dual carriageway.
You're never late, with a Scania V8
User avatar
Lewis
Member
Posts: 1765
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2005 11:40
Location: Shoreham, Nr Brighton, Sussex

Post by Lewis »

Motorways are dual carraigeways ;-)
User avatar
firefly
Member
Posts: 1779
Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2005 21:28
Contact:

Post by firefly »

hunkyash01 wrote:Knowing the Highways Agency, the road will be all-purpose.
How can it be an all-purpose road when it is conneting two motorways?
User avatar
Roadtripper_Ian
Member
Posts: 7064
Joined: Mon Aug 05, 2002 21:14
Location: Central Buchan

Post by Roadtripper_Ian »

firefly wrote:
hunkyash01 wrote:Knowing the Highways Agency, the road will be all-purpose.
How can it be an all-purpose road when it is conneting two motorways?
*cough* A556
"I don't make the rules, ma'am, I just make them up and write them down"
User avatar
ForestChav
SABRE Developer
Posts: 11075
Joined: Sat Sep 24, 2005 00:00
Location: Nottingham (Bronx of the Midlands)
Contact:

Post by ForestChav »

Roadtripper_Ian wrote:
firefly wrote:
hunkyash01 wrote:Knowing the Highways Agency, the road will be all-purpose.
How can it be an all-purpose road when it is conneting two motorways?
*cough* A556
From which it's possible to "escape" onto both the A556 at the southern end and the A56 at the other, so it's not leading inescapably (is that a word?) to a motorway. A road linking two motorways, where you have no option but to go on the motorway at the end, must always be a motorway.
C, E flat and G go into a bar. The barman says "sorry, we don't serve minors". So E flat walks off, leaving C and G to share an open fifth between them.

Never argue with an idiot. They will bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.
User avatar
Jam35
Member
Posts: 4129
Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2005 14:43
Location: Rural Glamorgan

Post by Jam35 »

firefly wrote:
hunkyash01 wrote:Knowing the Highways Agency, the road will be all-purpose.
How can it be an all-purpose road when it is conneting two motorways?
A42
Ryk
Member
Posts: 749
Joined: Fri Sep 16, 2005 17:16
Location: Biddulph

Post by Ryk »

I think what he means is, you cannot have an all purpose road connecting two motorways with no local acces or egress inbetween, the A42 has access between the M42 and M1, and the A556 is an Ap through route (I.e. has access either side of the M56 and M6.

So it could only be Ap if the provison for local access was given in at least two places in between the M54 and M6 toll or otherwise, or the route continued beyond the M54 and M6 toll or otherwise.
If At First You Don't Succeed, Then Sky Divng Isn't For You.
Post Reply