M1 and M5 emergency area retrofit programme

We'll build six additional emergency areas between junctions 23a and 25 of the M1 by the end of November 2024. Work began in February with the closure of one lane of the motorway so our team could safely clear vegetation and then install signage, CCTV and safety barriers. We’re now in the main works construction phase of the scheme and to prioritise safety for road users and crews working on the highway, we’ve kept lane one closed and reduced the speed limit to 50mph in lanes two to four.

On occasion we require additional closures. These will be indicated by signage on the highway and in advance on this webpage, as below. Please note that as there are also roadworks in process near to the M1, it is advisable to also check local travel information pertaining to your route.

The following closures on the M1 will be in place overnight from 8pm until 6am, unless stated.*

We’re sorry for the disruption this work may cause to your journey and we encourage drivers to plan ahead and allow extra time when travelling. All closures are subject to change at short notice due to unforeseen circumstances or poor weather conditions. Please check this webpage and our X (formerly Twitter) account (@HighwaysEMIDS) before travelling for the latest information.

Details of all full closures on England’s motorways and major A roads over the next week can be found at: www.nationalhighways.co.uk/travel-updates/road-closure-report.

We'll build 20 additional emergency areas between junctions 28 and 30 of the M1 with construction work starting from Tuesday 2 April 2024. Our work is scheduled to be complete by the end of January 2025.

We’re adding 20 new emergency areas between junctions 16 and 19 of the M1, with work set to finish by the end of March 2025.

We’ve already cleared vegetation and are now installing safety barriers, CCTV, and signs. Occasionally, we’ll need to close lanes to keep our team safe, and we’ll let drivers know in advance.

Lane closures:

Overnight from 8:00pm to 6:00am

• 14–16 September 2024:
  Closure of the entry slip road at J18 northbound. Diversion to J19.
• 20–23 September 2024:
  Closure of the entry slip road at J18 southbound. Diversion to J17.

We’re sorry for any disruption and recommend planning ahead and allowing extra travel time.

Please remember that closures can change at short notice. You can check the latest information on our daily closures page or find live travel information on our Traffic England site. Our travel alerts give details of live incidents on our network.

We're building 10 additional emergency areas between junctions 4a and 6 of the M5, work is scheduled to be complete by March 2025.

We are currently carrying out earthworks excavations and installing retaining walls at the new emergency area locations. In order to move our large piling machinery to the last retaining wall location, some overnight lane closures are required.

The following closure will be in place overnight from 8pm until 6am.

Overnight closures

Advanced notice of M5 junction 4 to junction 4a noise reduction resurfacing

Please note, these works are not part of the emergency area scheme.

We’ll be carrying out resurfacing work on the M5 between junction 4 and junction 4a. We’ll also be replacing the road markings at this location. Our work will provide smoother journeys, as well as reducing noise for residents living nearby.

We'll work overnight, between 10pm and 4am, from Monday 30 September to Friday 11 October 2024, Monday to Friday. To carry out our work safely, we’ll close the M5 as follows:

• 30 September to 7 October – M5 northbound closed between junction 4a and junction 4
• 8 October to 11 October – M5 southbound closed between junction 4 and junction 4a

We’ll make every effort to ensure the impact on the local community and travelling public is kept to a minimum. We always aim to work to the programme, however unforeseen circumstances or adverse weather conditions may mean changes.    

During this time, access will be maintained for emergency vehicles.

Fully signed diversion routes will be in place via the M42 and A38 Birmingham Road/Halesowen Road.

Further Information

If you would like further information about this work, please contact National Highways Customer Contact Centre on 0300 123 5000 open 24/7, or email: info@nationalhighways.co.uk

If you'd like to receive updates about future work along the M5, please subscribe to our distribution list by emailing noreplyM5WMids@nationalhighways.co.uk

We’re sorry for the disruption this work may cause to your journey and we encourage drivers to plan ahead and allow extra time when travelling. All closures are subject to change at short notice due to unforeseen circumstances or poor weather conditions. Please check this webpage and our X (formerly Twitter) account (@HighwaysWMIDS) before travelling for the latest information.

Details of all full closures on England’s motorways and major A roads over the next week.

Our investment in new emergency areas is designed to help road users feel safe and be even safer on our roads. Other improvements we're making include work on:

• technology, such as stopped vehicle detection
• better and more signs
• more information about smart motorways online and in an updated Highway Code

Through all the work we're doing, we’re determined to:

• further reduce the number of casualties on our high-speed road network
• improve public confidence in our smart motorways
• continue to build and operate one of the safest and best performing road networks in the world 

Why are the roadworks so long, and why do they need to be on both sides of the road?

Safety is our top priority. As the distance between emergency areas is relatively short, maintaining the lane closure between them is the best option as it reduces lane changes, helps keep traffic flowing and ultimately reduces the risk of any incidents.

Motorway technology often covers both sides of the road at once, and we have put roadworks restrictions, like a reduced speed limit, when work happening on the opposite carriageway affects our monitoring systems on both sides.

Why are you building all of the emergency areas at once? Why not spread them out?

We are committed to building at least 150 additional emergency areas by the end of March 2025. We are working very hard to meet the commitment and will remove the roadworks as soon as we safely can.

Why can’t I see anyone working?

We appreciate that it can be very frustrating to drive through roadworks and not see work being carried out. We’d like to assure you that we are working very hard to complete these upgrades as quickly and efficiently as possible.  We’ve completed well over a million working hours on these upgrades and are working hard to have them all complete by next spring.

What are you doing to limit delays?

We have designed the roadworks with traffic flow in mind and keeping the open lanes at full-width instead of narrowing them, as at many roadworks, is proving effective at helping to manage traffic flow. 

We continue to keep the roadworks under review and consider all options for maximising traffic flow without compromising safety. For example, where we can do it safely, we are increasing the speed limit to 60mph on the approach to the exit of roadworks to help traffic move more freely.

In exceptional cases, you may pass variable speed limits displaying on overhead gantries within the zone covered by speed limits indicated by hard signs. Should you be in any doubt about which speed limit applies in such a situation, we would recommend that you always comply with the lower of the speed limits indicated.