Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the widening of the M4 motorway between junctions 3 and 12 will commence, when it is likely to be completed, and what measures they will put in place to avoid delays to traffic during the construction period.

Highways England’s latest Delivery Plan states that the start of works for the M4 Junction 3-12 scheme is the fourth quarter of 2016/2017 and it will open to traffic in 2021/22.

Measures to avoid delays to traffic during the construction period include:

• Maintaining three lanes of traffic in each direction during peak periods
• Using average speed camera equipment to smooth flows and improve safety and journey time reliability
• Installing a CCTV system to identify vehicles in need of recovery and other incidents, with free recovery of broken down vehicles to remove obstructions and keep traffic flowing
• Minimising traffic management during Bank Holiday periods and working with major events to coordinate traffic management
• Timing overnight lane closures and full carriageway closures at less sensitive times.