Highway chiefs insist they are doing all they can to keep the M62 running smoothly amid frustration over major roadworks on the busy route.

But the Highways Agency is also urging motorists to take responsibility and do their bit to help by driving carefully.

David Pilsworth, Highways Agency project manager for the M62 managed motorway between junctions 25 and 30, was speaking in the light of a succession of collisions in the last month, including a smash between three lorries near Brighouse yesterday.

Mr Pilsworth said work on the scheme, due to be finish by October 2013, was progressing well.

He said: “We do understand the frustration caused by delays as a result of incidents on the network and we do all we can to keep the network running smoothly. However, with some incidents, full or partial road closures are unavoidable while emergency services carry out important recovery and investigation work.

“The Highways Agency has a 24/7 vehicle recovery service in operation, with an average response time of 15 minutes but that particular stretch of the motorway is one of the region’s busiest routes with more than 144,000 vehicles using it each day, so queues are inevitable.

“We have done, and will continue to do, everything we can to keep people safe – such as by putting in reduced speed limits and providing 24-hour monitoring of the site – but it is very important that drivers understand that they too have a role to play in reducing the risk of incidents occurring through the roadworks, especially during the winter months when the weather conditions can quickly deteriorate.”

He said drivers should keep to the speed limit and avoid running out of fuel.

He said: “Breakdowns in live lanes can also lead to delays, and our figures show that there have been more than 1,500 breakdowns between junction 25 and junction 27 alone, in both directions, since work began.”

It has been reported by the BBC that more than 30 collisions have occurred on the M62 in the last month alone, although the Highways Agency has been unable to confirm that figure.

On December 5 the M62 was closed for three hours after a crash between two lorries and a van at Gildersome.

Last month the Telegraph & Argus reported in the year since M62 work began, highways officials have been forced to remove more than 1,500 broken-down vehicles and deal with more than 100 crashes between junction 25 at Brighouse and junction 27.