BRADFORD business executives and haulage firms have backed Government plans to increase the number of lanes on the M62.

The Manchester to Leeds stretch of the M62 will become a 'smart' motorway, which uses technology to manage congestion.

This 'Northern Powerhouse' project means motorists must never drive under a red 'X' sign, keep to the speed limit shown on the gantries and a broken white line indicates the hard shoulder.

Smart motorways allow the Highways Agency to adjust the speed limit as appropriate and to close and open lanes, including the hard shoulder, to traffic.

This move was announced today as part of the Government's £15 billion package on 80 new road schemes in England, which looks to add 1,300 new miles of extra lanes to motorways and A roads.

The plans for the slip road connecting the westbound carriageway of the M62 to the M606 at Chain Bar have been welcomed by Bradford firms.

They hope it will ease congestion on this route, a key corridor of their transport links.

Mike Cartwright, West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce's policy and representation executive, said: “These improvements to the road network, though not answering all our congestion problems, are long overdue but welcome nevertheless.

"As car travel is the preferred mode of most businesses, congestion is one of the most common concerns for lots of business people. "A slip road direct from the M62 to the M606 should help to ease the backlog that’s practically a daily feature on the westbound at Chain Bar; and improving the M621 is also a must for getting into and out of Leeds.

"Overall, greater capacity, improved junctions and other upgrades that help reduce congestion for the businesses of the district are to be welcomed."

Meanwhile, BWR Haulage Limited, based at Greenhill Mills, Florence Street, Bradford has also welcomed the move. The company has 15 drivers who deliver across the UK.

Mo Shafiq, managing director, said: "This news will give us a boost.

"The M62 is a disaster for us at the moment. It takes a couple of hours to get from Bradford to Manchester.

"It will definitely improve our productivity. It will speed up the journey for our drivers and we could get more jobs in now."

While welcoming the road plans, the RAC Foundation said the number of road users will leap from 36 million to 43 million within the next 20 years if current trends persist.

Other parts of the scheme include a tunnel at Stonehenge and £290m to complete the dualling of the A1 from London to Ellingham, 25 miles from the Scottish border.

Danny Alexander, chief secretary to the Treasury and chairman of the Cabinet infrastructure committee, said the schemes would "would help unleash the economic potential of both the regions they serve and of the overall economy."

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