The Highways Agency has announced a £5 million scheme to improve traffic flow at junction 5 of the M18 is to get underway this week.

Being delivered as part of the government's ongoing £317 million Pinch Point Programme, the work will focus on the removal of a major bottleneck in the transport infrastructure of South Yorkshire and will affect both the north and southbound carriageways of the motorway in the coming weeks.

Aiming for completion by the end of March next year, the scheme will see widening of the carriageway north of junction 5 and the installation of new traffic signals on the M180 westbound approach.

Meanwhile, the M18 northbound exit slip road will undergo widening, resurfacing and the laying of new road markings to provide four lanes of traffic in the future.

Furthermore, improved drainage for the motorway in general is to be installed and a reinforced concrete retaining wall on the M18 side of the southbound exit slip road will also be built by agency engineers.

All in all, the works will have an extensive impact on travellers in the area in the coming months, with a temporary 50 mph speed limit to be in force for the duration of the scheme.

Highways Agency project manager Steven Wright commented: "The work at this junction began earlier this month but has mainly been taking place in the motorway verges.

"However, over the past week we have put in place lane restrictions at the junction and we expect delays at peak times to increase once the schools return following the half term holiday."

Mr Wright added that the agency is now working to ensure disruption to travellers in the area is kept to a minimum, although drivers are advised to leave extra time to complete their journeys for the foreseeable future.

He added that, when complete, the project will significantly reduce levels of congestion for all road users and will deliver a considerable boost to the local economy.