Highways England engineers are almost finished on a project to improve traffic flows for users of junction 23 (Haydock Island) of the M6 near St Helens.

A new sensor-controlled traffic light system has been installed at the junction as part of a £4.1 million congestion-busting scheme for the local area, which also included the expansion of the junction with the A49 to four lanes.

The new traffic management system utilises sensors in the road itself to monitor traffic levels and adjust the traffic light settings accordingly to minimise queuing.

Works in the area are now expected to be complete by Monday, June 15th, with engineers having also delivered extensive local landscaping around the junction and footpath surfacing.

A new roundabout layout also means that motorists can now also cut through the centre of the roundabout to turn right on to the M6, rather than having to travel all the way around it.

It is hoped that these measures combined will help to considerably reduce congestion at the junction in the future.

Asset delivery manager at Highways England Andy Withington commented: "We'd like to thank drivers for their patience while we work to get the new traffic light system up and running, and also to apologise for the congestion they may have experienced in the past few weeks.

"We are doing everything we can to resolve the teething issues we've had with the new traffic lights so that road users can start fully benefiting from the improved layout as quickly as possible."

He added that, following successful tests, the new system has been temporarily turned off ahead of its full launch next week, with motorists in the area now simply using the junction as a normal roundabout.