Westmorland and Furness Council will introduce 500 meters of road markings on the A684 to support National Highways safety improvements on Junction 37 of the M6.

Following a series of serious collisions on the motorway slip road, the Council is working together with Cumbria Constabulary and National Highways to identify and introduce vital measures that will change driver behaviour and reduce the risk of further incidents.

Starting today (Monday 11 November) and continuing on Tuesday 12 and Thursday 14 November, the Council will improve road safety on the approach to the slip road through enhancing road markings on the A684 to discourage overtaking on the motorway bridge, reduce speeds and increase visibility at night for drivers.

The works package will take place under a full road closure and introduce double white centre lines, road studs, yellow ‘rumble strips’, red high friction banding and SLOW markings across 500 meters of road.

To minimise disruption, the essential programme will be delivered between the hours of 8pm and 5am. Works have also been planned in conjunction with National Highways who will upgrade nearby cattle grids under the closure, making efficient use of the road space and reduce the impact on local communities.

Emergency service access will be maintained on the A684 throughout the closure period, with no planned disruptions to bus services.

Alongside the upcoming lining works, Councillors are lobbying National Highways to ensure they address the root cause of the incidents and implement crucial changes to traffic management on their slip road.

Councillor Peter Thornton, Westmorland and Furness Council Cabinet Member for Highways and ICT said:“Following a number of serious collisions at Junction 37 of the M6, the Council has been working with National Highways to ensure they urgently address the concerns of our residents and consider traffic management measures on their slip road.

“Whilst we await their plans, we are delivering lining improvements on the A684 to enhance the safety for our road users on the approach to the junction. We recognise our works will not solve the root cause of the problem, however they will lead to calmer traffic, discourage overtaking, and ensure that drivers have a clearer view of the road ahead.

“We have carefully planned this to minimise disruption as much as possible, keeping our local communities in mind. The start of our works are a crucial first step in improving safety here, and we are committed to working with National Highways to ensure further action is taken.”

For information on the diversion route, visit the Council’s road works map on westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk.