The construction of smart Motorways in the region have been put on hold after the Government says it wants to complete a safety review of the project.
The review follows concerns over the safety of cars if they breakdown.
Instead of hard shoulders, smart motorways have emergency refuge areas up to one and a half miles apart, which let cars pull off in the event of an emergency. Variable speed limits keep traffic flowing and lanes are closed, indicated by a red X on an overhead gantry, if a vehicle has broken down.
The 10 mile section of work on the M62 between Eccles and Warrington will be one of the schemes effected.
It is understood that the system should not be expanded unless a “stopped vehicle detection” radar system is rolled out. It can take 17 minutes for CCTV operators to spot a breakdown and shut the road.
