But plans for a new high-speed rail line - also revealed in the £6bn package - will not link Manchester and London as it will only go as far north as the West Midlands. Work on the new motorway lane - which will run clockwise between junctions 12 and 15 on the M60 - is due to begin in 2012.
Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon announced a huge package of measures affecting Britain's road network. He also confirmed motorists will be able to drive on the hard shoulder on some busy motorways. They include:
The M62 - between Whitefield and Rochdale and between the Croft Interchange and the M602
The M60 between the Carrington spur and Whitefield
The M6 between Croft and Orrell.
The government also pledged to set up a company to develop plans for the new high-speed rail line. But they confirmed it would only run between London and the West Midlands and would not link Manchester to the capital.
Mr Hoon announced the transport improvement schemes as he also confirmed the go-ahead for the controversial third runway at Heathrow.
Investment
He said: "The investment package of up to £6bn that I have set out today will also fund more conventional widening projects as well as junction improvements and other innovative projects to tackle congestion.
"In the north west drivers will benefit from safe, faster and more reliable journeys as extra road capacity is added where it is most needed.
"We have successfully and safely opened up the hard shoulder on the M42 at busy times, giving us confidence that we can do the same elsewhere on the network.
"This will deliver more reliable journey times and add a third more capacity - at a lower cost than a more conventional road widening scheme, and with fewer environmental impacts.
"This innovative technique will first be extended to the most congested sections of England's motorways and in the longer term will be rolled out across the core motorway network, linking our major cities."
The new lane on the M60 will run for a mile from the intersection of the M60 with the M602 to junction 15, where it meets the M61.
Barbara Keeley, MP for Worsley, said: "We have two of the most congested junctions in the region on the M60.
"I would think that anyone who uses this route will be grateful that something is going to be done to ease matters."
Shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers said the planned high-speed rail link was a `huge wasted opportunity' as it only went as far as Birmingham. The Tories have proposed a similar line running from London to Manchester and Leeds.
Ms Villiers said: "The government should have backed our proposal for a new line all the way to Manchester because of the huge economic benefits that it would generate for the north."
Manchester council leader Sir Richard Leese said: "The government need to be more ambitious if they are going to meet their own targets on growing regional economies.
"A new high speed line that links London, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow is the only way to dramatically cut journey times."
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Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All
(wetsocks), Manchester (16/01/2009 at 06:56)
Would be very cheap - just needs a bloke with some paint-stripper to get shot of those useless bus lanes.
Doobydoo, Worsley (16/01/2009 at 07:24)
If I remember correctly a large number of houses were bought under compulsory purchase orders and then left empty only to be sold at a loss once the scheme was scrapped.
Does this government ever look at what has been suggested and scrapped/ rejected previously?
Lawrence Glendinning (16/01/2009 at 08:22)
What happens if you break down on the M62 when the hard shoulder is in use, where do you go?
Chris R, Irlam (16/01/2009 at 08:50)
johnnyboy, Ashton-u-Lyne, Lancashire (16/01/2009 at 09:04)
Chris Green, Chorlton-cum-Hardy (16/01/2009 at 09:14)
Whilst Birmingham will do well out of Geoff Hoon’s proposals, there is still no investment in Manchester’s public transport infrastructure. It shows how short sighted the decision was to have “no plan B” during the TIF bid.
Andy., Bury (16/01/2009 at 09:33)
daniel (16/01/2009 at 09:42)
Al Capone of Atherton, Atherton (16/01/2009 at 09:50)
AlexisV (16/01/2009 at 10:06)
At long last they might improve the solitary lane west Manchester has to use to get from the 602 to the 60.
But the hard shoulder scheme comes at a price - variable speed limit gantries with speed cameras above every lane at regular intervals. I was amazed at seeing the cameras flashing almost constantly on the other carriageway when I drove down the M42 in Birmingham.
Orb, Rochdale (16/01/2009 at 10:10)
The hard shoulder closes, sharpish.
The scheme works very well down in the West Midlands.
Mark, South Manchester (16/01/2009 at 10:11)
Remember all the motorway building that went on, the approval of the 2nd runway, the trams - all supported by the Tories!!
Yet under New Labour all we ever hear of is huge London infrastructure projects.
Back in 1997 they tried to stop the completion of the M60; all our major road bypasses have remained in limbo for 12 years; they've made us beg like dogs for dwindled down Tram money; and they would have stopped the 2nd runway given the chance.
Why do New Labour so hate the North? Has there ever been a more pro-centric London Government?
hjk (16/01/2009 at 10:13)
Eastlands.
HS (16/01/2009 at 11:09)
gor, mcr (16/01/2009 at 11:10)
let them all walk
Pushkin (16/01/2009 at 12:15)
Rammylad (16/01/2009 at 12:34)
1) Clearly central government understand where the congestion in our region really exists and that is on the M60. Unlike our local councillors who think that the congestion exists for 80 sq miles inside the M60. So this tells me our local leaders need to leave office asap and stop wasting our time and money.
2) There are to build a high speed link, increase road capacity including the M60 along with a host of other measures all for £6bn. It begs the question how on earth did MCC and GMPTA decide they needed £3bn for a few miles of tram lines. Clearly the councillors knew they would waste at least 2/3rds of that cash.
Well done central government for doing what our local coucillors did not.
Mad Welsh Scotsman, Cadishead (16/01/2009 at 12:49)
Kurt Stephens (16/01/2009 at 13:10)
To me it seems that the proposals are similar to the Greengauge propoals that would see Manchester connected to HSR2 via the existing track to the West Midlands at which point the trains make use of the new HSR track, with trains running onwards, through London to Amsterdam, Paris and Brussels.
Rammylad - the £6bn does not include the cost of HSR, the cost of that part of the proposals, if they do happen would be about £11bn.
Hindsight (16/01/2009 at 14:13)
Chris R, Irlam (16/01/2009 at 14:50)
You need to re-read the proposals again.
"will run clockwise between junctions 12 and 15 on the M60"
Since when has Barton bridge been between J12 & J15?
Jo14 (16/01/2009 at 15:25)
I travel clockwise and am amazed at how far back it's congested through Stockport - but can't understand why!
Hindsight (16/01/2009 at 15:40)
I thought I was right the first time, but I checked, and I was
"confirmed motorists will be able to drive on the hard shoulder on some busy motorways. They include:
The M60 between the Carrington spur and Whitefield"
The point is the Hard Shoulder will be an additional lane, of stationary traffic
Chris R, Irlam (16/01/2009 at 15:57)
Unlikely, in any case work begins replacing vulerable joints & supports on the Barton Bridge shortly so they are taking preventative action to lessen any problems a greater weight of traffic will cause. If the scheme works it should be rolled out wherever suitable.
Dukey, ECCLES (16/01/2009 at 16:35)