Roads Minister Stephen Ladyman said: "This scheme is an important part of a package of measures the Highways Agency is using to cut congestion in the West Midlands. This flexible approach to opening and closing all motorway lanes, including the hard shoulder, to manage traffic shows how innovation and the latest technology can be used to cut congestion"

This initiative is part of a £100m Highways Agency scheme called 'Active Traffic Management', which aims to help keep the traffic moving by making the best possible use of the space available on our motorways. Drivers between Junction 3A (the M40) and Junction 7 (the M6) will be directed to drive on the hard shoulder at times of peak congestion by hi-tech electronic signs. When the hard shoulder is in use a maximum 50 mph speed limit will be applied to all lanes.

Emergency refuge areas are provided behind the hard shoulder approximately every 500 metres to ensure people whose vehicles have broken down have a safe area away from the traffic.

The Highways Agency has also worked closely with the emergency services on this scheme. Individual lanes, including the hard shoulder, can be opened and closed by Highways Agency operators by simply displaying a red 'X' on the electronic lane signals. This flexible approach allows immediate lane closures to ensure safe emergency services access in the event of a major incident.