The closure – from 8pm on Friday 13 to 6am on Monday 16 July – is required for on-going maintenance works on Pendock Sledge Green and Queens Arms overbridges.
A further overnight closure may be required on Monday 16 July between 8pm and 6am depending on how work progresses and weather conditions experienced over the weekend.
Diversion routes will be clearly signposted. Traffic travelling westbound should leave the M5 at Junction 11 and take the A40 westbound, then the A417 north to M50 Junction 2. The same would apply in reverse for eastbound traffic.
Highways Agency project sponsor Matthew Taylor said:
“We thank road users for their continued co-operation while we undertake these essential repairs, as we appreciate that these closures will cause some disruption for road users.
“A diversion route will be clearly signposted and we will be using the electronic motorway message boards on the approaching motorways to advise drivers of the closure well in advance.”
Work to be undertaken while these closures are in place includes moving traffic management and dismantling and re-erecting two scaffolds being used in the £2.5million bridge strengthening works, which should be completed by October this year.
Matthew added: "We will be making best use of the time the carriageway is closed by undertaking other works along this stretch of the M50, such as survey work and localised resurfacing."
Further information is available from the Highways Agency Information Line on 0300 123 5000 or email ha_info@highways.gsi.gov.uk or visit the works website on the Highways Agency website at www.highways.gov.uk.
Notes to Editors
1. The Highways Agency is an executive agency of the Department for Transport. We manage, maintain and improve England’s motorways and other strategic roads on behalf of the Secretary of State.
2. Maintenance and improvement projects: We plan maintenance and improvement projects carefully to allow road works to be completed safely, in a cost effective way while keeping disruption to road users to a minimum. We do as much work as possible overnight and when roads are less busy in order to keep more lanes open for road users at peak travel times. Drivers are advised to check their route for road works and allow extra time for their journeys where needed. We have a variety of journey planning tools that road users can use to check travel conditions on the roads we manage, and we will do all we can to keep road users informed.
3. Safety at roadworks: The Highways Agency is working with the industry and road users to reduce the risks of working on the roads. For the safety of road workers and all road users, when you are approaching roadworks:
- Keep within the speed limit – it is there for your safety.
- Get into the correct lane in good time – don’t keep switching.
- Concentrate on the road ahead, not the roadworks.
- Be alert for works’ traffic leaving or entering roadworks.
- Keep a safe distance – there could be queues in front.
- Observe all signs – they are there to help you.
4. Real-time traffic information for England’s motorways and other strategic roads is available:
- From the web at www.highways.gov.uk/traffic or www.highways.gov.uk/mobile if using a phone or mobile device.
- By phone from the Highways Agency Information Line on 0300 123 5000 at any time. (Calls to 0300 numbers will cost no more than 5p per minute from a standard BT residential landline. Call charges from other landlines and mobile networks may vary, but will be no more than a standard geographic call and will be included in all inclusive minutes and discount schemes). Make sure it’s safe and legal before you call. Before using any mobile, find a safe place to park. Never stop on the hard shoulder of a motorway except in an emergency.
- On an iPhone app which will automatically select the region you are in. Free to download from the iTunes store or search for Highways Agency on your device.
- From Twitter – there are eight feeds with live traffic information provided by region. For information on roads in the West Midlands follow us at @HAtraffic_wmids or for the full index visit www.highways.gov.uk/twitter.
5. Receive our national and regional press releases by RSS and get the latest headlines straight to your desktop the moment we publish them to our website. Choose to receive a national press feed or one of our regionalised feeds - go to www.highways.gov.uk/rssnews for more information.
Issued by the Highways Agency. For further information please contact Jo Carroll on 0121 421 8867 or 07833 049 390. Media enquiries out of hours should be made to the Highways Agency National Press Office (24hrs) on 020 7081 7443.