A NEW £3 million scheme aims to cut congestion on the M42 near Solihull by allowing drivers to use a larger section of the hard shoulder.

Transport Minister Chris Mole unveiled the plans, which from December will allow motorists to drive along the hard shoulder between slip-roads at Junction 5. Currently, drivers have to leave the hard shoulder when approaching the junction, which sees slip-roads run up to a roundabout for drivers to access the A41 Solihull Bypass and A4141 Warwick Road.

The area is within the M42 Active Traffic Management section which runs between Junction 7 and 3A.

Currently, when the hard shoulder is open to traffic as part of ATM, through-traffic has to leave the hard shoulder and move back to the main carriageway at junctions.

But because about 90 per cent of traffic remains on the carriageway at Junction 5 of the M42 southbound, drivers will be able to use the hard shoulder through the junction as an extra lane.

Mr Mole said: “Active Traffic Management has made journeys on the M42 safer and more reliable. To maximise benefits and further increase capacity, the Highways Agency is now making more of the hard shoulder available to traffic at busy times.”