Safety enhancement work to upgrade the central reservation barrier along the M40 and M42 in Warwickshire will be complete before Christmas, several months earlier than originally planned, National Highways has said.

Since February this year, contractor bmJV has replaced more than five miles of steel barrier with a safer, more efficient concrete barrier.

National Highways said concrete barriers are much stronger than metal ones and "significantly reduce" the risk of vehicles crossing over from one carriageway to another, improving safety and reducing the duration of incident-related congestion.

They are "virtually maintenance free" and will last twice as long as normal metal barriers, with far less need for closures for routine repairs.

The early finish is due to an "innovative" new precast concrete barrier which can be laid faster than other types of concrete barrier.

The team will now move on to carry out similar safety upgrades on the M42 between junctions 4 and 7 with some overnight closures needed for environmental surveys over the coming weeks.

Work will begin in January 2024 with completion planned by autumn 2024.

National Highways project sponsor Nick Wells said: "All these factors have combined for the good of the road user at this busy gateway to the West Midlands.

"It's been a great collaborative piece of work and we are delighted to be completing these improvements so far ahead of schedule. 

"Road users will soon benefit from the range of measures implemented on this scheme which is part of a wider programme of work to further enhance safety on existing dynamic hard shoulder motorways." 

Some overnight closures will still take place in the coming days. See the details here.