SI 2026/78 - The M6 Toll Motorway (M6 Junction 3a to M6 Junction 11a) and M42 Motorway (Temporary Prohibition of Traffic) Order 2026

S T A T U T O R Y I N S T R U M E N T S 2026 No. 78 ROAD TRAFFIC The M6 Toll Motorway (M6 Junction 3a to M6 Junction 11a) and M42 Motorway (Temporary Prohibition of Traffic) Order 2026 Made - - - - 23rd January 2026 Coming into force 30th January 2026 The Secretary of State for Transport, being the traffic authority for the M6 Toll Motorway and for part of the M42 Motorway, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 14(1)(a) and (7) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984(a), makes the following Order. Citation and commencement 1. This Order may be cited as the M6 Toll Motorway (M6 Junction 3a to M6 Junction 11a) and M42 Motorway (Temporary Prohibition of Traffic) Order 2026 and comes into force on 30th January 2026. Interpretation 2. In this Order— “M6” means the M6 Motorway in the counties of Warwickshire and Staffordshire; “M6 Toll” means the M6 Toll Motorway in the counties of Warwickshire and Staffordshire; “M42” means the M42 Motorway in the counties of Warwickshire and Staffordshire; “first length of motorway” means— (a) the northbound carriageway of the M6 Toll from its junction with the entry slip road leading from the A4097 at Junction T1 at Curdworth to its junction with the northbound carriageway of the M6 at Junction 11a at Great Saredon; and (b) the southbound carriageway of the M6 Toll from its junction with the southbound carriageway of the M6 at Junction 11a at Great Saredon to its junction with the exit slip road leading to the roundabout junction with the A4091 and A446 (Junction T2) at Curdworth; “second length of motorway” means— (a) the northbound carriageway of the M6 Toll from its junction with the northbound carriageway of the M42 (M42 Junction 9) at Curdworth to its junction with the northbound carriageway of the M6 (M6 Junction 11a) at Great Saredon; and (a) 1984 c. 27; section 14 was substituted by the Road Traffic (Temporary Restrictions) Act 1991 (c. 26), section 1(1) and Schedule 1. Schedule 9 paragraph 27(1) was substituted by the Transport Act 2000 (c. 38), section 161 and Schedule 11 paragraph 8(2) and by the Bus Services Act 2017 (c. 21), section 16(8) and amended by the Road Traffic (Temporary Restrictions) Act 1991 (c 26), section 1(4). There are other amendments but none is relevant.(b) the southbound carriageway of the M6 Toll from its junction with the southbound carriageway of the M6 (M6 Junction 11a) at Great Saredon to its junction with the southbound carriageway of the M42 (M42 Junction 9) at Curdworth; “third length of motorway” means— (a) the northbound carriageway of the M6 Toll from its junction with the M6 (M6 Junction 3a) to a point 120 metres southeast of the centreline of the M42 overbridge at Coleshill (M42 Junction 7a); (b) the northbound carriageway of the shared section of the M42/M6 Toll from a point 150 metres south to a point 80 metres north of the centreline of Marsh Lane overbridge; (c) the northbound carriageway of the M6 Toll from a point 80 metres north of the centreline of Marsh Lane overbridge to its junction with the M6 at Junction 11a at Great Saredon; (d) the southbound carriageway of the M6 Toll from its junction with the M6 at Junction 11a at Great Saredon to a point 165 metres south of the centreline of Watton Lane underbridge; and (e) the southbound carriageway of the M6 Toll from a point 245 metres north of the centreline of the B4114 Birmingham Road overbridge to its junction with the M6 at Junction 3a; “Motorway Regulations” means the Motorways Traffic (England and Wales) Regulations 1982(a); “hard shoulder” has the meaning set out in regulation 3(1)(e) of the Motorway Regulations; “slip road” means a slip road leading to or from the second length of motorway; “works period” means the period starting at 21:00 hours on Friday 6th February 2026 and ending at 23:59 hours on Wednesday 23rd December 2026. Motorway restrictions 3. Subject to Article 4 and Article 6, no person may, during the works period, cause or permit any vehicle to enter or proceed on the first length of motorway or a slip road. Exemptions to Article 3 4. The provisions of Article 3 do not apply to a vehicle— (a) being used for police, ambulance, fire and rescue authority emergency response purposes; (b) proceeding at the direction of, or with the permission of, a police constable; (c) being used in connection with the works; (d) being driven by, or at the direction of, a traffic officer in uniform; or (e) being used for winter maintenance purposes. Partial Suspension of the Motorway Regulations 5. Subject to Article 6, during the works period regulation 5 of the Motorway Regulations and, in so far as it relates to a vehicle being driven, regulation 9 of the Motorway Regulations are suspended in relation to the hard shoulder adjacent to the third length of motorway or a slip road. Use of traffic signs to implement the motorway restrictions 6. Article 3 and Article 5 shall apply only at such times and to such extent as indicated by traffic signs. (a) S.I. 1982/1163, as amended by S.I. 1983/374, 1984/1479, 1992/1364, 1995/158, 1996/3053, 2004/3168, 2004/3258 and 2006/594. 2Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Transport Nick Conran Grade 7 23rd January 2026 Department for Transport 3