0:00:02 > 0:00:07232 miles of road carrying over 40 million vehicles a year,
0:00:07 > 0:00:12the M6 is the longest and one of the busiest motorways in Britain.
0:00:12 > 0:00:1724/7, 365, the M6 is solid every day of the year.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21Outside Birmingham it meets four other motorways
0:00:21 > 0:00:23and keeping them running is a constant battle
0:00:23 > 0:00:26for time and resources.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29There are 101 different jobs on this motorway
0:00:29 > 0:00:32and yet not one motorist is aware of what we do.
0:00:33 > 0:00:38A hidden army of men and women work day and night.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41Have you ever laid down on the M6? I have.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45- And I've played football on the M25! - HE LAUGHS
0:00:45 > 0:00:47Whatever the weather.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51On the M5 you'll find your money. On the M50 you'll find the porn.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56Every day they set out to control the chaos...
0:00:56 > 0:00:59- HE SHOUTS - Jesus!
0:01:00 > 0:01:03..and to help us when things go wrong.
0:01:03 > 0:01:052-1, can I have an ambo, please?
0:01:05 > 0:01:06Trying at all costs...
0:01:08 > 0:01:11- ..to keep Britain on the move. - Oh, God!
0:01:11 > 0:01:15Please! Ah! I think me tyre's blown!
0:01:15 > 0:01:18They should call it the Mad 6 instead of the M6!
0:01:24 > 0:01:27We're going to go onto the motorway.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30You've had some experience with dual carriageways, sort of thing.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32- Yeah.- But today we're going to look at going into
0:01:32 > 0:01:35bigger motorways, more lanes.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40- This, you will find, will be a little bit different.- OK.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43A little bit more intense. All right.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45What shall we talk about now?
0:01:47 > 0:01:49I don't know.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53We could talk about how people drive,
0:01:53 > 0:01:56how bad they drive on the motorway.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59Which way? Am I coming off? Am I staying...
0:01:59 > 0:02:03- Staying on, aren't I? That must be a junction.- Yeah.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09- I can see better out of this mirror. - Do we need a signal, do you think?
0:02:09 > 0:02:13- Do you reckon?- I think so. No, we signal going out, aren't we?
0:02:13 > 0:02:15That's a confusing one.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17Nearly there actually.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19- TAP ON WINDSCREEN - Argh!- What was that?
0:02:19 > 0:02:21- Something hit my windshield! - THEY LAUGH
0:02:21 > 0:02:24- What the hell was that? - That just made me jump.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26It made me jump!
0:02:30 > 0:02:33At the West Midlands regional control centre
0:02:33 > 0:02:36a team of Highways Agency traffic officers
0:02:36 > 0:02:38monitor an 84-mile stretch of the M6.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43I'm looking for an HGV, a car transporter,
0:02:43 > 0:02:46which apparently has got a vehicle on the top of it
0:02:46 > 0:02:48that could potentially strike a bridge.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50During peak times,
0:02:50 > 0:02:54up to 8,000 vehicles an hour use this section of motorway.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57Part of the job here is to spot problems before they happen.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Hold on. I've got it!
0:03:02 > 0:03:0565... Yeah, 5619.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08The boot's open on the Mondeo at the front, I think.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11- What?- Yeah, mate. It's just coming down.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15Bridges are a set height
0:03:15 > 0:03:18and there is the potential that that could strike the bridge.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21We're just worrying about it because if it does catch,
0:03:21 > 0:03:24it could possibly dislodge the vehicle.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28Just passing the slip, mate, from Corley.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31It could rip off the actual boot of the car
0:03:31 > 0:03:33and then that will end up on the carriageway and that,
0:03:33 > 0:03:36obviously, would cause a secondary incident as a result.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46- Come on.- Is it on the move? - Yes. It is lane one, mate.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52Hold on. Keep coming, keep coming.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56Yeah, mate. I'm just watching it on two.
0:03:56 > 0:04:01See if it comes off at two. Indeed, it's off at two, off at two.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03He has actually pulled over, mate.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07Someone's brought something to his attention. He has stopped, mate.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10Many years ago when I was here, at the same location,
0:04:10 > 0:04:13brand-new Range Rover... I think it was a Range Rover Sport,
0:04:13 > 0:04:17fell off the back of an actual HGV car transporter
0:04:17 > 0:04:21and careered across the carriageway and luckily didn't hurt anyone.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23Went onto the hard shoulder.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27Every year in Britain there are more than 250,000
0:04:27 > 0:04:30road traffic collisions, known as RTCs.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33We see a lot of bad driving.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36Driver behaviour, I think, causes a lot of the problem.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40That's why we call them road traffic collisions instead of an accident.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43Because there is always someone to blame.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46Used to be the old RTA, now it's the RTC
0:04:46 > 0:04:48because there's always someone at fault.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50If you crash the car it could be weather-related,
0:04:50 > 0:04:53it could be driver error, it could be car error.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55There's always something or someone to blame.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57No such things as accidents.
0:04:58 > 0:05:03As well as attempting to prevent and respond to road traffic collisions,
0:05:03 > 0:05:05the Highways Agency constantly looks to improve
0:05:05 > 0:05:08sections of the motorway where RTCs happen more often.
0:05:08 > 0:05:13They are clearing the debris before they let the traffic go.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16We always get the blame for closing lanes and it's not us
0:05:16 > 0:05:19that closes the lanes, it's the people who caused the accident!
0:05:23 > 0:05:27Their current focus is on Catthorpe Junction at the start of the M6.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31A busy interchange linking the motorway to the M1
0:05:31 > 0:05:33and A14 trunk road.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36It's our black spot area.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39We tend to find that especially on the approach towards the M1,
0:05:39 > 0:05:41that's where we have quite a few incidents,
0:05:41 > 0:05:44purely because of the layout of the road.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47At its centre is an unusual and outdated road layout,
0:05:47 > 0:05:52called the dumbbells or teardrops, that's about to be redesigned.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55Two roundabouts and this is the link
0:05:55 > 0:06:00that gets you from the M6 to the A14 is this stretch of road here.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02The dumbbells here, there's two.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05There's an eastern one and a western one.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07This is the western one.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09They are actually going to get rid of that altogether
0:06:09 > 0:06:12so there'll be two through roads which will then prevent
0:06:12 > 0:06:15all of the congestion of all of the heavy goods vehicles trying
0:06:15 > 0:06:20to get under this bridge and around both of the teardrops.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26The cost of redesigning the junction is just over £190 million.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31A private contractor will be overseeing and carrying out the works.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35Could they put a pole on this side and string it across?
0:06:35 > 0:06:38And then we can go down once we get into the highway boundary?
0:06:38 > 0:06:42In charge of the project is construction manager Mark Sutton.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45The junction needs improving.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47If you've got vast amounts of traffic
0:06:47 > 0:06:49there's an increased risk of accidents.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53Unfortunately, the Catthorpe interchange is known
0:06:53 > 0:06:57for its severe accidents that have occurred over the last decade.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00The design to replace the old dumbbell system
0:07:00 > 0:07:05will take two years to complete and involve building six new bridges,
0:07:05 > 0:07:08four slip roads and a local link road
0:07:08 > 0:07:11on 78 acres of newly acquired farmland.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14I've just got a call from our general foreman out on-site
0:07:14 > 0:07:17and he's released the bulls into the field.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20He has scattered feed all around, very close to our works boundary.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23I don't know how to deal with that.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25I must have been sick the day we did this at uni
0:07:25 > 0:07:29cos all I want to do is put a fence up.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32'I started working for Skanska just over 10 years ago.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35'I love the engineering and I love these big, massive
0:07:35 > 0:07:38'infrastructure jobs and the challenge they pose.'
0:07:38 > 0:07:40Everyone else can sit in an office
0:07:40 > 0:07:43and maybe they get a report produced at the end of the day but we can go
0:07:43 > 0:07:46out on the ground and you get to see the bridges, the roads, the highways.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48They're there for the lifetime.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51Whenever a civil engineer drives down and he's got company in the car,
0:07:51 > 0:07:53they're always bragging about what they've built
0:07:53 > 0:07:56and showing off the structures that they've done.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00But for the local community around Catthorpe, the construction
0:08:00 > 0:08:03of a safer and less congested junction is a mixed blessing.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07Is that the slip road there, as well?
0:08:07 > 0:08:11The slip road will come... start from the far end.
0:08:11 > 0:08:16Michael and Susan Grindle have owned their farm next to the junction for the last 40 years.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20All these trees are going to come down. They've got to come down.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23So what's going to happen is we'll have more noise and more light.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25I just think it's an awful shame
0:08:25 > 0:08:30when they take this land for these roads which we will never get back.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32We're supposed to be a green and pleasant land
0:08:32 > 0:08:35and we are just getting built upon.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37Is it necessary, really?
0:08:40 > 0:08:44Every day Michael Grindle and his sons have to negotiate
0:08:44 > 0:08:46motorway traffic to get to their fields.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50Now they'll have to contend with months of roadworks
0:08:50 > 0:08:52as the junction is redesigned.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54It's a very strange junction.
0:08:54 > 0:08:59You've got motorway traffic and local traffic intermingling,
0:08:59 > 0:09:01which is never a good thing, really.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03We're both sides of the junction, really,
0:09:03 > 0:09:06and we've got a field right in the middle of the junction,
0:09:06 > 0:09:09which we call the triangle field cos it's a triangle, for obvious reasons.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12We've always had to use that junction. We've lived with it.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14I mean, it's going to be a headache
0:09:14 > 0:09:18because we won't be able to get to it that way. We don't know yet.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21We are in talks with the Highways Agency and Skanska
0:09:21 > 0:09:25about what they can provide for us so that we can get to that land.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28It's going to make it, to be polite, a pain.
0:09:33 > 0:09:38It's not just the local humans who could be affected by the roadworks.
0:09:38 > 0:09:39- Otters.- Otters.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43- We're supposed to be fitting an otter ledge to the A14 bridge.- That one.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45Hedgehogs, there is no Skanska requirement
0:09:45 > 0:09:52but it specifically says we need to produce a poster for hedgehogs.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55- Can they read?- Yes!
0:09:55 > 0:09:59- Very clever hedgehogs in this area. - "Keep out."- "Don't come this way."
0:09:59 > 0:10:02- Amphibians? - Yeah, for the first one.- Newts.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06Leave that area clear until after the newts have been relocated.
0:10:06 > 0:10:07OK, so, newts...
0:10:08 > 0:10:10- OK, I'm happy with them.- OK.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15Out on the ground, environmental coordinator Richard Waddell
0:10:15 > 0:10:19works with both the ecologists and the Skanska engineers.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21We'll leave that maple in and just...
0:10:21 > 0:10:22From the maple up.
0:10:23 > 0:10:27The issue we've got here is Skanska want to get rid of this hedgerow
0:10:27 > 0:10:30and all this vegetation here before the birds start to nest.
0:10:30 > 0:10:31It's pretty warm at the moment
0:10:31 > 0:10:34and normally the birds will start nesting from March,
0:10:34 > 0:10:36but there's a risk they'll start nesting now
0:10:36 > 0:10:37cos it is getting quite warm.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40But the newts are likely to be hibernating in the hedgerows,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43the base of the hedgerows here, so they can go into all the other
0:10:43 > 0:10:47areas of the site with large machines to get rid of this vegetation.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50But here they're going to have to come in with, er, chain saws,
0:10:50 > 0:10:53pull it out by hand, make sure they don't trample on any newts.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56And then once your guys get in there in the thick of it, if you make sure
0:10:56 > 0:11:01that you're keeping the remaining stumps a minimum of 150 mil?
0:11:01 > 0:11:03Six inches above the ground.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07They're a protected species, they're a European protected species.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09We've got a good population of newts in this country.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12They're still on the decline, but because of that we have to
0:11:12 > 0:11:14protect our population of great crested newts.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19For now, the base of the hedgerows in this section will remain
0:11:19 > 0:11:22until the newts awake from hibernation
0:11:22 > 0:11:24and are then transferred to their breeding ponds.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26I've never seen a newt.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30I've never seen a great crested newt.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33And I've definitely not picked one up.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35You need to be licensed to pick one up.
0:11:49 > 0:11:55The number of lorries seems to me to have grown so much.
0:11:56 > 0:11:57Drives me crazy.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02Just be careful of your position, you seem to be getting a little bit
0:12:02 > 0:12:05- scared of these lorries or something, are you?- A little bit.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08There's enough room for you all.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15Now this I don't like.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18I feel sandwiched, and there's three, one after the other.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22So you've got nowhere to go.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26And this is why I don't like motorway driving.
0:12:29 > 0:12:34The majority of people on the motorway will say, "If everybody
0:12:34 > 0:12:37"drives sensibly and correctly, then we'll all get on fine."
0:12:41 > 0:12:42Out on the road,
0:12:42 > 0:12:46the Central Motorway Police Group target drivers falling foul of the
0:12:46 > 0:12:50law as part of their mission to make the motorway safer.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52Got a seat belt on? Good lad!
0:12:52 > 0:12:57Today, Sergeant Rob Lever and PC Dave Gaunt are patrolling
0:12:57 > 0:13:00a section of the M6 in an unmarked lorry.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03Yeah, it's a red seat belt hung down by the side.
0:13:03 > 0:13:04He refuses to look at me.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08Height for us is a really big advantage because, obviously,
0:13:08 > 0:13:10from a car perspective looking up to a lorry,
0:13:10 > 0:13:12it's very difficult to be able to get a clear view.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15This gives you the advantage that you can really look down
0:13:15 > 0:13:19into the cars as well and catch some of those people out.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22I've got a Transit van to my near side now that's on the phone.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28Looks like he's got a white-ish sort of Samsung up to his right ear.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35Switched the phone across to his other ear, and he's just put it down.
0:13:35 > 0:13:36Busted.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38THEY LAUGH
0:13:40 > 0:13:43We've got, erm, a vehicle that we're following at the moment
0:13:43 > 0:13:46which Dave has detected that the driver's not wearing his seat belt.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49So one of our patrols who's just waiting on the hard shoulder here,
0:13:49 > 0:13:52he's going to... pull this vehicle over
0:13:52 > 0:13:54and deal with him for the seat belt offence.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58No, he still hasn't got it on now.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01My colleagues who are stopping the vehicles that we're seeing,
0:14:01 > 0:14:06they're referring people for education courses.
0:14:06 > 0:14:11And when these drivers go on the courses they will see what we see.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14It really does work, it really does prevent people from, er,
0:14:14 > 0:14:17continuing to drive using their phones or not
0:14:17 > 0:14:21wearing their seat belt, so it's a valuable lesson,
0:14:21 > 0:14:24er, and one best learned in a classroom and not for real.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26Hello, put your seat belt on.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29Put your seat belt on.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36HE SIGHS
0:14:39 > 0:14:40Just drop back a fraction.
0:14:44 > 0:14:45Put your seat belt on.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54SIREN WAILS
0:14:59 > 0:15:0125 miles away at junction six,
0:15:01 > 0:15:05Inspector Mark Watkins is heading to a road traffic collision.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07It's unknown what you're going to be dealing with
0:15:07 > 0:15:09within the next sort of half an hour or so.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15Things change very, very quickly, almost like the weather.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21What we know is that traffic on the northbound carriageway slowed down.
0:15:21 > 0:15:26The lorry at the front, that's been hit by the blue lorry,
0:15:26 > 0:15:30which has hit the taxi, and the other lorry at the back has then
0:15:30 > 0:15:32gone into the back of the blue lorry.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Amazingly, the driver of the blue lorry, his cab has actually
0:15:35 > 0:15:39come off as part of the collision, and has landed in the carriageway.
0:15:39 > 0:15:40You can see, it's fairly obvious,
0:15:40 > 0:15:43the white bit should be on the bit with the engine.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46You would expect there to be really quite serious injuries
0:15:46 > 0:15:50as a result of this, and amazingly, everybody has walked away from this.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53But it's brought the M6 motorway to a complete and utter closure.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57It's been carnage. It's the only way to describe it, it's carnage.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00We've got traffic queuing in all directions
0:16:00 > 0:16:03and we've got six lanes of queuing traffic on the A38M.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07All the traffic that was travelling northbound on the M6
0:16:07 > 0:16:10automatically gets diverted towards Birmingham city centre.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12So we're pushing more traffic in
0:16:12 > 0:16:14and there's more traffic trying to come out.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16It just grinds to a halt eventually.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22Lane three, please! Look that way!
0:16:25 > 0:16:27Cos they've been stuck for so long,
0:16:27 > 0:16:29they obviously want to know what's been causing it,
0:16:29 > 0:16:32but what you're starting to see is they're going slowly,
0:16:32 > 0:16:34starting to speed up, but trying to
0:16:34 > 0:16:36look at what's happening behind them at the same time.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39And worryingly they're starting to veer towards me a little bit.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43Slow down! Slow down!
0:16:46 > 0:16:48It doesn't sound very nice, does it, rubbernecking,
0:16:48 > 0:16:50but, er, it's exactly what it is.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53People are stretching their neck, looking over their shoulders,
0:16:53 > 0:16:56trying to see what's going on.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00See people driving their cars on the other side of the carriageway,
0:17:00 > 0:17:03filming with their mobile phones as they're driving past.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07"As long as I'm getting me quick upload to Twitter or Facebook,"
0:17:07 > 0:17:10I mean, they're happy, and that's all they can think about.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12Looking at somebody else's misery.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18Taking pictures on your phone is still using your mobile phone, mate!
0:17:18 > 0:17:21£100 fine and three points. Get on your way.
0:17:24 > 0:17:25Hi, Neil.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36Recovery teams take away the damaged lorries, but the carriageway
0:17:36 > 0:17:40can't be reopened until the motorway has been inspected.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44Lanes three and four might be quite badly damaged.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46We might just have to close lanes three and four
0:17:46 > 0:17:47and only open two lanes.
0:17:47 > 0:17:53But it's still better than none, so, we'll see where it goes.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55It's just a waiting game for us now.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02Noel Philips is the incident duty officer.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04He's concerned that the fluid from the crash
0:18:04 > 0:18:06has leaked onto the carriageway.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08Does smell of diesel, yeah, yeah.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10I'm just going to have to carry on treating it,
0:18:10 > 0:18:12see if we can get it up and get it absorbed up.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14If not, it's going to have to be, er,
0:18:14 > 0:18:16try and do something about resurfacing,
0:18:16 > 0:18:18but that's the last option.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29Diesel's really, really... it causes a big problem.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33Erm, if it does get to that stage and it's seeped in too deep and
0:18:33 > 0:18:36we can't get it off the carriageway, you have to resurface it.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40The diesel and the oil, they've started going into the tarmac.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43As soon as you get any rain on that, it's just going to come
0:18:43 > 0:18:46straight back out again and we're going to end up with accidents.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48'The signs aren't good at the moment.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50'It's going to be a resurfacing job.'
0:18:50 > 0:18:52So all closure for a while then?
0:18:53 > 0:18:56- 'Yes, it's going to be a long night.' - Oh, dear.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59The inspector's just inspected the carriageway and it's worse
0:18:59 > 0:19:03than worse-case scenario cos we thought it'd only be two lanes.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05Unfortunately, all four lanes need to be resurfaced.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08We have to keep the carriageway shut
0:19:08 > 0:19:11until I'm certain that the travelling public can travel on
0:19:11 > 0:19:14the network in the same condition previous to the incident.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19If I neglected to do my job, then the next incident that'll happen,
0:19:19 > 0:19:22or accident that'll happen would be due to my neglect,
0:19:22 > 0:19:24and that's not what we're here for.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26DRILL RATTLES
0:19:29 > 0:19:33It probably opened as a managed motorway two weeks ago.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36- So it's still fairly new. - And you're already digging...?
0:19:36 > 0:19:38And we're already digging it up, yeah.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41There's going to be a fair bit of work.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47In the end, it took a team of road workers 6 hours and 40 minutes
0:19:47 > 0:19:49to resurface the carriageway.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54The bill for the work is estimated at over £40,000,
0:19:54 > 0:19:58and will be paid for by the insurers of the vehicles involved.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01Obviously this can't go on to the taxpayers.
0:20:01 > 0:20:06This has to be sought after and a payment has to be taken from
0:20:06 > 0:20:09the people that caused the incident, and it's not the taxpayers.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16The cost of redesigning Catthorpe Junction at the start of
0:20:16 > 0:20:22the M6 is just over £190 million of taxpayers' money.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25It's just nice after all these years to suddenly be out here.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27We've got pegs out, we've got the fence lines coming up,
0:20:27 > 0:20:30we've got the trees coming down, the speed cameras going up.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32We're going to get a good start on this job,
0:20:32 > 0:20:33it's going to be fantastic.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36After 11 years of planning,
0:20:36 > 0:20:39the first stage of the roadworks has begun.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43Like vampires, aren't we? Night walkers.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47As the motorways can't be closed during the redesign work,
0:20:47 > 0:20:51the first step is to give the construction workers safe areas
0:20:51 > 0:20:52in which to operate.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55Ohhhh, Jesus!
0:20:57 > 0:21:00We will have narrower lanes than usual in place, so you need to
0:21:00 > 0:21:03drop the speed down so people are driving safely through.
0:21:03 > 0:21:08The barriers are there, designed to be impacted at a certain speed.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10And we have that all designed to ensure that the people
0:21:10 > 0:21:12that are going to be working here on the verges,
0:21:12 > 0:21:14putting the new duct runs in,
0:21:14 > 0:21:16putting the new bridges in, are kept safe.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22It's going to cause havoc, like, taking three lanes down to two lanes
0:21:22 > 0:21:27for the M1 and the M6, but, you know, it's got to be done.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31That's the thing that the public can't seem to get their head around.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34They want the roads repairing, they want 'em maintained,
0:21:34 > 0:21:36but they don't want anybody to come out and do it.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39So what are you supposed to do?
0:21:39 > 0:21:41That's why everything's done at night, because it's,
0:21:41 > 0:21:43you know, it's a lot quieter.
0:21:44 > 0:21:49Damien West and his team will be marking out the new temporary lanes.
0:21:49 > 0:21:54This is, er, a lining machine, plastic lining machine.
0:21:54 > 0:21:59Does all the variant types, white, black, spray, extrusion, rib line.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03Can you pull forward so we can set up?
0:22:03 > 0:22:07To paint the new white lines over miles of motorway, a high-powered
0:22:07 > 0:22:11dryer prepares the road before paint is sprayed onto the carriageway.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14DRYER BUZZES
0:22:14 > 0:22:18They're pretty ferocious, like, they're about 135 decibel.
0:22:18 > 0:22:19TRUCK BLARES
0:22:19 > 0:22:22Until Catthorpe Junction is finished,
0:22:22 > 0:22:25there will be night works on and off for the next 24 months.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30Do you know why this junction is being redesigned and stuff?
0:22:30 > 0:22:31Yeah.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33- Tell me why.- Cos it's shit.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35Yeah, it's been needing doing for a long time.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56Just a mile from the roadworks is the rural village of Swinford.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Today construction manager Mark Sutton and his team
0:22:59 > 0:23:02are holding a public exhibition here to unveil their new plans
0:23:02 > 0:23:04for Catthorpe Junction.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06I've got great faith that, er,
0:23:06 > 0:23:09everyone's going to be nice and polite
0:23:09 > 0:23:12and that we're going to have all the answers ready for people.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15Last minute revision.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18We're all stressed!
0:23:18 > 0:23:19HE LAUGHS
0:23:19 > 0:23:22Had to give my skipper a quick call.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26Ivan Marriott works for the Highways Agency, and will be helping
0:23:26 > 0:23:29construction manager Mark answer queries from the locals.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36So that junction's going to change completely?
0:23:36 > 0:23:38What we're building there is the mirror image of
0:23:38 > 0:23:40the existing off-slip.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43See, I lived at Catthorpe till I got married.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47- So, I've seen a lot of changes, and that were 42 years ago.- 43.
0:23:47 > 0:23:4843, all right.
0:23:48 > 0:23:53Every time we come through there's bumpers and wheel trims...
0:23:53 > 0:23:56Hello, somebody's smacked something!
0:23:56 > 0:23:58It should never have been done as it was
0:23:58 > 0:24:03but obviously people didn't foresee the amount of traffic.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06This is good, this is all for the best.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08What I've taught myself is not to open the mouth
0:24:08 > 0:24:10unless you know what you're going to respond with.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12There's no room for blagging anything,
0:24:12 > 0:24:15you've got to be completely truthful, completely honest.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18If you don't know, if I don't know, say so, make the note,
0:24:18 > 0:24:21get the details and come back with the details later.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29- Who can I contact during the night? - During the night?- Yes.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32- You can contact... Do you want my details?- Who do you work for?
0:24:32 > 0:24:35- I'm Skanska...- No, I certainly don't. Not under any conditions.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37With night works already under way,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40the construction has become all too real for local farmer Mr Turney.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43I haven't had any sleep for three nights.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46I've got seven or eight vehicles grinding, flashing lights
0:24:46 > 0:24:48and banging all night in front of the house.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51- I object to being woken up! - Yeah, I appreciate that.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54How are you supposed to work when you can't get a night's sleep?
0:24:54 > 0:24:56We have to...
0:24:56 > 0:25:00- Some elements of the work we have to do at night-time because we can't do them during the day.- Why not?
0:25:00 > 0:25:02We've got to do the work at night-time
0:25:02 > 0:25:04because that's the only time we can get on the network and do
0:25:04 > 0:25:09this particular activity, which is very dangerous, and therefore...
0:25:09 > 0:25:12Well, how dangerous do you think it is if we drive tractors
0:25:12 > 0:25:14and deal with stock and we've had no sleep?
0:25:14 > 0:25:16- I appreciate... - That's safe, is it?
0:25:16 > 0:25:20You shouldn't be allowed to wake people at night. People are entitled to a night's sleep.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23I don't want to disturb your sleep, Mr Turney, that's not what we're trying to do here.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26We'll look to see if there's anything else we can do
0:25:26 > 0:25:30- and I'll come back to you on that one.- Very good.- OK?- Mm.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32- Thank you very much.- Thank you.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36It is like being a little bit on Question Time.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39You don't know what people are going to throw at you.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41But I do understand that in circumstances
0:25:41 > 0:25:44where somebody's being kept awake at night or whatever
0:25:44 > 0:25:48they're going to be agitated, for reasons, and I know I've got to deal
0:25:48 > 0:25:51with that as part of the role we do here, so...
0:25:52 > 0:25:54- It's not over yet.- Yeah!
0:25:56 > 0:26:01One regular user of Catthorpe Junction is trucker Paul Reid.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03He will also be attending the exhibition.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06It's notorious. I mean, I don't think there's anybody in the country
0:26:06 > 0:26:08that doesn't know about the junction.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12I don't believe that what's being put forward is sufficient enough
0:26:12 > 0:26:16to improve the whole junction itself.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19He's dedicated hours of his spare time
0:26:19 > 0:26:22designing his own vision of the junction.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27I was watching the film The Great Escape, many years ago,
0:26:27 > 0:26:32and I thought that's where the idea came from, the idea was, well, if we
0:26:32 > 0:26:37can build tunnels as good as what we can, why can't we do the same here?
0:26:37 > 0:26:41I always believed that the British are best for engineering anything.
0:26:41 > 0:26:47It consists of two underpasses, it has additional levelling roads,
0:26:47 > 0:26:53which come from the M1 northbound, from the M6, and it also
0:26:53 > 0:26:56has from the A14 going up
0:26:56 > 0:27:00to M1 southbound in the far corner.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14Now it's time to see how Paul's plans measure up against Mark's.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17HE MUTTERS
0:27:17 > 0:27:20- Hello there.- Hello.- Mr Reid.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24- Got a couple of questions. - Yeah, just a quick look on here.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30There's a hell of a lot of lorries that use this junction.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33This is the bugbear, because lorries aren't fast, they're slow.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36They need plenty of room to merge together.
0:27:36 > 0:27:41When you've got cars dittering around in here, out there, it's like
0:27:41 > 0:27:45a pinball game, and unfortunately that's why accidents happen.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47With the construction of the contraflow
0:27:47 > 0:27:50and the sort of taper that we'll form, that will
0:27:50 > 0:27:53actually physically prevent people from doing that.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55I've looked at this and I've looked obviously at mine
0:27:55 > 0:27:59and as far as I'm concerned the concept is exactly the same,
0:27:59 > 0:28:03it's just that mine's tunnels and yours is a dual carriageway which
0:28:03 > 0:28:07goes under the M1, but as it stands, looking at this, yes, it will work.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12I hope so. That's the main thing, is get rid of that congestion on that M6.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14You know, that's the main driver.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22The M6 is a major transport route,
0:28:22 > 0:28:25with lorries carrying up to 182 million tonnes
0:28:25 > 0:28:28of goods to the north-west of the country every year.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30This will do for me. Golf November Zulu.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33The train that looks like it's worth doing.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36Keeping watch over them at a strategic check site near
0:28:36 > 0:28:40Junction 14 is a team of inspectors from the Department for Transport.
0:28:40 > 0:28:41Keep moving.
0:28:44 > 0:28:48This tyre's about to blow at any time, it'll go bang.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51385/65-22.5 super singles, these are known as.
0:28:51 > 0:28:55This goes bang, chances are it could rip off the back tyre
0:28:55 > 0:28:56and all sorts of things.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59He won't be leaving here with this tyre on, that's for sure.
0:28:59 > 0:29:01He'll get a fixed penalty for it.
0:29:02 > 0:29:04Change. Change.
0:29:04 > 0:29:08The inspectors here target lorries they suspect are faulty or unsafe
0:29:08 > 0:29:13and have the power to pull over any lorry driving on British roads.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17One of the supporting straps is broken.
0:29:17 > 0:29:21And the trouble is that the other strap and the supporting structure
0:29:21 > 0:29:24is that weak, that's just not going to last much longer.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27If it fell out, it's bouncing down the road, and that's going to
0:29:27 > 0:29:32cause a massive obstruction, and possibly cause fatalities.
0:29:32 > 0:29:35It's more than likely the trailer will be immobilised
0:29:35 > 0:29:38if it's not repaired by five o'clock.
0:29:38 > 0:29:40We get treated like scum by everybody,
0:29:40 > 0:29:43by other car drivers, by the police,
0:29:43 > 0:29:47but yet every single thing that's in every shop and everybody's house
0:29:47 > 0:29:50has been in the back of a lorry at some point in time.
0:29:50 > 0:29:54And there'd be no next-day delivery or no fresh bread
0:29:54 > 0:29:57if it wasn't for us, so, you know, they should be grateful that we...
0:29:59 > 0:30:01..pound the highways night and day.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05But lorry drivers have limitations on the amount of hours
0:30:05 > 0:30:07they can pound the highways.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10Can I just ask you to jump out so I can check your tacho?
0:30:10 > 0:30:14Tachographs record their every movement and will reveal whether
0:30:14 > 0:30:16a driver has gone over their maximum nine hours maximum
0:30:16 > 0:30:18regulated driving time.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23Clearly we see offences at this side of the road every single day.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27Whether that's a deliberate attempt to flout the rules
0:30:27 > 0:30:31and regulations or whether it's a genuine lack of knowledge,
0:30:31 > 0:30:34it's debatable, isn't it, really?
0:30:34 > 0:30:39But a minority of lorry drivers flout the rules more deliberately.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41The use of simple magnets can disable the tachograph,
0:30:41 > 0:30:45allowing them to drive longer undetected.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48We've got the magnet that was actually found here
0:30:48 > 0:30:50and it's a particularly strong magnet
0:30:50 > 0:30:53and we've got some photos of the evidence here as well,
0:30:53 > 0:30:56so that is currently going through due process at the moment.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59The information we received from the roadside was that in fact
0:30:59 > 0:31:03there were 307 kilometres missing from the tachograph
0:31:03 > 0:31:06down to that magnet being utilised and in fact the driver had
0:31:06 > 0:31:10been on duty for over 19 hours when he was stopped.
0:31:10 > 0:31:12As well as disabling the tachograph,
0:31:12 > 0:31:17they also interfere with the anti-lock braking systems and the
0:31:17 > 0:31:21speed limiters on the vehicles, so you've got a nasty cocktail there.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24This is a company from Netherlands.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27We see there that we're entering in the south-east ports,
0:31:27 > 0:31:31they're travelling north-west through the Midlands up on the M6.
0:31:31 > 0:31:36From April 5 they become a national target for impounding.
0:31:36 > 0:31:38So what we can expect over the next couple of weeks,
0:31:38 > 0:31:39if we're successful in targeting,
0:31:39 > 0:31:42- is one or two of these vehicles being impounded.- That's right.- Good.
0:31:44 > 0:31:46In the last year,
0:31:46 > 0:31:5038 magnets have been found at this check site on the M6.
0:31:50 > 0:31:54- So...this is the cupboard of shame basically!- Yes.
0:31:54 > 0:31:58- Everything up here is magnets. - Absolutely full.
0:31:58 > 0:32:03What happens is the magnet kills the electronic signal
0:32:03 > 0:32:06and then the tachograph just thinks it's at rest.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09The companies quote for the work and they give them
0:32:09 > 0:32:12these unrealistic timescales to get there
0:32:12 > 0:32:15and the drivers are under pressure to do it and the boss says,
0:32:15 > 0:32:16"Well, I don't care how you do it,
0:32:16 > 0:32:19"if you've got to be there at 8am, you've got to be there.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22"If you've got to drive through the night,
0:32:22 > 0:32:24"I don't care how you do it," and that's what they do.
0:32:24 > 0:32:27- They're risking their own lives too. - And other road users.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29They're driving a 40-tonne missile, you know.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32And, you know, they can be extremely...
0:32:32 > 0:32:35You know, cause carnage and death, and this is what the problem is.
0:32:40 > 0:32:42Look at this big lorry, Sebby!
0:32:42 > 0:32:45What you think's inside that big lorry, Sebby?
0:32:45 > 0:32:47What do you think it's carrying inside?
0:32:47 > 0:32:49Think there's monsters in there?
0:32:51 > 0:32:54- Yeah.- Monsters?- Yes? Monsters?
0:32:54 > 0:32:56Monsters on the motorway?
0:32:59 > 0:33:01I missed it.
0:33:01 > 0:33:03So this is still a motorway?
0:33:05 > 0:33:08This is a motorway at the moment, yes.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14You can have some of this if you want, have a drink.
0:33:14 > 0:33:18You need to tell me if you need to stop for a wee-wee again, Sebby.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21I know, but that's James's milk, but you can have some if you want.
0:33:21 > 0:33:22Where's Sebby's?
0:33:22 > 0:33:23Don't know.
0:33:25 > 0:33:27Oh, he's just thrown it on the floor.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30Sebastian... I can't reach that now.
0:33:32 > 0:33:36Every year, millions of lorries travel up and down the M62,
0:33:36 > 0:33:40carrying everything from petrol to sewage,
0:33:40 > 0:33:42from beer to live animals.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44How long do we think?
0:33:44 > 0:33:48I've said it could take up to three hours to repair the barriers.
0:33:48 > 0:33:52Outside Stoke-on-Trent on the M6, a lorry carrying a cargo of bread,
0:33:52 > 0:33:56vegetables and milk has overturned and spilled its load.
0:33:56 > 0:34:00Quickly found it on camera and realised there was quite a lot
0:34:00 > 0:34:04of fluid coming out of it, which was later discovered to be milk.
0:34:05 > 0:34:09Although it's only milk, it can be quite a serious issue.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12What caused the accident is unclear.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15But luckily the driver escaped with minor injuries.
0:34:15 > 0:34:20Now the Highways Agency must close the whole southbound carriageway
0:34:20 > 0:34:22as they attempt to clear the scene.
0:34:22 > 0:34:23We've stopped the traffic,
0:34:23 > 0:34:26ready to install a nice big line of cones across there.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31Yeah, they're travelling through now to meet us.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34I'm just making sure that everyone's aware what I'm doing.
0:34:34 > 0:34:36Motorway maintenance manager Paul Diamond
0:34:36 > 0:34:39needs to get to the scene as quickly as possible.
0:34:39 > 0:34:41Cheers, thank you.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44Just been given the OK now to travel northbound
0:34:44 > 0:34:46on the southbound carriageway,
0:34:46 > 0:34:49which is under a total closure, so it's safe to do so.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52Which will assist us in getting to scene.
0:34:53 > 0:34:56Paul's job is to oversee the vital repairs
0:34:56 > 0:34:58and assess the cost of the damage.
0:34:58 > 0:35:00That's a rare sight.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03It's a car travelling the wrong way down the motorway.
0:35:03 > 0:35:05That's one way of missing the queues.
0:35:05 > 0:35:07He obviously knew a road worker.
0:35:09 > 0:35:13A lot of the milk you probably can just see has come off the truck.
0:35:13 > 0:35:14It's gone into the drains.
0:35:14 > 0:35:18And going under here, down the water course,
0:35:18 > 0:35:21the Environmental Agency have been and they're worried,
0:35:21 > 0:35:23they have a team down there at the moment
0:35:23 > 0:35:27trying to stop it getting into a pond and contaminating the pond.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30Because milk is worse than most stuff,
0:35:30 > 0:35:34because it just takes all the oxygen out of the water and kills fish.
0:35:34 > 0:35:36There's a big issue when it gets into the water,
0:35:36 > 0:35:38a very costly issue as well.
0:35:38 > 0:35:40So will a fish have a cost?
0:35:40 > 0:35:45Yeah, carp can be worth up to £1,000 a fish,
0:35:45 > 0:35:46for a big fish.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49So it all depends now on how much of the milk
0:35:49 > 0:35:51has got into the watercourse.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54Has the diesel or the milk got through to the pond on the route?
0:35:54 > 0:35:56- It has?- It has, yeah.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59People don't realise that something happening here
0:35:59 > 0:36:02can affect something a kilometre away from the motorway.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05And it's the environment and of course, the environment,
0:36:05 > 0:36:08no-one wants to damage the environment in any shape or form.
0:36:08 > 0:36:10But the motorway must run!
0:36:12 > 0:36:15They're in the position I'd expect them to be in now
0:36:15 > 0:36:16to start lifting the vehicle.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19So hopefully it shouldn't take too long.
0:36:23 > 0:36:25Last one I did down here was loaded with salmon,
0:36:25 > 0:36:28it had done the same thing.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31And all we were doing was carting salmon for hours.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33Four or five hours into the job,
0:36:33 > 0:36:37from hauling salmon about, you smell a little bit, you know.
0:36:39 > 0:36:41Oh, the cab slipped.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45- We're going to get something under the wheels to make it grip.- Yeah.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48Recovery are having a bit of trouble at the moment
0:36:48 > 0:36:50getting this vehicle up, it's slipping on the milk and diesel.
0:36:50 > 0:36:54At the moment, we're in the hands of a recovery firm.
0:36:54 > 0:36:55So as soon as they're out of the way,
0:36:55 > 0:36:58we'll start repairing the centre reserve.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01The lads can work here, so we're getting this one done now.
0:37:01 > 0:37:06As long as the recovery's here, we are sort of depressurised slightly.
0:37:06 > 0:37:07But as soon as they're gone,
0:37:07 > 0:37:10that's when the pressure is piled on to us to get out the way.
0:37:10 > 0:37:14It's a very long junction, 14 to 15.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17Our priority is informing the public.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20If you don't have to go on this motorway, don't.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24But you can see how many people are involved on the scene at the moment.
0:37:24 > 0:37:26It's a huge recovery operation.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31Watch now, watch now. Here we go, here we go.
0:37:38 > 0:37:43See what's happened, as it's been lifted up?
0:37:43 > 0:37:47The side has completely come off it, we just made our job even worse.
0:37:47 > 0:37:49This has added hours to the recovery.
0:37:50 > 0:37:52The HGV has been righted by the looks of it.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55They righted that, the side's split,
0:37:55 > 0:37:59and the rest of the contents have fallen out into the carriageway.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02- Oh, God!- So there's more bread and milk on the carriageway now!
0:38:05 > 0:38:07This is Keele services.
0:38:07 > 0:38:09And it's absolutely gridlocked,
0:38:09 > 0:38:15and we have 60 minutes of delays on the southbound.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18We have 11km of congestion.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21All filtering into a single lane of traffic.
0:38:23 > 0:38:24It is a huge problem.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26And the traffic will only get busier.
0:38:26 > 0:38:31Now, these guys, they've had all of the local travel alerts.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34Every junction, we've warned them about these delays.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37I'll show you the end of the queue.
0:38:40 > 0:38:42Oh! You may need a tank
0:38:42 > 0:38:45to get through the traffic for the next two hours.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57Along its 232 miles, the M6 carves through
0:38:57 > 0:39:01some of Britain's most beautiful rural landscapes.
0:39:05 > 0:39:09In the redesign to make Catthorpe Junction at the start of the M6
0:39:09 > 0:39:14less congested and safer, 78 acres of farmland have been acquired.
0:39:19 > 0:39:23Every project has some ecological species
0:39:23 > 0:39:25that's causing problems for a contractor.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28With this one, it's the great crested newt.
0:39:28 > 0:39:30To protect the colony of newts
0:39:30 > 0:39:32in this section of the proposed roadworks,
0:39:32 > 0:39:35one-and-a-half miles of special fencing
0:39:35 > 0:39:37is being erected across farmland.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40The biggest issue is this is a protected species,
0:39:40 > 0:39:44and all here are liable for prosecution
0:39:44 > 0:39:47if great crested newts are found to be killed by these works.
0:39:49 > 0:39:50Along the fence,
0:39:50 > 0:39:54buckets are dug into the ground to catch the endangered newts.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56The newts go to the newt fencing,
0:39:56 > 0:39:58they'll hit the fence and then the aim is that
0:39:58 > 0:40:02they'll walk along the fence and fall in the bucket.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04And it's project ecologist Nick Steggall's job
0:40:04 > 0:40:06to check them every day.
0:40:06 > 0:40:08We've got some vegetation in here,
0:40:08 > 0:40:11so that they can actually hide under from any predators
0:40:11 > 0:40:13that might be about at night.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15We've got what we call a mammal ladder,
0:40:15 > 0:40:17which is effectively a stick
0:40:17 > 0:40:19which we've placed in the trap
0:40:19 > 0:40:21so that if any small mammals fall in there,
0:40:21 > 0:40:24they can actually climb out and free themselves.
0:40:24 > 0:40:25We also have a float,
0:40:25 > 0:40:28so that if we get a heavy deluge through the night,
0:40:28 > 0:40:32so they don't drown, then we'll release them the next morning.
0:40:32 > 0:40:36You never know what you're going to find, hopefully great crested newts.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42We're going to trap for 60 days in this area.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44But come the end of that trapping period,
0:40:44 > 0:40:46we need five clear days without newts.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49Or without a newt find.
0:40:49 > 0:40:51So if we find a newt on day 59,
0:40:51 > 0:40:54Skanska will have to trap until day 64.
0:40:54 > 0:40:59And if we find another newt on day 63, it will go on and on and on.
0:40:59 > 0:41:01There was a project further north,
0:41:01 > 0:41:06they took account of the cost of the fencing, exclusion,
0:41:06 > 0:41:09some of the mitigation measures for newts,
0:41:09 > 0:41:14and they estimated it was about £37,000 per newt on that job.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21Yeah, most of this truck is now strapped up.
0:41:21 > 0:41:23We're just putting the last of the load on,
0:41:23 > 0:41:26just giving them a hand to try and speed things up.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29On the M6, the lorry carrying the cargo of milk,
0:41:29 > 0:41:32bread and vegetables has now been righted.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35Leeks, carrots, parsnips.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39- Turnips.- I've seen it all now.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41I'm sure that somebody will complain
0:41:41 > 0:41:44that there's no milk and vegetables at the store.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47But the clear up has meant that the southbound carriageway
0:41:47 > 0:41:51has been closed for four hours, causing even bigger delays.
0:41:52 > 0:41:56I've already noted down a lot of vehicles that have actually
0:41:56 > 0:42:00already pulled over onto the hard shoulder. You get cars overheating.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02You get HGVs pulling over for breaks,
0:42:02 > 0:42:04because they know that they've been stuck for so long.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07This is the start of our region.
0:42:08 > 0:42:10All we can do is keep pushing
0:42:10 > 0:42:13to get this vehicle cleared as quickly as possible.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19Every little helps!
0:42:19 > 0:42:21Hi, Dave, you all right?
0:42:21 > 0:42:26Motorway maintenance manager Paul Diamond is responsible for clearing the scene
0:42:26 > 0:42:28and fixing the damaged barriers as soon as possible.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33Hello, we're going to need two to man that gate,
0:42:33 > 0:42:35and then three on the barrier.
0:42:37 > 0:42:39Oops...
0:42:39 > 0:42:41Starts off with the public.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43They get stuck in traffic,
0:42:43 > 0:42:46they ring the Highways Agency information lines, start complaining.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49That then gets relayed to the Highways Agency control room,
0:42:49 > 0:42:53they relay it to our control room, and our control room relay it to us.
0:42:53 > 0:42:57And now it's ETAs, ETAs, ETAs all the time.
0:42:57 > 0:42:58What time you going to be done?
0:42:58 > 0:43:02Looking at what we've got, if we get the blokes in quick enough,
0:43:02 > 0:43:04I think we should have it blocked off by nine o'clock.
0:43:04 > 0:43:06That's if they go in the next half an hour,
0:43:06 > 0:43:08three quarters of an hour with this trailer.
0:43:08 > 0:43:14The only bad news is, the liquid that was on the trailer, the milk, etc,
0:43:14 > 0:43:18has got into the drains and it's got into the golf course
0:43:18 > 0:43:20and now it's got through into their lake.
0:43:20 > 0:43:23And they're trying to do as much as they can
0:43:23 > 0:43:25to lessen the damage that's caused.
0:43:25 > 0:43:26She hasn't come back yet
0:43:26 > 0:43:29so I don't know if it's killing fish or anything as yet.
0:43:33 > 0:43:37Looking at it now, we're getting somewhere now.
0:43:37 > 0:43:39So, as soon as recovery's out the way, we'll start the clean-up
0:43:39 > 0:43:41and then we'll repair everything.
0:43:41 > 0:43:43Are you ready to go?
0:43:51 > 0:43:53You're just trusting that your team manager on scene
0:43:53 > 0:43:55is having the right amount of contact
0:43:55 > 0:43:57and putting the right amount of pressure on them.
0:43:57 > 0:44:02- Where we at?- Er... Further than what we were last time.
0:44:02 > 0:44:04Give a rough estimate of time?
0:44:04 > 0:44:07- Another hour.- Another hour?- Yeah.- OK.
0:44:07 > 0:44:10- What's the right amount of pressure? - A lot.
0:44:10 > 0:44:12HE LAUGHS
0:44:12 > 0:44:16ETAs are getting later. It's approximately one hour.
0:44:17 > 0:44:19It's my job to make sure that these guys feel the pressure.
0:44:19 > 0:44:25- To make sure that everything moves as quickly as it can.- It's all go.
0:44:25 > 0:44:27Busy, busy, busy.
0:44:29 > 0:44:32I mean, I've done hazardous spillages before.
0:44:32 > 0:44:33They're the worst, actually.
0:44:33 > 0:44:38There was one with a conditioner, Lenor, that spilled across it all.
0:44:38 > 0:44:40And sweeping it actually activated it,
0:44:40 > 0:44:42so it made it worse before it got better.
0:44:42 > 0:44:44It smelt nice. Soft.
0:44:44 > 0:44:46HE CHUCKLES
0:44:46 > 0:44:48This is an incident that will go to the ministers,
0:44:48 > 0:44:50they'll want to know why it's taken so long
0:44:50 > 0:44:53to get the carriageway reopened.
0:44:53 > 0:44:54Because obviously it has a massive impact,
0:44:54 > 0:44:56not just on the travelling public,
0:44:56 > 0:44:59but also on the finances of the nation.
0:45:00 > 0:45:03We'll all just carry on getting wet. Cos we love it!
0:45:13 > 0:45:15- Can't see nothing. - Visibility's really low.
0:45:18 > 0:45:23Further down the M6, traffic officers Keith and JJ are on patrol.
0:45:23 > 0:45:25You could be the best driver in the world
0:45:25 > 0:45:28and you're adhering to the road.
0:45:28 > 0:45:32Some other fool ain't going to take any notice and wipe you out.
0:45:33 > 0:45:36A van has broken down on the hard shoulder.
0:45:36 > 0:45:39But as it's rush hour, the Smart Motorway Scheme is operating.
0:45:39 > 0:45:41And the lane is open to traffic.
0:45:42 > 0:45:44Our cruiser's arrived on the scene,
0:45:44 > 0:45:47recovery is on scene at the same time as we've got there
0:45:47 > 0:45:50so hopefully one or the other will move the vehicle out
0:45:50 > 0:45:52so we can get the traffic flowing again.
0:45:54 > 0:45:56He's only been there seven or eight minutes.
0:45:56 > 0:45:59We've put some cones out and some signs out just to make
0:45:59 > 0:46:02sure it's a safer working environment for him, basically.
0:46:03 > 0:46:07Are those cones really going to make a difference? Those little cones?
0:46:07 > 0:46:09Uh...
0:46:09 > 0:46:11I'm hoping it does.
0:46:13 > 0:46:15It really puts the heebie jeebies on me, to be fair,
0:46:15 > 0:46:20because we are so reliant on drivers paying attention.
0:46:20 > 0:46:24If we have a lapse in concentration, they could kill us.
0:46:24 > 0:46:26You don't know, do you?
0:46:26 > 0:46:28I'll get the cones in now.
0:46:32 > 0:46:34See, there you go. That car.
0:46:37 > 0:46:40Taking no notice. Absolutely ridiculous.
0:46:41 > 0:46:44Can't really legislate or...
0:46:45 > 0:46:48..put procedures in place for idiots. I'm sorry, but you can't.
0:46:49 > 0:46:51Why are we running?
0:46:52 > 0:46:54There may be another idiot using this lane.
0:46:56 > 0:46:57That's why I want to get out of here...
0:46:59 > 0:47:00..and go to the next stop alive.
0:47:04 > 0:47:06Should call it the Mad 6 instead of the M6.
0:47:08 > 0:47:12In the last five years, eight road workers have been killed
0:47:12 > 0:47:15and 135 injured while working on England's motorways.
0:47:18 > 0:47:20It's crazy.
0:47:20 > 0:47:22And many more have had near misses.
0:47:23 > 0:47:27I want to show you guys. Lane one closure for a tyre change on an HGV.
0:47:27 > 0:47:32I was getting my hat out of the back of the car because it was raining.
0:47:32 > 0:47:36I heard people shout, "Watch out!" I've looked up
0:47:36 > 0:47:38and this HGV is coming straight towards the car.
0:47:38 > 0:47:41It was as if everything was happening in slow motion.
0:47:41 > 0:47:45And I thought I had more time to move out of the way than I actually did.
0:47:45 > 0:47:46Look at that.
0:47:46 > 0:47:48One, two.
0:47:48 > 0:47:49Dude!
0:47:51 > 0:47:56- Oh!- That's close. - HGV going at that speed.
0:47:56 > 0:48:01Do you know what I mean? To this day I won't tell my wife about it.
0:48:01 > 0:48:06I haven't told her about it because I don't know what she'd do.
0:48:06 > 0:48:09- Probably say I had to quit and get another job.- 40 tonne weapon.
0:48:11 > 0:48:17I put my uniform on, go into work. And I might not be coming back.
0:48:17 > 0:48:19'We've already talked about it, me and my partner
0:48:19 > 0:48:24'and I've prepared everything for the potential of me not coming back.
0:48:24 > 0:48:26'Everything's in one place.'
0:48:26 > 0:48:30Life insurance, funeral stuff.
0:48:30 > 0:48:31All the pensions.
0:48:32 > 0:48:36Work stuff. All the documents.
0:48:36 > 0:48:39At least if she ever needs it or if anything happens to me
0:48:39 > 0:48:41she knows what to do.
0:48:42 > 0:48:45I want to be cremated, so don't want to be a burden on anybody.
0:48:46 > 0:48:48And be scattered on the M6.
0:48:48 > 0:48:50HE LAUGHS
0:49:03 > 0:49:0540 miles back up the M6,
0:49:05 > 0:49:09the motorway maintenance team have finally cleared the overturned
0:49:09 > 0:49:11grocery lorry and repaired the damaged barriers.
0:49:12 > 0:49:17We're reopening the carriageway now. Hurray! Then a cup of tea.
0:49:18 > 0:49:21As soon as they see that first cone going up, everybody will stop.
0:49:21 > 0:49:23And they'll wait for the next cone
0:49:23 > 0:49:26and if there's a gap you'll see them.
0:49:26 > 0:49:28And they're gone. Every time.
0:49:28 > 0:49:30Chuck them to the middle.
0:49:32 > 0:49:35So, I'd say by the time the fourth cone comes up, they'll be off.
0:49:35 > 0:49:37You ready?
0:49:41 > 0:49:42There's your first cone.
0:49:47 > 0:49:50See who goes up first. Someone will make that move.
0:49:55 > 0:49:57There you go. They're off.
0:49:59 > 0:50:02As soon as the fourth cone was off, they're off.
0:50:03 > 0:50:05That's it. It's open now and they're away.
0:50:08 > 0:50:10That's dangerous. They don't have
0:50:10 > 0:50:12any concern for any of these guys in the road.
0:50:12 > 0:50:14They just put down cones. And they hate cones.
0:50:16 > 0:50:19HGVs coming that close to you, it's not a safe place.
0:50:21 > 0:50:25We've got to watch out for each other. It's dark, it's wet,
0:50:25 > 0:50:28it's fast.
0:50:28 > 0:50:32The slightest wrong turn for somebody in a vehicle, could swerve.
0:50:32 > 0:50:34If you're not watching, your mate's watching.
0:50:34 > 0:50:37He's going to shout and you're going to jump one way or the other.
0:50:37 > 0:50:39Possibly save your life.
0:50:39 > 0:50:42Very nice sight seeing the cones come off.
0:50:43 > 0:50:45There you go. All clear.
0:50:48 > 0:50:50They'll be relieved to get through and on their way.
0:50:52 > 0:50:55It's cost businesses and industry a fortune.
0:50:55 > 0:50:59It was a big job. Massive for spilt milk.
0:50:59 > 0:51:00You don't cry over it
0:51:00 > 0:51:04but it's been a very long closure for us.
0:51:20 > 0:51:23At Catthorpe Junction at the start of the M6
0:51:23 > 0:51:26groundworks on the redesign to make the interchange safer
0:51:26 > 0:51:28and less congested are under way.
0:51:31 > 0:51:34But on a section improving one of the local roads, the newts
0:51:34 > 0:51:37and other wildlife are still causing concern.
0:51:39 > 0:51:43Trying to pollard these trees to allow the works to go ahead.
0:51:43 > 0:51:46But the issue we've got now is some of the trees have birds
0:51:46 > 0:51:48nesting in them and some haven't.
0:51:48 > 0:51:51And some of the trees that haven't got birds nesting in them
0:51:51 > 0:51:54have got birds in the tree next to it.
0:51:54 > 0:51:57So the ecologists are a little bit twitchy.
0:51:57 > 0:52:00A blackbird had nested down the road there.
0:52:00 > 0:52:02And that caused a bit of a constraint.
0:52:02 > 0:52:05But some magpies came past and ate the eggs
0:52:05 > 0:52:07and the blackbird is now gone.
0:52:07 > 0:52:09And so that constraint has been removed
0:52:09 > 0:52:11so it changes on a day-to-day basis.
0:52:16 > 0:52:18There's a nest in there somewhere.
0:52:18 > 0:52:21- OK, has that one been identified previously?- No.
0:52:23 > 0:52:26So now we've got blue tits nesting in this tree that we didn't know about
0:52:26 > 0:52:27until Nick just told us.
0:52:29 > 0:52:31Things change pretty quickly.
0:52:38 > 0:52:40Have a little move of the grass.
0:52:40 > 0:52:43Turn over the float, make sure there's nothing in there.
0:52:43 > 0:52:46But there's one creature everyone's desperate to see.
0:52:46 > 0:52:49Every day project ecologist Nick checks
0:52:49 > 0:52:52the traps for newts that have woken from hibernation.
0:52:54 > 0:52:58Found a great crested newt. Found a little female.
0:52:58 > 0:52:59If I turn her over ever
0:52:59 > 0:53:03so slightly she's got a bright orange underside there.
0:53:04 > 0:53:08And she's got spots underneath. Each one of them is like a fingerprint.
0:53:08 > 0:53:11- It's unique to that individual. - A lot bigger than what I expected.
0:53:11 > 0:53:13Quite beautiful, as well. Aren't they?
0:53:14 > 0:53:18- Like mini dinosaurs.- Yeah. A little crocodile.
0:53:18 > 0:53:21She was on our site so she has been commuting over to the pond
0:53:21 > 0:53:24over there to breed and lay her eggs.
0:53:24 > 0:53:26Expensive newt.
0:53:28 > 0:53:30- That makes five. The cost is coming down.- Absolutely.
0:53:32 > 0:53:36Once caught, the newts are relocated away from the roadworks to the
0:53:36 > 0:53:39safety of the nearby farmland.
0:53:39 > 0:53:40There she goes on her way.
0:53:40 > 0:53:44Let's see how close she is to the breeding pond
0:53:44 > 0:53:47so hopefully make it there tonight.
0:53:47 > 0:53:51The trapping will go on until there's no signs of newts.
0:53:51 > 0:53:54And they've all been removed from the site of the proposed roadworks.
0:53:54 > 0:53:59Great crested newts, particularly the males, they're like street boy,
0:53:59 > 0:54:01wide boy.
0:54:01 > 0:54:02Marching across the landscape.
0:54:11 > 0:54:16We spend tens of thousands of pounds a year to protect the newts.
0:54:16 > 0:54:18Strange really.
0:54:18 > 0:54:21When I grew up, we used to go collecting newts as kids.
0:54:21 > 0:54:23Used to come back with buckets of them all the time.
0:54:23 > 0:54:25And all of a sudden they're all protected.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32It's been quite a journey to get to where we are today
0:54:32 > 0:54:35but it's not just, we want to build a road, we go out and build a road.
0:54:35 > 0:54:38There's a huge amount of time, effort and work
0:54:38 > 0:54:41and passion to improve the safety of the network.
0:54:43 > 0:54:46The job's not easy but then whose job ever is easy?
0:54:46 > 0:54:48Ask anyone if their job's easy.
0:54:48 > 0:54:51I don't think I'd enjoy it if it was easy. It would be dull.
0:54:52 > 0:54:53And at the end of this job,
0:54:53 > 0:54:56when you do drive along and you drive along the completed road
0:54:56 > 0:54:58and you see the structures that you've built,
0:54:58 > 0:55:01the road that you've built and you see the difference it makes,
0:55:01 > 0:55:03you do take a huge sense of pride out of it.
0:55:13 > 0:55:19I guess it's just a strip of tarmac that we all share.
0:55:19 > 0:55:21That's one common goal we all have.
0:55:21 > 0:55:24That we're travelling in the same direction on the same
0:55:24 > 0:55:26piece of tarmac.
0:55:26 > 0:55:30- It's about choreographing... You do dance, don't you?- I do.
0:55:30 > 0:55:34- You know all about choreography.- I know loads.- Like dancing in traffic.
0:55:34 > 0:55:36Oh, no.
0:55:40 > 0:55:44You've only got to take your eyes off the road for one split
0:55:44 > 0:55:47second and the traffic's at a standstill and you're going
0:55:47 > 0:55:50straight into the back of somebody else and it's easy done.
0:55:52 > 0:55:55Let's all move along as a hippy commune
0:55:55 > 0:55:56and get to where we need to get to.
0:56:00 > 0:56:02We're all in a hurry.
0:56:02 > 0:56:04Everybody wants to get to where they want to be.
0:56:04 > 0:56:06But we all want to get there in one piece.
0:56:08 > 0:56:11I haven't been on this road for at least 10 years.
0:56:14 > 0:56:18Junction 17. This is the stretch of road...
0:56:20 > 0:56:22..where my husband lost his life.
0:56:24 > 0:56:28He'd just got onto the motorway. He was in the centre lane doing 60mph.
0:56:31 > 0:56:34And a long distance lorry driver crashed into the back
0:56:34 > 0:56:36of a mobile crane.
0:56:37 > 0:56:41On the northbound carriageway. On the inside lane.
0:56:41 > 0:56:42Which sent that...
0:56:45 > 0:56:47..crane across three lanes of traffic.
0:56:49 > 0:56:52It hit the centre reservation, flew up into the air.
0:56:54 > 0:56:56Went over the outside lane
0:56:56 > 0:56:58and crashed straight onto the roof of my husband's car.
0:57:00 > 0:57:01And then carried on.
0:57:03 > 0:57:06And crashed into another lorry on the inside lane of the
0:57:06 > 0:57:07southbound carriageway.
0:57:14 > 0:57:17Three people died in the crash.
0:57:17 > 0:57:19And the lorry driver was sentenced to five years
0:57:19 > 0:57:21in prison for causing death whilst driving.
0:57:22 > 0:57:26It was said in court the driver had been on the road for 21 hours
0:57:26 > 0:57:27out of 29.
0:57:28 > 0:57:29I hate the word accident.
0:57:31 > 0:57:33I've never hated a word so much.
0:57:35 > 0:57:36My boys were...
0:57:38 > 0:57:41..just three and four months old.
0:57:46 > 0:57:47And my daughter was 14 months.
0:57:52 > 0:57:53And they don't know him.
0:57:55 > 0:57:57And they won't ever know him.
0:58:00 > 0:58:04I'd like people to understand that being responsible isn't
0:58:04 > 0:58:06a trivial thing.
0:58:06 > 0:58:08Obeying the rules of the road,
0:58:08 > 0:58:10doing what you're supposed to do is...
0:58:13 > 0:58:14..necessary.
0:58:15 > 0:58:18That's all I want is just...
0:58:20 > 0:58:25..everybody to just take a minute to think...
0:58:26 > 0:58:28..about what you're doing.