DRIVERS face two years of disruption to their journeys when major improvement works start on South Wirral's motorway.

A six-mile stretch of so-called "smart" motorway will be created on the M53 between Junction 5 at Queensferry and the M56 interchange near Ellesmere Port.

Wirral Globe:

The Government company behind the scheme says it will be short-term pain for long-term gain as the new 'smart' carriageways will reduce congestion and ultimately help boost the region's economy.

Smart motorways use technology to manage congestion and the Wirral project will see the hard shoulder converted into extra lanes and variable speed limits used to keep traffic moving.

New bypasses and new and improved motorway junctions will also help ease traffic jams.

The Highways England scheme is expected to start in 2018 could take two years to complete.

Jeremy Bloom, the department's major projects director for the North, said once the schemes are finished, drivers will benefit from the biggest increase in capacity in 50 years.

He said: “These schemes will bring significant long-term benefits to drivers on motorways and major A roads in the North West, as well as to the economy as a whole.

“The construction work will, of course, bring some disruption in the short-term but we will ensure that we keep this to a minimum to keep traffic flowing.

“When the schemes are completed, road users will experience safer, more reliable and less congested journeys.”

The project is part of a £1.5bn investment on the region's roads over the next five years including creating nearly 80 miles of smart motorway.

Work on the North West’s first smart motorway began in July last year and affects a 17-mile stretch of the M60 and M62 in Greater Manchester.

The £202m project is due to be completed in autumn next year.