Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to make the M5 in the South West a smart motorway.

Work to make the M5 from Junction 15 to Junction 17 near Bristol a smart motorway was completed in Spring 2014. Access to and from the South West has been further improved with completion of a Smart Motorway upgrade of the M5 from Junctions 4a (Droitwich Spa) to Junction 6 (Worcester) completed in Spring 2017.

There are no plans within the current Road Investment Strategy (RIS) (2015 – 2020) to upgrade further sections of the M5 to a smart motorway. Highways England continue to engage with local authorities and other interested parties on future changes to the network. The need for further upgrades will be considered during the design of the next RIS for the period 2020-2025.