M60 safety campaign warns ‘My daddy works here’

A new safety campaign has been launched along the smart motorway route in Greater Manchester which uses photos of children whose mums and dads are working on the motorway alongside the message, ‘My daddy works here’.

Nearly 300 people are currently working on a 17-mile stretch of motorway between junction 8 of the M60 near Sale and junction 20 of the M62 near Rochdale, as part of a Highways England scheme to tackle congestion and improve journey times.

New technology is being installed to monitor traffic levels and variable speed limits will be used to improve the flow of vehicles when the project is finished. The hard shoulder is also being permanently converted into an extra lane between junctions 18 and 20 of the M62, increasing capacity between the north west and Yorkshire.

Narrow lanes and a temporary 50mph speed limit are currently in place along the route for the safety of workers and drivers, and to date Highways England says half a million hours of work have been carried out without any injuries.

The new safety signs feature three children whose parents work on the motorway, warning ‘My mummy works here’ or ‘My daddy works here’ alongside the message ‘Take care within the roadworks’.

Paul Hancock, a team leader on the project, whose five-year-old son, Joseph, is one of the children featured on the signs, said: “I hope the campaign will encourage people to think more about the workers behind the barriers, as well as reminding us to remain focused on safety while we’re on the motorway.

“Even with the reduced speed limit, it still feels fast when you’ve got thousands of vehicles zooming past you so I’d definitely urge people to stick to the temporary limit when they’re travelling through the roadworks.”

Paul Hampson, project manager at Highways England, added: “Paul is one of the hundreds of workers involved in the scheme whose friends and family want to see them come home safely every day.

“I hope the new campaign will encourage people to think more about the workers behind the barriers, so we can reach the end of the project without anyone being injured.”