A FRUSTRATED commuter says traffic problems on the M5 are now so bad she is considering changing jobs to avoid driving along it.

Sarah Brooks slammed Highways England for its mismanagement on the M5, particularly over the smart motorway upgrade.

She uses the motorway to travel from her home in Droitwich to work in Wolverhampton and said she is “sick to the gills” of being stuck in traffic and constantly diverted.

“The communication is appalling,” she said. “Where is all the signage? It’s an utter joke and it’s almost every day. It’s making people’s lives a misery.

“I’ve had three years of it,” she said. “The overhead signs, I’m being sent left, right and centre.”

She also complained about regular lane closures needed around junction 4A “when the work is on junction 1 and 2”.

Ms Brooks believes the smart motorway upgrade, which includes the introduction of a fourth lane, is causing more crashes, as drivers are ‘pushing in’.

On April 10 there were two separate crashes – one between junctions 4 and 3 and another between 4A and 5, with diversions pushing Ms Brooks onto the M42, miles out of her way.

A Highways England spokesman apologised for any inconvenience but called it ‘vital works’.

Referring to April 10, he said: “We worked closely alongside emergency services to manage traffic flows around the diversion route while investigation work took place.

“We continue to work with partner organisations and take on board comments as we try to minimise disruption and thank drivers for their patience.”