Motorists are being warned as a £13 million repair scheme is set to take place on the M5 in Worcestershire in the New Year.

National Highways will be carrying out “comprehensive repair work” at junction 8 of the motorway in January.

Extensive ground survey work has been taking place over recent months to help engineers understand what is causing deterioration to the embankment, hard shoulder and lane one. 

A new retaining wall will be built alongside the slip road, and part of the existing slope replaced with an improved, higher performance material to stabilise the embankment. 

Once this has been completed the affected areas on the hard shoulder and lane one will be reconstructed.

Work is expected to be complete by summer 2024.

National Highways project manager, Patricia Dray said: “We take safety incredibly seriously and our survey work over recent months has shown that the embankment needs strengthening next to the affected area.

“By doing this work on the hard shoulder, lane one and the embankment now, it will ensure the road remains safe for years to come. It also means that it will prevent any further and more disruptive repair work in the future at the location.”

Narrow lanes will be installed with a reduced speed limit of 50mph through the area.

There will also be a 40mph temporary speed limit in place on the southbound exit slip road and around the roundabout leading to the M50.

To enable this change, the M5 southbound will be closed overnight between junctions 7 and 9, Monday to Friday, between January 8-19.

Before closures are in place, traffic levels will be monitored with the aim to have the road fully closed by 9pm, reopening at 6am each day. 

The M50 eastbound will also be closed from junction 1 to install traffic management, temporary CCTV and speed enforcement cameras at the M5 junction 8 interchange. The M5 northbound exit at junction 8 will also be closed.

During closures, a fully signed diversion route between junctions 7 and 11 of the M5 will be in place.

There will be additional overnight closures from Monday, January 29 to Friday, February 2.

The southbound M5 at junction 8, between the exit and entry slip roads, will be closed to remove the road surface on the hard shoulder and lane one of the carriageway.

Traffic will be diverted down to the roundabout at junction 8, and back on to the M5 on the entry slip.