Work to upgrade the safety barriers on a 2.2-mile section of the M23 between the M25 and Gatwick Airport gets underway today, 26 September 2011.

During the works, lane 3 of the will be motorway closed in both directions and three narrow lanes with a 50mph speed limit will be available to traffic – vehicles will be directed to use the hard shoulder.

Peter Phillips, Highways Agency route manager for West Sussex, said: “This section of cable barrier has reached the end of its maintainable life. Concrete barriers are immensely strong, and significantly reduce the risk of a vehicle crossing over from one carriageway to the other, improving safety and reducing the duration of incident-related congestion. They are also virtually maintenance free and will last twice as long as normal metal barriers.”

Watch out for overnight closures of Junction 9 of the M23 this week.

From Monday 22 March for one week, Junction 9 of the M23 will be closed between 8pm and 6am.

A fully-signed diversion will be in operation, taking in junction 10 of the M23, west to the Tushmore roundabout on the A2011 Crawley Avenue, then north along the A23 London Road through Lowfield Heath to the Longbridge roundabout at Horley, where road users needing Gatwick can turn around to come back along London Road and join Airport Way.

For more information check the Highways Agency website here: www.highways.gov.uk/news/pressrelease.aspx?pressreleaseid=411370