The UK’s Highways England is planning to allow speed limits to be increased through motorway roadworks on certain days of the week.

A trial is being planned to find out whether increased speed limits could be safely operated within an area of roadworks without increasing risks to drivers or road workers.

If the test is successful, speed limits could be increased from 50mph to 60mph on Sundays, when there is less roadwork activity.

Highways England is also considering the feasibility of whether different speed limits could be enforced within one set of roadworks.

“Once the trial starts, Highways England will monitor the flow of traffic, speed of vehicles, incident data, and customer feedback to evaluate its success.”

This could allow people on one carriageway closer to workers to travel at 50mph, whereas vehicles on the other carriageway will be able to drive at 60mph as the workers are further away.

Highways England CEO Jim O’Sullivan said: “People understand roadworks are necessary but are also frustrated by them. At the same time we have to ensure as they drive through them that they, and our road workers, are safe.

“So we are always thinking of new ways to improve journeys at the same time as keeping everyone as safe as we can. That is why over the next 12 months we will test changes to the design and operation of roadworks.

“We are also working hard to give drivers more and better information about their journeys and to prepare our network for the future, for example the testing of roadside and vehicle technology, so we can continue to keep people, and the country, connected.”

Locations for the increased speed limits test have not been finalised yet. Once the trial starts, Highways England will monitor the flow of traffic, speed of vehicles, incident data, and customer feedback to evaluate its success.