Northbound M6 approaching Junction 10A
Introduction
The photograph on this page of Northbound M6 approaching Junction 10A by David Dixon as part of the Geograph project.
The Geograph project started in 2005 with the aim of publishing, organising and preserving representative images for every square kilometre of Great Britain, Ireland and the Isle of Man.
There are currently over 7.5m images from over 14,400 individuals and you can help contribute to the project by visiting https://www.geograph.org.uk

Image: © David Dixon Taken: 21 Dec 2012
The matrix sign ahead is informing drivers that, although the hard shoulder is being used as a running lane, it should only be used by traffic which will be leaving the M6 to join the M54. This is an example of the Active Traffic Management (ATM) system used on certain motorways where gantry signs are computer-controlled to set a variable speed limit, open the hard shoulder as a running lane and limit the volume of traffic entering at junctions, with the aim of improving the flow of traffic (see http://www.cbrd.co.uk/indepth/atm/ for more detailed information about the Active Traffic Management system).