Four drivers a month are putting road workers’ lives at risk by deliberately ignoring road closure signs on the M60 and M62 near Manchester.

A total of 95 drivers deliberately travelled into construction areas on the Manchester smart motorway scheme over the past 22 months to try and cut their journey times.

According to Highways England, drivers are deliberately entering closed sections of road in the Manchester smart motorway scheme to either overtake traffic on the motorway or avoid using diversion routes.

In response, Highways England is warning drivers that they can be prosecuted if they ignore road closures and that CCTV is in operation. It has already released footage showing a driver ignoring an overnight slip road closure at junction 11 of the M60 at Eccles, where he is seen being chased through the construction area by shocked road workers.

Stephen Hill, project manager for the Manchester smart motorway scheme at Highways England, said: “The work to upgrade the M60 and M62 to a smart motorway is one of the biggest construction projects currently underway in the North West, and sometimes we need to close parts of the motorway to ensure the safety of our workers.

“We only ever close slip roads and motorway carriageways overnight when traffic levels are lower, and make sure there are clearly-signed diversion routes in place.

“We are urging drivers to follow the diversions for their own and our workers’ safety, and warning that we will pass on the details to the police of any drivers who deliberately ignore road closures.”