Work has begun on a motorway car share lane which will see commuters from Bradford to Leeds shave eight minutes off their rush-hour journey times.
The high occupancy vehicle lane - the first of its kind on a UK motorway - will link the southbound M606 to the eastbound M62, allowing vehicles heading for Leeds with two or more people in them to bypass traffic at the busy Chain Bar roundabout at junction 26.
Vehicles that will be eligible to use the car share lane include cars with two or more people in them.
Minibuses and taxis can only use the lane when carrying passengers. HGVs will not be allowed to use the HOV lane.
The Highways Agency estimates that the £3.95m pilot could reduce peak time journeys for those sharing their car by around eight minutes. The Agency's research shows that as many as 84% of vehicles using the junction currently have only one occupant.
The new lane is expected to open in the spring and will see some disruption for the next four months while an extra lane is created using the hard shoulder.
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