[Neil]

I agree with widening the current road. The only problem is that many motorists don't know what to do with all the lanes. I have used the M6 a lot over the last 18 years. I used to work just near junction 15. I watched them build the extra bridge over the ship canal and saw the improvements that it made. What I do find is that when the moterway increases in lanes around junction 21 the traffic flow does not appear to improve. The CARS not trucks just spread out accross all the lanes. You don't get extra empty lanes like you might think you would. You can be traveling at 80mph on the 3 lane part and when the extra lanes appear you are still doing 80mph because everyone just spreads out.
I think driver education is needed as well. For example I was driving home yesterday on the pathetic 2 lane M65. I was behind a, dare I say lady, doing 80mph. Nothing in the left hand lane and she would not change into the lane she should have been in so I could pass.