A controversial addition
Environmentalists led a long battle against it and lost. Business leaders lobbied for it and won. The M6 Toll road has to be one of the most controversial roads ever to be built in the UK.

The idea of a bypass of the busy M6 was conceived in the late 1980s, when congestion was already a severe problem during peak periods. Nowadays the queues last all day and sometimes even into the late evening. It's a situation that badly needs a solution, but the big question is will the M6 Toll provide it.

The answer depends which way you look at it. If you're a long distance driver wanting to get from the south-east to the north-west quickly whatever the cost, then it'll be great.

However, if you a local driver, perhaps commuting to Birmingham, then there's little prospect that the new toll road will make your life any easier.

Little prospect of traffic reduction
Many people seem to think that the opening of the toll road will instantly reduce the traffic on the existing M6. Unfortunately, there appears to be little prospect of that.

It's true the new motorway will remove some traffic from the existing corridor. However, the effects of what's called 'generated traffic' will almost certainly fill it up again.

The theory is that drivers who have been avoiding the area by using other roads will begin using the M6 again and spare capacity, brought about by the opening of the M6 Toll, will quickly be taken up.

Another factor will be how many lorries use the new road. The standard toll for HGV's is £11, putting the road out of the price range of many firms. Even some of the biggest haulage companies have said at that price they won't be using the road. And that means that HGV's are likely to remain on the existing M6.

Mixed news for the future
With little evidence of any reductions in congestion, the opening of the M6 Toll doesn't bode well for West Midlands drivers.

Key junctions like the M5/M6, M54/M6 and M42/M6 will still be busy and predictions about the growth traffic mean they'll get even busier. For drivers from Herefordshire and Worcestershire could be worst affected. Earlier this year transport ministers scrapped plans for a relief road to the west of Stourbridge and Wolverhampton. That means that there's little prospect of relief from congestion on the M5.

However, there's better news for drivers from Shropshire. Plans for a new motorway linking the M54 with the M6 northbound are still part of the national roads programme. The new road would also link up with the M6 Toll.