Drivers reassured after M1 Catthorpe crashes

Highways officials say they are working hard to improve safety at the Catthorpe Interchange in Leicestershire.

The reassurance comes after two serious crashes in a week at junction 19 of the M1, where the motorway meets the M6.

On 5 April, a woman died when her collided with a people carrier and a van. The M1 was closed for seven hours.

The day before, a man was seriously injured in a four-car crash. A Highways Agency spokesman said safety measures had been brought in.

"It's about ensuring that the motorists who drive along there are aware that there's likely to be queuing traffic, about making improvements to signals and the lights that are at the bottom of the slip road," said Martin Fellows, divisional acting director for the agency.

"It's also about ensuring people are aware of oncoming issues they are likely to encounter when they approach the junction at peak time," he added.

In November, it was announced that a £300m project to improve the interchange, where the M1, M6 and A14 meet and which is used by 100,000 drivers, would be shelved due to budget cuts.

Plans will be reviewed in 2015 but, in the meantime, police and highways officials are working to improve the situation, Mr Fellows said.