The new centre based at Avonmouth, near Bristol, will be responsible for 209 miles of motorway across Wiltshire, Avon & Somerset, Gloucs, and Devon.

Traffic officers undertake high- visibility patrols and work with the police to keep traffic moving.

The Highways Agency has invested £9.3m to launch the scheme in the South West.

Traffic officers' duties Assisting the police with motorway accidents Removing damaged and abandoned vehicles Clearing debris from the road Undertaking high visibility patrols Providing mobile / temporary road closures Supporting the police in their duties

Staff at the control centre will deploy traffic officers based at three outstations which the Highways Agency says will ensure a quick response to incidents.

The first South West patrols are expected to begin in early December and will cover the M4, M5, M48, M49 and M32 across Avon & Somerset.

The service will then be expanded in 2006 to cover the M5 and M4 in Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Devon.