The following summary of planned new and ongoing road improvements over the coming week is correct as of Friday 1 December but could be subject to change due to weather conditions or unforeseen circumstances.
All our improvement work is carried out with the aim of causing as little disruption as possible. Drivers looking for road works information (such as overnight carriageway closures) for individual schemes should now visit www.trafficengland.com.
Some of our larger schemes have project pages giving other information. These can now be accessed from a dedicated regional page: http://roads.highways.gov.uk/north-west.
M53 Junction 3 Woodchurch
A maintenance project to repair the two bridges which carry the junction roundabout over the motorway is now underway with narrow lanes and a 50mph speed limit. In the New Year, sections of the roundabout itself will be closed overnight occasionally to install narrow lanes and a 30mph speed limit, and for resurfacing/re-waterproofing of the bridge decks. A 7.5 tonne weight restriction (with a diversion via junction 1 of the northbound carriageway) will also be in place on the north bridge in 2018.
M55 Junctions 1 to 3
There will be occasional – 8pm to 6am – overnight closures of the westbound carriageway between junction 1 and junction 3 between Monday (4 December) and Monday 18 December. A clearly-signed diversion will be in place. The work includes bridge joint replacement and renewal of road markings. There will also be some daytime lane closures during the project.
M56 junctions 2 to 5 (Wythenshawe to Manchester Airport)
Resurfacing work is being carried out on the M56 between junctions 2 and 5. Lane and carriageway closures are in place overnight between 10pm and 5am, Monday to Friday, and some work will also be carried out at weekends. Clearly-signed diversions will be in place during carriageway closures.
M66 junctions 1 to 2
A project to deliver resurfacing, new drainage and new safety barriers along the northbound carriageway started in November. All the work will take place overnight – between 8pm and 5am – from Monday to Friday only. There will be nightly closures of the northbound carriageway for around two months. A clearly-signed diversion will be in place using the A58 and A56.
M6 junctions 16 to 19 (Cheshire smart motorway)
Work is underway to upgrade the M6 to a smart motorway between Crewe and Knutsford, converting the hard shoulder to an extra lane and introducing new variable speed limits. Narrow lanes and a temporary 50mph speed limit are in place for the safety of drivers and workers.
M6 junction 21a/M62 junction 10 (Croft Interchange)
Construction work is taking place on a major project to tackle congestion and improve the flow of traffic between the M6 and M62 at Croft Interchange. A 50mph speed limit, backed by average speed cameras, is in place along sections of the M6 and M62 and interchange link roads.
M6 Gathurst Viaduct
Work on an overnight project to resurface and repair the bridge and to install cross-over gates started in August and is ongoing. Occasional full carriageway and frequent lane closures are needed throughout the project but will be used during overnight periods only. Hard shoulders and a contraflow arrangement with a 40mph speed limit are being used to keep three lanes running in each direction during the day. The speed limit and contraflow will be removed before the Christmas holiday period with work due to resume in February.
M60 junction 8 to M62 junction 20 (Sale to Rochdale)
A major smart motorway scheme is taking place to cut congestion and improve journey times on parts of the M60 and the M62 in Greater Manchester. The scheme involves overnight slip road and carriageway closures, with narrow lanes and a temporary 50mph speed limit in place for the safety of drivers and road workers. Overnight – 10pm to 5am – closures next week include:
- Monday 4 December: – M60 anti-clockwise junction 12 to junction 8 and M62 eastbound junction 18 to junction 20
- Tuesday 5 December – M60 clockwise junction 12 to junction 15 and M62 westbound junction 20 to junction 18
- Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 6, 7 and 8 December – M60 clockwise junction 12 to junction 15 and M60 anti-clockwise junction 18 to junction 17.
- Saturday 9 December – M60 clockwise junction 12 to junction 15
- Sunday 10 December – M60 anti-clockwise junction 16 to junction 15
Clearly-signed diversions will be in place during all the overnight carriageway closures.
A56 Accrington Bypass (Bent Gate to Edenfield)
Overnight work to install new lighting and safety barriers along the northbound and southbound carriageways is due to be completed this winter. The work is taking place between 8pm and 6am, Monday to Friday only. Some weekend and daytime working may be required later in the project. Some full carriageway closures may also be required with clearly-signed diversions in place.
A66 North Stainmore
Work is taking place to resurface a half-a-mile section of the A66 between North Stainmore and Brough in Cumbria. Reflective road studs will also be replaced and road markings will be repainted. Most of the work will be done using single lane closures but some overnight closures of the westbound carriageway will be required on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. Clearly-signed diversions will be in place.
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