Press release

M56 slip road closure extended

Drivers in Cheshire are being advised the slip road from the A556 onto the westbound M56 will remain closed until the middle of November – after road workers discovered an uncharted water pipe.

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The slip road, off the southbound A556 after Bowdon roundabout, forms junction 8 of the M56 and was closed last month as part of construction work on the new £192 million A556 link road between the M56 and M6.

The slip road was meant to re-open this week but has remained closed due to the extra time needed for United Utilities to investigate the issue with the water pipe.

Jonathan Stokes, Project Manager at Highways England, said:

We would like to thank drivers for their continued patience as we work to deliver bridge repairs at junction 8 which is a crucial element in linking the new A556 route to the M56.

Unfortunately, it’s in the nature of these kinds of projects that you can come across the unexpected and the discovery of this pipe has made the bridge repairs more complicated and time-consuming.

Construction work on the new link road – which will bypass most of the existing route – began in November and is planned to open early in 2017.

The closure of junction 8 is for work to refurbish the Chester Road bridge, which carries the A556 and start of the slip road over the motorway.

Drivers needing to access the westbound M56 can use alternative motorway junctions, such as junction 6 at Hale, or join the westbound M56 from the M6 at Lymm Interchange via the A56 through Lymm, A50 to junction 20 of the M6, and southbound M6 to the interchange.

More information about the project, closures or diversion routes are available on the scheme page.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

Published 20 October 2015