M56 slip road reopening date
Drivers in Cheshire are being advised the slip road from the A556 onto the westbound M56 will open by Monday, 14 December as Highways England completes its work at the location.
The slip road, off the southbound A556 after Bowdon roundabout, forms junction 8 of the M56 and was closed at the end of September as part of construction work on the new £192 million A556 link road between the M56 and M6.
In order to reopen the slip road it will be necessary to close the southbound A556 from Bowdon roundabout to Bucklow Hill overnight from 9pm to 5am for three nights from Wednesday, 9 December. This will allow all the traffic management equipment to be removed.
Clearly signed diversions will be in place for drivers on local journeys and for anyone seeking to join the westbound M56 or southbound M6.
Jonathan Stokes, Project Manager at Highways England, said:
We would like to thank drivers for their patience and understanding during the slip road closure while we’ve been refurbishing the bridge on the A556.
We are moving along quickly with works and drivers will be able to see the road taking shape as the various bridges are being erected over the next 6 months.
The closure of the slip road was extended after the discovery of an uncharted water pipe so Highways England decided to bring forward further work and cancel a second closure of the junction planned for February.
Construction work on the new link road – which will bypass most of the existing route – began in November last year and is due to be completed in early 2017.
More information about the project, closures or diversion routes are available on the project 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.