Planned road works in the North West: summary for Monday 12 to Sunday 18 December 2016
Summary of planned new and ongoing road improvements over the coming week
The following summary of planned new and ongoing road improvements over the coming week is correct as of Friday 9 December and 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 roadworks information (such as overnight carriageway closures) for individual schemes should now visit Traffic England. Some of our larger schemes have project pages giving other information. These can now be accessed from a dedicated regional page.
M6 junctions 16 to 19: Cheshire smart motorway
Work is underway for the smart motorway upgrade with some overnight closures expected in the coming weeks. Visit Traffic England for details.
M6 junction 22 Newton-le-Willows
Essential bridge maintenance work started in October to replace 40 corroded bearings on the M6 junction 22 bridges. The work, between junctions 21a and 23, is likely to last for 6 months. It will be carried out in a number of phases, largely during daytime hours, Monday to Friday, between 7.30am and 5pm, with some work taking place outside these times. Average speed cameras and a 50mph speed limit are in place through the roadworks.
M6 junction 34 Lancaster
Lancashire County Council’s new link road between junction 34 of the M6 and Heysham has now opened but finishing work will require lane and hard shoulder closures along the M6 through junction 34 to continue for the time being. More information is available on the scheme website.
M53 junctions 4 to 5 Clatterbridge
Work began on Saturday 8 October to resurface both carriageways, involving daytime lane closures and overnight full carriageway closures. The northbound carriageway will be closed between junctions 5 and 4 from 9pm until 7am on 14 and 15 December. The southbound carriageway will also be closed between the same junctions during the same times on 12 and 13 December.
M53 junctions 3 to 4 Heswall
Barrier replacement work started on 28 November and is due to last for approximately 2 weeks. The work will be carried out overnight between 8pm and 5am.
M58 junctions 1 and 3 Bickerstaffe
Resurfacing work eastbound between 8pm and 5am (7am Saturday morning) from 9 to 14 December 2016. Signed diversion in place.
M60 junction 8 Sale to junction 20 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 a 50mph limit in place for wiring and signs, requiring some overnight closures. The project is due to be completed in autumn 2017.
Please visit the scheme Facebook page for details of overnight closures and other matters relating to the project.
M61 junction 9 (M65 junction)
Resurfacing work is taking part on the roundabout at the junction, including replacing road marking, laying an anti-skid surface and replacing traffic sensors. The work is due to be completed by Christmas and will be carried out between 8pm and 5am (7am at weekends). The roundabout and slip roads will be closed when work is taking place, with a diversion in place.
M62 Junction 20/ A627M Thornham Island
Carriageway surfacing work is due to take place on M62 Junction 20/ A627M roundabout known as Thornham Island. Work is due to start on or shortly after 15 December 2016 for approximately one week. The work will be carried out in a number of phases between 8pm and 5am (7am on Saturday morning) Monday to Friday.
M62 junctions 21 Milnrow to 22 Saddleworth
Resurfacing work is due to take place on the M62 between junctions 21 and 22, including replacing road markings and traffic sensors. The work is being carried out between 9pm and 5am (7am at weekends), and is due to be completed by Christmas. There will be overnight lane closures and some slip road closures at junction 22, with a diversion in place.
A556 Knutsford to Bowdon
A £192 million project is being delivered to build a new dual carriageway linking the M56 to the M6 in Cheshire. Existing or forthcoming closures include:
- total, 9pm to 5am, overnight closures of the roundabout at junction 19 of the M6 nightly (excluding Saturday and Sunday nights) until Monday 19 December
- total, 9pm to 5am, overnight closure of the A556 in both directions between Mere crossroads and the roundabout nightly (excluding Saturday and Sunday nights) until Monday 19 December
- the exit slip road from the eastbound M56 at junction 7 remains closed (until mid-December) for work to provide new link roads at Bowdon
- nightly, 9pm to 5am, full or partial closures of M56 junction 8, westbound exit slip road at M56 junction 7 and southbound A556 from Bowdon to Bucklow Hill (excluding Saturday and Sunday nights) until Monday 19 December
- closure of Chapel Lane from the A556 Chester Road to Hulse Heath Lane (access will be maintained for residents) until the end of January whilst the bridge works and the new road alignment are completed
- closure of Millington Lane once Chapel Lane has been completed for approximately 4 weeks whilst works on the bridge tie in and associated roads are completed
Where conditions allow, and where indicated above, partial overnight closures (for example keeping a lane open to drivers) may be used instead of full overnight closures.
A590 Lindal in Furness
Flood alleviation works are ongoing between Pennington Lane and Bank End Cottages. There will be a full carriageway closure overnight on Monday 12 December, with narrow lanes and a temporary 30mph speed limit in place until completion at the end of March 2017.
A66 Brough
Resurfacing work started on Monday 14 November and will continue until the end of January, with roadworks removed over the Christmas period. Overnight lane closures will be in place between 8pm and 6am, with traffic led through the roadworks by a contractor’s vehicle. There will also be a closure of the exit slip roads during w/c 12 December.
A66 Greystoke to Dacre
Resurfacing work commenced on 21 November and will run for 4 weeks. Lane closures and a 40mph speed limit will be in place during the day and traffic will be led through the roadworks by a contractor’s vehicle on some occasions overnight. There will also be closures of the central reservation crossing points at Greystoke Gill, Highgate Farm and Dacre. Signed diversion routes will be in place.
A66 Keswick
Work to inspect and maintain the bridge joints on Kentigern Bridge in Keswick began on 28 November and will continue until Christmas. Temporary traffic lights will be in place 24 hours a day along with a 40mph speed restriction between Crosthwaite roundabout and the junction at High Hill. There will also be a full overnight closure of this stretch of road on 21 December to remove traffic management. During these closures, local traffic will be diverted via High Hill and Crosthwaite roads, and there will be parking restrictions on Crosthwaite Road between the A66/A591 roundabout and Brundholme Road.
A66 Bassenthwaite Lake
A new phase of the flood resilience work started on Monday 7 November, which will allow the full overnight carriageway closures to be removed and replaced by temporary traffic lights. This phase involves resurfacing at Embleton Road End and will require the B5291 at Dubwath junction to be closed between 8pm and 6am until 7 December, meaning access on and off the A66 will be unavailable.
A diversion for local traffic will be signed from the A66 at Lambfoot junction to pass through to Embleton. Following this date, 4-way 24hr temporary traffic lights will be in place. Resurfacing work will also be carried out at the Pheasant Inn junction under 24/7 temporary traffic lights, although access to the hotel will be available at all times. The work at Smithy Cottage, adjacent to Bassenthwaite Lake, will continue under contraflow.
A66 Broughton Cross to Bridgefoot
Works are taking place to Marron Bridge which will require an overnight closure of the A66/C2065 junction for two nights from Friday 16 December.
A663 Broadway
Around 3.5 miles of the route is being resurfaced between the A627(M) at Holden Fold and Moston Lane East, south of junction 21, M60. All work will be carried out in sections under night closures. From 7 November until Christmas, work will take place between 8pm and 5am from Monday to Wednesday, between midnight and 5am on Thursdays and Fridays to accommodate Christmas shoppers, and between 8pm and 7am on Saturdays and Sundays. Signed diversions will be in place. The project is due to be completed by the end of January.
A665 Bury Old Road
A scheme to upgrade the safety barriers on the A665 bridge over the M60 started on Monday 7 November. The work will be carried out between 8.30am and 11pm, Monday to Friday, with temporary traffic lights and lane closures in place from 6.30pm. Some overnight and weekend working may also be required. The Kenilworth Avenue junction with Bury Old Road will also be closed throughout the scheme, with a diversion in place. The project is due to be completed by February.
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.