Press release

Planned road works in the North West: weekly summary for Monday 24 to Sunday 30 October 2016

The following summary of planned new and ongoing road improvements over the coming week is correct as of Friday 21 October and could be subject to change due to weather conditions or unforeseen circumstances.

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All our improvement work is carried out with the aim of causing as little disruption as possible.

M53 between junctions 4 and 5 (bridge joints)

Work began in September for approximately 4 months to renew road markings and bridge joints. This will be carried out in a number of phases between 8pm and 5am (7am during weekends) Monday to Saturday with lane closures. Some night closures will also be required with signed diversions.

M53 between junctions 4 and 5 (resurfacing)

Work began on Saturday 8 October to resurface both carriageways in a 5 week project. It involves daytime lane closures and overnight full carriageway closures between 10pm and 5am each night.

M56 Weaver Viaduct repairs and resurfacing

Work started in August on a £1.5 million project to repair and resurface Weaver Viaduct which helps carry the M56 between junction 12 and junction 14. The work involves overnight lane and hard shoulder closures – with a handful of overnight carriageway closures this month. Work will be complete by the beginning of November. There will be 4 overnight carriageway closures next week - with clearly-signed diversions between junction 12 and junction 14. The eastbound carriageway will be closed on Monday and Tuesday nights (24 and 25 October) – 9pm to 5am on both nights. The westbound carriageway will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday night (26 and 27 October) – 9pm to 5am on both nights.

M6 junctions 16 to 19: Cheshire smart motorway

Work is underway for the smart motorway upgrade – typically with 1 or 2 lanes closed overnight between junctions in both directions and/or mobile lane closures along short sections of carriageway. More information about the project is available on the project website: www.highways.gov.uk/roads/road-projects/m6-junctions-16-19-smart-motorway/

M6 junction 22 bridge maintenance

Essential bridge maintenance started earlier this month 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 road works.

M6 junction 34 Lancaster

Lancashire County Council work off the motorway on the Heysham Link project requires a lane 1 and hard shoulder closure in both directions on the motorway around junction 34. More information is available here: http://heyshamlink.lancashire.gov.uk

M6 resurfacing junctions 36 to 39

Several resurfacing schemes are taking place along different sections of the M6 between Kirkby Lonsdale and Shap throughout October, generally requiring a lane closure during the day and 2 lanes to be closed overnight with a 50mph speed limit in place past road works. No full carriageway closures will be required although the northbound exit slip at J39 will be closed overnight on Sunday 23 and Tuesday 25 October and the northbound entry will be closed on the night of Monday 24 and Wednesday 26 October.

M60 junction 8 Sale to junction 20 Rochdale

A major 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 the safety of workers and drivers. A significant programme of temporary night closures has been programmed to fit gantries with wiring and signs, which will take the project to May 2017. These are detailed on the journey impact tab of the project page – see [http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/road-projects/m60-junction-8-to-m62-junction-20}(http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/road-projects/m60-junction-8-to-m62-junction-20) - and updated weekly, subject to weather conditions. The project is due to be completed in autumn 2017.

M602 Clarendon Bridge

Work to refurbish this footbridge over the M602 near Eccles started in August and is expected to take around 12 weeks. The footbridge will be closed – with a signed pedestrian diversion place – throughout the project. There will also be occasional overnight – 9pm to 5am – M602 carriageway closures with signed, short diversions in place.

A556 Knutsford to Bowdon

A £192 million project is being carried out to build a new dual carriageway linking the M56 to the M6 in Cheshire. From Monday 10 October a new phase of work started at the southern, Knutsford, end of the project around the roundabout at junction 19 of the M6. The 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) for a further 2 weeks – drivers on the northbound M6 will be able to leave at junction 19 but only to access the southbound A556 (for Northwich).
  • Total, 9pm to 5am, nightly overnight closures (both carriageways, excluding Saturday and Sunday nights) of the A556 between Mere crossroads and the M6 until Friday 4 November
  • For 3 weeks, between Monday (24 October) and Friday 11 November (excluding Saturdays and Sundays) nightly, 9pm to 5am, closure of the M56 Junction 7 eastbound access slip road
  • 2-way traffic lights in place (daytime, off-peak hours) along the A50 on Tuesday 25 October
  • The exit slip road from the eastbound M56 at junction 7 remains closed for work to provide new link roads and a new roundabout at Bowdon
  • Closure of Chapel Lane for bridge alignment works from Monday (24 October) into January for bridge and road alignment work

More information is available on the project website: http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/road-projects/A556-Knutsford-to-Bowdon-Improvement

A556 resurfacing, Mere to Knutsford

We’re resurfacing worn sections of the northbound and southbound A556 using an overnight closure between Mere crossroads and the junction with the M6 at Knutsford from 10pm on Saturday (29 October) and 5am on Sunday (30 October).

A56 Rising Bridge roundabout

Work is going on to improve safety and reduce delays at Rising Bridge Roundabout near Haslingden:

  • Rising Bridge Roundabout – work to improve the footway between the roundabout and the A680 Blackburn Road (to the north and south) are now nearing completion. Also, the works required to the traffic signals are complete and we expect these to be operational by the end of November. The surfacing of the roundabout has yet to be carried out and we propose to undertake these works during early December - the exact dates will be confirmed nearer the time. To facilitate and carry out these works safely, a closure of the roundabout will be required. Advance signage will be installed on site at least one week before the closure is required.
  • Lighting - The lighting column installation work is almost complete. There are approximately 8 temporary columns currently in place which need to be reinstated with permanent lighting columns. Precise dates to reinstate the permanent columns have yet to be confirmed, but are expected to be mid-November and will be carried out under lane closures.
  • Embankment - Works to the embankment have started, with the construction of a drainage system and installation of pumps now complete. The next step is to start constructing the embankment which will support the new lane on the southbound approach to the Rising Bridge roundabout. To facilitate this work, the left lane on the on approach to the roundabout will remain in place. All works will be carried out during daytime hours i.e. 7:30am to 5.30pm. However, online works will be between 9:30am and 3.30pm only.

A590 Booths to Greenodd

Carriageway repairs will require a full closure of the carriageway in both directions between Booths and Greenodd roundabouts between 8pm on Sunday 30 October and 5am on Monday 31 October. Traffic travelling using the eastbound carriageway will be diverted to take the first exit at the A590/A595 roundabout and travel north on the A595 until they reach the junction with the A5092. They will continue on the A5902 until they reach the end of the diversion at Greenodd roundabout. Traffic travelling along the westbound carriageway will be directed to exit the A590 at Greenodd roundabout and continue on this route until they reach the A592 junction where they will turn right. Traffic shall continue on the A592 in a southerly direction until they reach the junction with the A590 where the diversion will end.

A590 Greenodd

Work near Arrad Foot started on Sunday 9 October for 3 weeks to replace rock face netting and clear vegetation at this site. A contraflow will be in place with eastbound drivers able to use a lane of the westbound carriageway.

A590 Ulverston

Drainage repairs between Dalton and Queen Street started on Monday 10 October for 6 weeks with 8pm to 6am overnight working during the first week extended to include 9.30am to 3.30pm working for the rest of the project. Narrow lanes or temporary traffic lights will be deployed.

A595 Blackbeck

Bridge repairs south of Blackbeck roundabout, between Egremont and Calder Bridge, started on Monday 12 September for 6 weeks. Work is taking place around the clock with a temporary speed limit and temporary traffic lights in place. The traffic lights will be staffed at key times.

A66 Warcop

Work started on 3 October to reconstruct and then resurface the carriageway with the westbound lane closed around the clock and temporary traffic lights in place. The work is expected take 4 weeks.

A66 Bassenthwaite Lake

Works to raise sections of the carriageway and improve flood resilience started in September. A first phase near Dubwath junction started on 19 September and involves 24hr traffic lights - reduced to daytime signals where safety allows. This will change to include overnight carriageway closures from Monday 24 October and will continue until Christmas. The second phase which started on Monday 10 October will be completed by tomorrow (Saturday 22 October) followed by installation of a contraflow arrangement to allow work to strengthen the central reservation embankment and raise the road profile.

A663 Broadway

Some 3 ½ miles of the route are 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, between the hours of 8pm and 5am (Monday to Friday nights) with some weekend working between 8pm and 7am (Saturday and Sunday nights). From 7 November until Christmas, works will take place Monday to Wednesday as per normal and during the times stated above. However, on Thursday and Fridays, works will still be taking place but at a later time (from midnight) to accommodate Christmas shoppers. Signed diversions will be in place. The project is likely to be completed by the end of January.

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 24 October 2016