Drivers from across the North West will benefit as more than 400 miles of roadworks are removed from motorways and major roads across the country this weekend, to help bank holiday trips go smoothly.
Highways England always removes as many roadworks as possible at busy times, and will complete or lift 177 sets of roadworks for the late August getaway.
Simon Sheldon-Wilson, director of customer operations at Highways England, explained:
“To help road users enjoy this bank holiday weekend, we’re completing or suspending over 400 miles of roadworks on motorways and major trunk roads. But we’re still asking people to play their part by planning their journeys and making use of the traffic information services we provide.”
Roadworks will be removed wherever possible by 6am on Friday 28 August – leaving 97.4 per cent of Highways England’s 9,534 mile network roadwork-free (Click here to see a map showing the locations of lifted and completed schemes)
In all, 432 miles of roadworks will be removed. Highways England is completing 115 schemes and suspending a further 62 sets of roadworks.
For the safety of drivers and their passengers, lane restrictions or temporary speed limits will need to remain at 52 locations (Click here to see a map showing the location of remaining schemes)
To give drivers as much information as possible to plan their trips, Highways England is also flagging potential holiday routes which could get busy over the bank holiday weekend (Click here to see a list of potential hotspots)
The full list of North West schemes which will be completed, lifted or left in place over the August bank holiday is as follows:
COMPLETED
M6 J37-38 (near Tebay)
Installation of anti-access panels and timber fence
1 mile(s) of roadworks completed for August bank holiday.
M6 J36 (near Millness)
CCTV Drainage camera survey works
0.5 mile(s) of roadworks completed for August bank holiday.
A66 (near Broughton Cross)
Retaining Wall repair
0.65 mile(s) of roadworks completed for August bank holiday.
A66 (near Cockermouth)
CCTV Drainage camera survey works
1 mile(s) of roadworks completed for August bank holiday.
A66 (near Stainton)
PDS Deflectograph and coring works
1.1 mile(s) of roadworks completed for August bank holiday.
A66 (near Penrith)
Landscape and Ecology works
2.4 mile(s) of roadworks completed for August bank holiday.
A66 (near Thornthwaite)
Topographical survey works
1.2 mile(s) of roadworks completed for August bank holiday.
A66 (near Penrith)
PDS Deflectograph and coring works
1.7 mile(s) of roadworks completed for August bank holiday.
A66 (near Penrith)
PDS Deflectograph and coring works
0.2 mile(s) of roadworks completed for August bank holiday.
A590 (near Lindal in Furness)
Drainage works and kerbing and footway renewal
0.1 mile(s) of roadworks completed for August bank holiday.
A590 (near Dalton in Furness)
Pavement and drainage repairs
0.1 mile(s) of roadworks completed for August bank holiday.
A590 (near Kendal)
Deflectograph works
0.2 mile(s) of roadworks completed for August bank holiday.
A590 (near Kendal)
Deflectograph and coring works
1 mile(s) of roadworks completed for August bank holiday.
A590 (near Newby Bridge)
Coring works
1.3 mile(s) of roadworks completed for August bank holiday.
A590 (near Newlands)
Deflectograph works
2.8 mile(s) of roadworks completed for August bank holiday.
A590 (near Haverthwaite)
Coring works
0.3 mile(s) of roadworks completed for August bank holiday.
A595 (near Calder Bridge)
Resurfacing works
1.1 mile(s) of roadworks completed for August bank holiday.
A595 (near Whitehaven)
Replacement of lighting columns
4 mile(s) of roadworks completed for August bank holiday.
A595 (near Lillyhall)
Landscape and Ecology works
3.1 mile(s) of roadworks completed for August bank holiday.
M55 J3 – 4 (near Weeton)
Resurfacing works
4 mile(s) of roadworks completed for August bank holiday.
M55 J1 – 4 (near Weeton)
Deflectograph and coring works
0.8 mile(s) of roadworks completed for August bank holiday.
M55 J3 – 4 (near Weeton)
Deflectograph and coring works
1.2 mile(s) of roadworks completed for August bank holiday.
M6 (near Carlisle)
Embankment remediation works
0.3 mile(s) of roadworks completed for August bank holiday.
A595 (near Bigrigg)
Introduction of speed limit signing
1.4 mile(s) of roadworks completed for August bank holiday.
M6 J32-33 (near Garstang)
Concrete repairs to bridge
1 mile(s) of roadworks completed for August bank holiday.
M53 Jn2 (near Bidston)
Bridge Strengthening
2.8 mile(s) of roadworks completed for August bank holiday.
LIFTED
M6 Junctions 40 to 41 north of Penrith
Carriageway and slip road lane closures for power cable works
A5036 near Aintree
Overnight carriageway resurfacing between Switch Island and Hawthorne Road 2.5 miles of roadworks lifted for the bank holiday period.
A595 Nr Blackbeck (South of Thornhill)
Night and day time traffic signals with convoy working for resurfacing works 2000 – 0600hrs and 0930 – 1530hrs
REMAINING
M6 J33 – 35 (near Lancaster)
Construction of Heysham Link
Lane 1 closure – 5miles of roadworks – Nil to Slight
Reason roadworks cannot be lifted for the August bank holiday: As part of the scheme to construct the new Heysham to M6 Link Road, works will be carried out on or adjacent to the existing M6 motorway. This will involve the reconstruction of Junction 34 (Lancaster) of the M6 to provide on and off slips to both the north and southbound carriageways which have been improved to meet current standards. The existing Foundry Lane bridge will also be partly demolished and extended to accommodate the new northbound on slip. In order to carry out these improvements it will be necessary to close the existing hard shoulders on both carriageways in the area of Junction 34 throughout 2014 and 2015. Traffic management is to form a dedicated off slip for junction 34, exit slip. Lane 1 will be closed after the junction. Existing traffic management , which is a dedicated off slip for junction 34 exit slip and a lane 1 closure after the junction will be left on. The reason for keeping the traffic management on is that the lane 1 has varioguard installed and all road marking have been changed to suit new layout. Large amounts of verges are being removed. Piling machines are on site which would not be able to be removed.
M60 J8 to M60 J12 (near Manchester)
Installation of SMART Motorway
Narrow Lanes with temporary barrier throughout – 6.5miles of roadworks – Nil to slight
Reason roadworks cannot be lifted for the August bank holiday: Existing safety fences have been removed. Open excavations in isolated areas and unprotected highway furniture resulting in potential safety issues if traffic management was removed.
M60 J12 to M60 J18 (near Manchester)
Installation of SMART Motorway
Narrow Lanes with temporary barrier throughout – 9.8miles of roadworks – Nil to slight
Reason roadworks cannot be lifted for the August bank holiday: Existing safety fences have been removed. Open excavations in isolated areas and unprotected highway furniture resulting in potential safety issues if traffic management was removed.
M62 J18 to M62 J21 (near Manchester)
Installation of SMART Motorway
Narrow Lanes with temporary barrier throughout – 8.75miles of roadworks – Nil to slight
Reason roadworks cannot be lifted for the August bank holiday: Existing safety fences have been removed. Open excavations in isolated areas and unprotected highway furniture resulting in potential safety issues if traffic management was removed.
A556 between M6 j19 and M56 j7 (near Knutsford)
Removal of central reservation
Narrow lanes, Temporary speed limit signs and cones. – 2miles of roadworks – Nil to slight
Reason roadworks cannot be lifted for the August bank holiday: Open excavation in centre of road.
More information about locations elsewhere in the country is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/highways-england-removes-roadworks-for-august-bank-holiday-getaway
Highways England traffic officers will be out and about around the clock throughout the bank holiday weekend to help keep drivers on the move but drivers can help themselves by planning for journeys.
Highways England is advising road users to check the latest travel information before setting out as well as listening for radio traffic alerts and heeding electronic signs once they are on the move.
Drivers can get up-to-the-minute traffic information by calling Highways England’s customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000 or by checking the Highways England website at www.highways.gov.uk/traffic
Live information on incidents or congestion will also be available from dedicated feeds from Twitter @HighwaysNWEST.
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