The following summary of planned new and ongoing road improvements over the coming week is correct as of Friday 14 October 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.
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. Full closures of the southbound carriageway will be taking place on Monday and Tuesday 17 and 18 October. A signed diversion will be in place using the B5151, B5133 and A41. Northbound closures will take place at the end of the month.
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.
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. This includes work around the southbound M6 near Killington services (between junctions 37 and 36) with the entry slip road to the services closed from 8pm (18 October) on Tuesday to 6am on Wednesday (19 October) with the nearest southbound services at Tebay and Lancaster.
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 – 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 create 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) from last Monday night (10 October) for a further 3 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
- Overnight, 9pm to 5am, closure of junction 8 of the M56 for 5 nights between and including Monday (17 October) and Friday (21 October)
- Overnight, 9pm to 5am, closure of the westbound exit slip road at junction 7 of the M56 for 5 nights between and including Monday (17 October) and Friday (21 October)
- Total, 9pm to 5am, closure of the northbound and southbound A556 between Bowdon and Bucklow Hill for 5 nights between and including Monday (October 17) and Friday (21 October)
- Overnight, 9pm to 5am, closure of the northbound A556 between Mere crossroads and Bucklow Hill for 5 nights between and including Monday (17 October) and Friday (21 October)
- 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 Monday and Tuesday (17 and 18 October) and 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
- Millington Lane, off the existing A556, remains closed around the clock until Friday (21 October, was Friday 11 November).Access maintained for local residents at all times.
- Closure of Chapel Lane for bridge alignment works between 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
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 eight 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 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 5 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 continue until Christmas. The second phase started on Monday (10 October) for around 2 weeks and involves vegetation clearance from the central reservation. This requires a lane 2 closure of the eastbound dual carriageway at Bassenthwaite Lake. Following this, a contraflow will be in place whilst works are undertaken 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.
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