M60 and M62 Manchester smart update
The latest phase of a major project to tackle congestion and improve journey times on the M60 and M62 in Greater Manchester is now underway.
Contractors for Highways England (HE) have finished work to convert the hard shoulder on a five-mile stretch of the M62 near Rochdale to a standard motorway lane and started working in the central reservation.
Overnight closures between several junctions are being used so that contractors can carry out major overhead gantry work on longer stretches of the route. A maximum of six miles of the motorway will be closed each night, between 2200 and 0600hrs, with signed diversions will be in place.
The Manchester smart motorway is due to go live in sections starting in September, with all of the roadworks planned to be lifted by the end of the year.
A556 link in sight
Drivers will shortly be able to use the new £192m A556 Knutsford to Bowdon dual carriageway in Cheshire, with the final phase of work starting next month – paving the way for the new road to open in March.
Full weekend closures – of the existing A556, junction 19 of the M6 and junctions 7 and 8 of the M56 – are are scheduled to start later this month. The closures will allow the old road to be sealed off from through traffic and the motorway junctions to be tied into the new dual carriageway.
Drivers are being advised the schedule for the final phase of work is dependent on the weather. The schedule currently involves:
•A full weekend closure of the existing A556 and associated M6 and M56 junctions between 2100hrs on Friday, February 17 and 0500hrs on Monday, February 20;
•A full weekend closure of the existing A556 and associated M6 and M56 junctions from 2100hrs on Friday, March 3 to 0500hrs on Monday, March 6 – with the new road opening to drivers that morning for the first time; and
•A final full weekend closure of the old A556 and new A556 between 2100hrs on Friday, March 10 and 0500hrs on Monday, March 13 to finalise work to seal off the old road.
M6 Birmingham viaduct repairs
Structural repairs are to begin on February 20 on an elevated section of the M6 in Birmingham. Damaged concrete and waterproofing will be renewed on the northbound carriageway around J7 (Great Barr). It’s been designed to be completed before a similar but much larger scheme gets under way on the M5 J1 to 2 Oldbury viaduct.
Highways England plans to complete the work on the M6 within seven weeks, with three narrow lanes introduced during the weekday to protect the workforce. Both the entry and exit slip roads will remain open during the day, with some overnight closures.
