Part of the M56 will be completely closed this weekend for motorway upgrades.
The motorway will be closed in both directions from 9pm on Friday, March 25 to 5.30am on Monday, March 28. The M56 eastbound will be closed between junction 9 at Lymm Interchange to junction 5 for Manchester Airport; the westbound carriageway will be closed from junction 5 to junction 8 at Bowdon.
National Highways said the closures are due to work being continued on an £85 million motorway upgrade. The agency said it is working across the weekend to install two 60 tonne "superspan" gantries and other equipment along the motorway as part of the junction 6 to junction 8 upgrade.
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Clearly-signed diversions will be in place for alternative motorway routes via the M60, M62 and M6 for westbound traffic and M6, M62 and M60 for eastbound drivers. Access to Manchester Airport will be available from junction 5 at all times via the westbound M56 - with eastbound drivers from Cheshire, North Wales and Midlands needing to use the motorway diversion route from junction 9 of the M56 via the northbound M6, eastbound M62 and anti-clockwise M60 to access the westbound M56 for the airport.
National Highways project manager Clare Bond said: “Very good motorway diversions will be in place at the weekend but we are urging drivers to spend a little more time planning their journeys – including checking traffic conditions before setting out, leaving a bit of extra time for travelling and following the diversion information.”
In a statement, National Highways said: "The final weekend in March has been chosen with few events and no major football in the region." The closure will allow a giant, 450 tonne crane to be moved onto the motorway to lift two 60 tonne ‘superspan’ gantries into place across both the eastbound and westbound carriageways.
The gantries will support technology to relay data to National Highways’ regional operations centre near Warrington.
