The M62, one of northern England’s most vital motorways, will close next month for a few days to allow essential works to be carried out. While the 107-mile road, which crosses the Pennines and links Liverpool and Hull (via Manchester, Bradford, Leeds and Wakefield), is closed there will be official diversions in place.
So, why is the M62 closing? Well, a railway bridge, which engineers have been raising concerns about for some time, is getting reinforced.
There will be several closures on the road across September, mostly between Junctions 19 and 20, and they’ll also coincide with some disruptions to nearby railways, so it’s definitely worth planning your travels for this period sooner rather than later.
Here’s exactly what to put in your diary if you plan to travel across the north of England sometime next month.
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M62 Closure dates
The motorway will be shut for two weekends next month.
It will closed from 9pm on Friday September 6 until 6am on Monday September 9, and then again from 9pm on Friday September 20 to 6am on Monday September 23.
There will also be nightly closures between 9pm-6am every day from September 9-20.
Which areas will be closed?
Luckily, the same areas will be cordoned off both weekends, which should make planning around the closures easier.
A five mile stretch between Junctions 18 and 20 eastbound, and Junctions 19 and 20 westbound will be closed at the times mentioned above.
On top of this, the road is now operating with only three lanes until October 18.
Why is the M62 closing?
Castleton Bridge, a railway bridge which runs over the motorway, needs some TLC. It bears a lot of weight from heavy freight trains that pass over it, and it’s just not as secure as you would want a 2,000-tonne bridge to be, so it will be torn down and rebuilt over the two-week period.
Network Rail also says that you should check any trains you plan to take between Manchester Victoria and Rochdale on any of the listed dates, as there will be changes to those services due to the works on the bridge.
What is the diversion route?
National Highways has an official diversion route for drivers that still need to use the M62 during the closures. The planned diversion routes for eastbound, westbound and the full weekend closures are as follows.
You can find more information about the motorway closures on National Highways here.
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