M56 closure this weekend

M56

The M56 will be closed near Manchester Airport this weekend as the Highways Agency demolishes a bridge as part of its £5.5m scheme to reduce congestion in the area.

The motorway will be totally closed in both directions between junction 5 at Manchester Airport and junction 6 at Hale for up to 55 hours from 10pm on Friday night (1st August) and may be closed until 5am on Monday 4th August.

Drivers needing to access the airport from the M60 and Manchester will still be able to use the airport spur from the westbound M56 at junction 5. People travelling to the airport are being urged to leave extra time for journeys and check traffic conditions before setting out.

Wayne Poole, director of passenger services at Manchester Airport, said: "Whilst we are in our summer peak we advise all passengers to leave plenty of time to get to, and complete, their airport journey.

Diversion routes are in place but the works will inevitably cause traffic congestion at peak times, so passengers should leave additional time to get here.

"We'd also advise passengers allow at least two to three hours to get through the airport and to be ready for security."

Drivers not needing to access the airport are strongly advised to avoid this section of the M56 over the weekend, local diversions will also be in place.

More details of the work are available on the Highways Agency website.

The Highways Agency is replacing the bridge in a £5.5m government 'pinch-point' initiative aimed at stimulating the creation of 3,000 new jobs at Davenport Green and Airport City by 2030 plus 5,650 homes around Altrincham, Bowdon and Hale by 2026.

Installation of the new bridge has been pencilled in for November with further weekend closures of the motorway.

The project is one of 123 in the Government's £317 million 'pinch-point' initiative - a two-year programme of work being delivered alongside larger schemes and routine maintenance. The pinch-point programme, devised with the input of councils and local enterprise partnerships, is designed to help stimulate new development and local economic growth by improving road safety and tackling congestion bottle-necks. In all, 28 projects, worth £66 million, are being delivered across the North West.

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Road Closures
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