A PLANNED full weekend closure of the M6 has been postponed by a week.

The motorway was due to be shut in both directions at junction 19 for Knutsford from tonight, Friday, until Monday morning.

But progress on roadworks in the area has been hampered by recent cold weather, meaning that work to install bridge beams across the carriageway has been delayed.

And the M6 will now been closed over the weekend beginning next Friday, January 22, as a result.

The full weekend closure planned for that weekend will instead take place between January 29 and February 1.

A spokesman said: “The first of two weekend closures of the M6 at junction 19 at Knutsford in Cheshire has been postponed for a week due to last week’s cold snap.

“In a significant milestone for its £43million junction 19 upgrade, Highways England was due to start installing bridge beam across the motorway from Friday, January 15, in the first of two successive weekend motorway closures.

“However, plummeting temperatures – affecting concrete curing – reduced the amount of time available for finishing work on the support columns in the hard shoulder and central reservation, forcing the postponement of the bridge beams installation.

“The two Friday night to Monday morning closures will now take place on the weekends beginning Friday, January 22, and Friday, January 29, with an operation to crane 36 huge 90 tonne bridge beams into place over the northbound and southbound carriageways.

“Highways England is constructing a bridge over the M6 through the existing junction roundabout to improve traffic flow between the motorway and the A556 and reduce congestion around the roundabout itself.”

This new bridge is expected to open in the summer.