MOTORISTS are being reminded that there will be significant travel disruption on a section of the M6 in Cheshire this evening, Friday.
Work will commence at junction 19 for Knutsford in the next stage of a new £43million bridge project.
From 8pm this evening to 6am tomorrow, Saturday, junction 18 will be closed as teams work to pour concrete for the new scheme.
The M6 itself will remain open, but with occasional lane closures in place.
Drivers will be unable to leave or join the motorway at junction 19 and there will be no access to or from the A556 via the junction roundabout.
Further disruption is planned from 6am to 8pm on Saturday, when the motorway itself will be closed at junction 19.
A direct ‘up and over’ two-lane diversion will be in place however, with motorway users able to quickly leave and re-join the M6 via the roundabout by using the junction exit and entry slip roads.
There will be no access to or from the A556 via the junction roundabout.
From 8pm on Saturday to 6am on Sunday, junction 19 will again be closed, with the M6 remaining open with occasional lane closures.
Once more, motorists will be unable to leave or join the motorway at junction 19 and there will be no access to or from the A556 via the junction roundabout.
Throughout the work, from 8pm tonight to 6am on Sunday, access to the A556 Knutsford to Bowdon bypass from junction seven of the M56 will also be closed.
The congestion-busting new bridge through the roundabout and over the motorway is set to open this summer, providing direct links between the M6 and A556.
Almost 1,000 cubic metres of concrete will be poured over the next two weekends – with traffic management for the second weekend of works from 8pm on Friday, April 16, following the same pattern and timings of the first.
Highways England says that the ‘up and over’ diversion at junction 19 worked well in January, when the motorway was closed for two weekends as the huge bridge beams were lifted into place.
However, with traffic volumes increasing as the pandemic restrictions ease, it is advising drivers to avoid this section of the M6.
Longer-distance drivers heading beyond Cheshire should choose alternative motorway routes.
All drivers are advised to check traffic before setting out on journeys.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here