Tens of thousands of drivers to be affected by closure of key motorway

A key cross-country motorway will close this weekend, affecting tens of thousands of drivers.

National Highways will shut a section of the M62 in Greater Manchester from 9pm on Friday until 6am on Monday.

This is to enable Network Rail to dismantle and remove Castleton bridge, which is nearly 60 years old.

The bridge carries trains running between Manchester and Rochdale over the motorway, including freight services transporting materials to and from Drax power station near Selby, North Yorkshire.

A new bridge will be installed during a second weekend closure from 9pm on September 20 to 6am on September 23.

National Highways said these are the first planned weekend closures of the M62 “in recent memory”.

The motorway carries around 120,000 vehicles a day.

The shutdown will affect cross-Pennine journeys as the M62 links Liverpool and Hull via Manchester and Leeds.

This will extend a number of trips to and from the North East for Sunday’s Great North Run, which will have around 60,000 participants and many spectators.

National Highways’ senior network planner Gary Farrell said: “Network Rail clearly needs to replace what is an ageing bridge and a critical piece of the railways infrastructure supporting the important Manchester Victoria to Leeds service and other routes.

“We’ve been working with staff from Network Rail for many months to plan and publicise this work including the two full weekend closures.

“We are urging drivers to avoid this section of the M62 during the two weekends by delaying journeys or planning alternative routes – but anyone who does need to use the M62 over the two weekends should follow the official diversions and not rely on sat nav advice.

“We would like to thank motorway users and anyone living along the diversion routes for their patience and support.”

Mr Farrell added that National Highways will be utilising the closures to complete as much routine maintenance as possible, reducing the need to block lanes and carriageways at other times.

The eastbound carriageway will be closed from Junction 18 to Junction 20, while the westbound carriageway will be shut from Junction 20 to Junction 19.

Eastbound drivers will be diverted onto the M60, A663 and A627(M).

The westbound diversion route involves the A627(M), A664 and A6046.

Drivers are being advised that alternative trans-Pennine routes include the A69 between Carlisle and Newcastle, the A66 between Penrith and Scotch Corner, and between Manchester and Sheffield via roads such as the M67, A57, A628 and A616.

AA spokesman Tony Rich said: “We would urge all drivers to plan ahead while this vital work is carried out to this incredibly busy section of motorway.

“Runners heading from the North West to the Great North Run are advised to familiarise themselves with the diversion route, in addition to their running route, to avoid heavy traffic scuppering a personal best.

“Be sure to have plenty of fuel or EV charge on board to account for the diversions.”

The bridge replacement also means the railway will be closed between Manchester Victoria and Rochdale until the early morning of September 25.

Rail replacement buses will be in operation, with passengers warned that journey times will be “significantly longer than usual”.

Olivia Boland, Network Rail sponsor, said: “The replacement of Castleton bridge is essential for the safe running of our railway, and crucial to the country’s economy as 6% of the UK’s energy supply relies on the bridge for transportation.

“I’m very sorry for the inconvenience our work will cause motorists and passengers.

“Allow extra time for rail replacement journeys throughout September.”

Three weekend closures of the M25 around Junction 10 in Surrey this year led to concerns about congestion, but traffic flowed relatively smoothly as many people heeded warnings to avoid the area.