M6 carriageway closures as bridge repairs start

 

A £3 million Highways Agency project to repair bridges over the M6 in Cheshire will get underway later this week.

The Highways Agency is carrying out wear and tear repairs to two bridges which carry Congleton Road and Betchon Road at Malkins Bank over the M6 between junction 16 at Barthomley and junction 17 at Sandbach.

The work will focus on remodelling the support structures of the two bridges to tackle ageing and reduce future maintenance and repair visits which can disrupt drivers’ journeys.    Traffic management for work at the two sites will be installed this weekend with a full closure of the northbound and southbound carriageway on Saturday night and Sunday night respectively with clearly-signed diversion routes in place. 

Highways Agency project manager Louise Baxendale said:

“This is important wear and tear work to extend the life of these two bridges and reduce future maintenance and repair visits.  To install traffic management under the bridges there will need to be alternate closures of the northbound and southbound carriageways of the motorway this weekend – with good diversions in place – and we would like to thank drivers in advance for their patience.”

The work at Congleton Road bridge - at junction 17 itself - will be carried out under the bridge in the central reservation of the motorway carriageway.   The Highways Agency’s £2.3 million Pinch Point project to improve leaving and joining the junction is also taking place at the moment and the junction will be totally closed for the weekend.   More information on this closure is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/weekend-closure-as-23-million-sandbach-junction-improvements-take-shape

Because of the junction 17 improvement works the weekend’s overnight carriageway closures for a start on the bridge repairs will mean the closure of the northbound M6 between junction 16 at Barthomley and junction 18 at Holmes Chapel from 10pm on Saturday night (24 January) and 5am on Sunday morning (25 January).   This will be followed by a closure of the southbound carriageway between junctions 18 and 16 from 10pm on Sunday night until 5am on Monday morning (26 January). 

The repairs are expected to be completed by mid-May.  Drivers are advised that narrowed lanes, hard shoulder running and a 50mph speed limit will be in place along sections of the M6 where the bridge repairs are taking place.