Reminder - M56 closed this weekend

Drivers are being reminded that the M56 between Hale and Altrincham will be totally closed this weekend as National Highways works to finish its £85 million upgrade.

National Highways is upgrading the motorway between junction 6 at Hale and junction 8 at Bowdon, adding an extra lane in each carriageway and extensive extra technology to help smooth drivers’ journeys through a section of the network carrying up to 100,000 vehicles a day.

Both the westbound and eastbound carriageways will be closed from 9pm on Friday (9 September) to 6am on Monday (12 September). The eastbound M56 will be closed from junction 9 at Lymm interchange to junction 5 for Manchester Airport; the westbound carriageway will be closed from junction 5 to junction 8 at Bowdon. Clearly-signed diversions will be in place.

The closure is to allow finishing work and the removal of traffic management – but shortly after the motorway will open to traffic up to 60mph with an extra lane in both the westbound and eastbound carriageways.

National Highways has worked closely with Manchester Airport Group throughout the project and access to the airport will be maintained - via the westbound M56 at junction 5 – throughout this weekend’s closure.  Holidaymakers with overnight flights and heading to the airport from places like the West Midlands, north Cheshire and North Wales will be able to use a motorway diversion from junction 9 of the M56 at Lymm or a local diversion from junction 7 at Altrincham.

While the westbound M56 will remain open up to junction 5 for access to Manchester Airport drivers heading beyond the airport to the M6 and North Wales will need to take a diversion using the M60, M62 and M6. Drivers from the Midlands and North Wales planning to use the eastbound M56 to head to the airport or Manchester city centre will need to use the M6, M62 and M60 diversion instead.

Drivers are advised to check traffic conditions before setting out on journeys. Live traffic information is always available at www.trafficengland.com or from National Highways’ 24-7 customer contact centre at 0300 123 5000. Updates will also be posted to @HighwaysNWest – National Highways’ regional Twitter feed.

Full details of the closures, the work taking place and diversion rotes are available here.

More information about the M56 motorway upgrade is available here:

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