People planning to jet out of Manchester Airport this summer have been given a heads up about possible hold-ups and detours due to resurfacing operations on the M56.
With the work targeting a four-mile patch used by over 100,000 vehicles daily, holidaymakers are advised to set off early. Operations will be carried out overnight and only involve one side of the road at a time.
The works are lined up to begin on Monday, June 10, wrapping up by the end of August. While full closures are on the cards, National Highways intends to keep these “well out of the way” before the commencement of summer school holidays for drivers travelling from the east, from areas such as Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales.
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Works on the westbound road, from Manchester, will continue until the following month, necessitating local diversions only. The eastbound lane departing from Cheshire is scheduled to be closed for a total of 17 nights between Tuesday, June 11, and Wednesday, July 10.
Based on the calendar dates, one or another divergent route will be in effect. While the first detour path is promised to be short – not impacting airport traffic; the second diversion, planned for June 17-22, is through M6, M62 and M60, reports North Wales Live.
Rob Williams, project manager at National Highways pointed out saying: “This is important, if routine, wear and tear work. We’re working closely with the airport to ensure they are aware of our timetable and a small number of overnight closures which will mean drivers needing to leave a little bit of extra time to get to work or check-in for flights.”
National Highways has announced plans to resurface sections of the worn carriageway in both directions between junction 5 at Manchester Airport and junction 6 at Hale Barn. The work will also include resurfacing some slip roads, replacing some bridge joints and traffic detection loops in the road surface.
The work is scheduled to take place between 9pm and 5am (7am on Saturdays) when the motorway is at its quietest. The full schedule for the works is detailed below. Eastbound airport traffic will only be diverted when the work involves junction 7 (June 17-22).
M56 eastbound traffic:
Junctions 6 to 4
- Tues, June 11, and Wed, June 12
- Mon, June 8, to Wed, July 10
M56 eastbound junction 6 to 5
- Thurs, June 13, and Fri, June 14
- Mon, June 24, to Thurs, June 27
- Thurs, July 4, and Fri, July 5
M56 eastbound junction 7 to 5
- Mon, June 17, to Fri, June 22
M56 westbound traffic:
Junctions 5 to 6
- Mon, June 15; Tues, June 16; Thurs, June 18; and Fri, July 18
- Mon, June 22, to Fri, July 26
- Mon, June 29, and Tues, July 30
- Sun, June 4; Thurs, June 8; and Fri, August 9
Diversions and slip road closures:
On other dates, a diversion will operate between junction 6 and 4 via the local road network. Access will be available to the airport.
For onward traffic in both directions, the diversion is via the A555, Styal Road and Simonsway. Two slip road closures affecting journeys to the airport will also be taking place.
Diversion routes will be clearly signposted. National Highways also warned: “Please do not follow your satnav during any closure and check your journey before you travel.”
“We always aim to work to our schedule, but unforeseen circumstances such as severe weather conditions may mean slight changes occur at short notice.”
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