Vital cross-country motorway to close for two weekends in September

National Highways is reminding fleets and their drivers that a key stretch of the M62 - the country’s main trans-Pennine route - will be closed for two weekends in September.

A railway bridge over the M62 between junction 19 at Heywood and junction 20 at Rochdale is being replaced by Network Rail. 

Castleton bridge, which is almost 60 years old and carries the main railway line over the M62 between Manchester and Rochdale, is being demolished and replaced with a new bridge.

It is the first time in recent memory that the M62, which carries around 120,000 vehicles a day, has been closed for a whole weekend or other extended period for planned work.

The motorway will be closed in both directions from 9pm on Friday, September 6, to 6am on Monday, September 9, and from 9pm on Friday, September 20, to 6am on Monday, September 23.

Gary Farrell, National Highways' senior network planner (resilience), 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.”

He added: “It’s worth noting that as well as working closely to coordinate lane and carriageway closures with Network Rail we have or will be using as many opportunities as possible to complete our own routine maintenance at the same time – reducing the need for our own lane and carriageway closures at other times.

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

Due to the timings of the work over weekends, different closure and diversion arrangements will be in place for the westbound and eastbound carriageways – with the eastbound carriageway actually being closed from junction 18 of the M62 at Simister Island interchange to junction 20 of the M62 at Rochdale. 

The westbound carriageway will be closed between junction 20 at Rochdale and junction 19 at Heywood.

The diversion for eastbound drivers will use the strategic road network with drivers from the M66 or clockwise M60 and reaching Simister Island travelling to junction 21 of the M60 at Chadderton where they should then use the northbound A663 (Broadway) and northbound A627M to join the M62 at junction 20.

Drivers diverted off the westbound M62 at junction 20 will be sent back onto the motorway via Middleton – using the southbound A627(M), southbound A664 Rochdale Road and northbound A6046 Hollin Lane, re-joining the M62 at junction 19.

Traffic officers at National Highways’ regional operations centre near Warrington and Milnrow outstation at junction 21 of the M62 will be working around the clock throughout the two weekends – monitoring traffic and working alongside the police and Transport for Greater Manchester (TFGM) to help manage traffic and clear any incidents as quickly as possible.

National Highways has set up a webpage to keep commuters, businesses and other M62 users up to date with progress and planned closures related to the Network Rail project including diversion information

Drivers heading across the Pennines over the two weekends are being urged to plan journeys – including checking for congestion or incidents before setting out.  

Alternative trans-Pennine routes include the A69 between Carlisle and Newcastle, A66 Penrith to Scotch Corner and the Manchester to Sheffield link (M67/A57/A628/A616).

Drivers are also being reminded that there will also be nightly – 9pm to 6am - closures of the motorway in both directions between the two weekend closures. 

These closures will be in place every night until the second weekend closure of the motorway but between junction 19 and junction 20 in both directions with a clearly-signed diversion using the A627M, A664 and A6046 route for westbound drivers and A6046, A664 and A627M route for eastbound drivers.

Drivers are being advised that there will also be some overnight closures of the M62 in West Yorkshire during the same period between Huddersfield and Brighouse with the westbound M62 closed between junction 25 and junction 24 on Monday 9, Tuesday 10, Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12 September. 

The eastbound M62 between junction 24 and junction 25 will then be closed on Monday 16, Tuesday 17 and Wednesday 18 September.  

In addition to these westbound or eastbound nightly carriageway closures the westbound entry slip road at junction 25 will be closed overnight on Friday 13 September with the eastbound exit slip road closed at junction 25 overnight on Thursday and Friday 19 and 20 September.