Congestion warning ahead of second M62 weekend closure

Drivers planning to use the motorway network around Rochdale, Oldham and north Manchester this weekend are being urged to check traffic conditions before setting out on journeys.

The M62 will be totally closed between 9pm on Friday (September 20) and 6am on Monday (September 23) to allow Network Rail to complete its important bridge replacement work.

The motorway was closed for a weekend earlier this month as Network Rail demolished Castleton bridge between junction 19 and junction 20 of the motorway at Rochdale. 

As expected, drivers experienced congestion along both the motorway network and diversion routes.

The motorway carries around 120,000 vehicles a day and is the country’s only trans-Pennine motorway linking Liverpool and Hull and the major cities of Manchester and Leeds in between.

Now National Highways, which operates the M62, is urging drivers planning local or cross-Pennine trips over the weekend to delay journeys, look for alternative routes well away from the area or check for congestion before setting out.

Gary Farrell, National Highways’ senior network planner (resilience), said: “During the first weekend closure we had significant if unsurprising congestion at times on the approaches to the closure along both the clockwise M60 and westbound M62 as well as the diversion routes.

“This weekend, queues are likely again along the M60, M62 and diversion routes especially during the day and we strongly urge people planning to travel to delay their journeys or use alternative routes well away from this part of the motorway network. 

“At the very least people should be checking for congestion or incidents before setting out and leaving extra time for journeys. 

"There is plenty of live information available on our website at www.trafficengland.com, on X or from our 24-7 customer call centre at 0300 123 5000.

"Even a quick glance at the map on your mobile phone before leaving the house will tell you how far back the queues are.”

National Highways has been working with Network Rail for months to publicise the two weekend closures of the motorway to allow the essential replacement of Castleton bridge – a near 60-year-old structure forming a critical part of the railway network.

Staff at National Highways’ regional operations centre at Newton-le-Willows and National Traffic Operations Centre (NTOC) at Birmingham will again be setting advance and real-time messages on electronic signs across the motorway network to warn drivers ahead of and during the weekend closure.

This weekend’s closure plan is a repeat of the first one – with the eastbound M62 closed from junction 18 at Simister Island interchange to junction 20 at Rochdale. 

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

The diversion for eastbound drivers will use the strategic road network with drivers from the M66 or clockwise M60 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 should join the southbound A627(M) and then use the westbound A664 and northbound A6046 to re-join the M62 at junction 19.

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 the diversion information.

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 and @HighwaysYorks – National Highways’ regional feeds on X.

This second weekend closure is taking place after Network Rail successfully removed the old bridge during a weekend closure of the M62 at the beginning of the month.

Some overnight lane closures along the M62 may be required after Monday to help Network Rail complete the project, but these are unlikely to have a significant impact on motorway journeys.

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