Drivers have been warned of closures on the busy M62 motorway.
Three overhead gantries are due to be removed from the M62 near Rochdale during the next four weekends as part of a major project to tackle congestion and improve journey times.
Contractors for Highways England need to close a two-mile stretch of the motorway overnight in both directions between junction 19 at Heywood and junction 20 at Oldham on Saturday nights to take down the gantries, which are not suitable for the smart motorway scheme.
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The overhead gantries – which span both the eastbound and westbound carriageways of the motorway – are 40 metres wide and weigh 130 tonnes each. Specialist 500-tonne cranes will be used to remove the gantries.
It means the motorway will be closed between 9pm on Saturday until 10am on the Sundays, as part of the £202m smart motorway project.
The scheme between junction 8 of the M60 near Sale and junction 20 of the M62 will see the latest technology being used to monitor traffic levels and keep vehicles moving by using variable speed limits. The hard shoulder will also be permanently converted into an extra lane to increase capacity between junctions 18 and 20 on the M62.
The calm before the storm - amazing pictures of the M62 under construction 45 years ago
Highways England project manager Paul Hampson said: “These are massive structures and we will need to close the M62 to remove them safely by lifting the beams onto the carriageway, where they’ll be broken up and transported away, and then by removing the gantry legs using a smaller crane.
“We’re advising people to allow extra time for their journeys if they’re planning to travel when the closures are taking place, although we’ve deliberately timed the demolition work to be carried out when traffic levels are at their lowest.”
The overnight closures between junctions 19 and 20 on the M62 will take place on Saturday 14, 21 and 28 November, and on Saturday 5 December. The closures could be postponed if strong winds are forecast.
