MOTORISTS are being warned about another temporary closure of the M67 motorway which runs through Tameside.
National Highways has confirmed that the M67 between Junction 1a at Ashton Road in Denton and Junction 3 in Hyde will be fully closed to traffic between 9pm on Friday, February 16, and 5am on Monday, February 19.
Diversions will be in place but drivers are being told to plan their journeys ahead, with traffic in the affected areas likely to be heavier than usual.
The closure is part of work to replace the St Anne’s Road bridge in Denton over the M67, which isn’t expected to be complete until 2026.
It will enable two steel beams to be installed, which carry utility cables and pipework to ensure services such as water, gas and electricity remain on during the next phase of the project.
Mangat Banal, from National Highways, said: “Each pair of beams weighs around 97 tonnes and will need to be carefully lifted in place by cranes.
“To do this safely, without causing any risk to the travelling public, we need to close the M67 for a weekend.
“We always work to minimise disruption to customers but regretfully, delays to journeys are expected over the weekend. We advise everyone to plan ahead before they travel and allow extra time to complete their journey.”
The M67 also had to be closed for a full weekend last August.
As was the case then, motorists wishing to use the motorway during the closure will have the option to head to junction 23 of the M60 and take a signed diversion route via the A635 Stamford Street to A6018, joining the A57 at Mottram.
Those needing to travel to Hyde or Denton will be directed on to local diversion routes via the A57 Hyde Road / Manchester Road between junctions 1A and 3 of the M67.
National Highways started work on the bridge around a year ago, saying it was necessary as the infrastructure had “reached the end of its serviceable life”.
Since then, the first phase of utility diversions like water and gas pipelines have been completed, while the bridge’s eastern side has also been demolished and the supporting wall has been remodelled.
Anyone who has any questions about the work can call the National Highways customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000 or email info@nationalhighways.co.uk