What you need to know about the M62 closure in September

Tens of thousands of drivers were affected when the M62 motorway shut down over the weekend in the first of two historic closures this month.

National Highways shut a section of the motorway in Greater Manchester from 9pm on Friday until 6am on Monday.

Drone photos taken over the weekend show the 60-year-old Castleton bridge, which carried trains over the M62 near Rochdale, being demolished.

It marked the first time in living memory that the vital route - carrying approximately 120,000 vehicles daily - was shut down for such an extended period of planned work.

Network Rail is undertaking a £22m project to replace a 42-metre-long, 2,000-tonne railway bridge near Rochdale. A new bridge will be installed during a second weekend closure from 9pm on 20 September to 6am on 23 September.

The weekend's shutdown affected cross-Pennine journeys, as the M62 links Liverpool and Hull via Manchester and Leeds. This extended a number of trips to and from the North East for Sunday’s Great North Run, which attracted about 60,000 participants and many spectators.

It follows a similar disruption on the M25 in Surrey in March, where a five-mile stretch was closed for three days, causing significant delays.

When are the M62 weekend closures in September?

The closures are on the eastbound carriageway between J18 and J20 and the westbound carriageway between J19 and J20.

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

From Monday 9 September until Friday 20 September, there will be nightly closures of the M62 between J19 and J20 from 9pm to 6am.

M62 closures diversion route – where will drivers be sent?

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 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.

What's the advice for drivers?

Motorists are advised to avoid the closed section of the M62 during the two weekends by delaying journeys or planning alternative routes.

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.

Network Rail has urged drivers heading across the Pennines over the two weekends 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).

National Highways’ senior network planner (resilience) Gary Farrell 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.

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

The bridge replacement also means the railway will be closed between Manchester Victoria and Rochdale until the early morning of 25 September. Rail replacement buses will be in operation, with passengers warned that journey times will be “significantly longer than usual”.