A section of the M62 is due to close this weekend while work progresses on Manchester's smart motorway scheme.

It is understood the route between Heywood and Rochdale will be shut from 9:30pm to 10am on Saturday, 23 January.

Contractors for Highways England have been closing short stretches of the motorway to install temporary narrow lanes on the M60 between junctions 15 (M61 interchange) and 18 (M66/M62 interchange).

In addition, the closures have allowed supporting overhead gantry posts to be removed between junctions 19 (Heywood) and 20 (Rochdale).


However, one closure had to be postponed and will now take place this weekend.

The 130 tonne gantries were removed before Christmas as part of the smart motorway project which will see the hard shoulder permanently converted to an extra lane between junctions 18 and 20 of the M62.

The temporary narrow lanes will allow engineers to install technology at the side of the motorway needed to monitor the flow of traffic.

Highways England's project manager, Paul Hampson, said: "The smart motorway scheme is a major upgrade to tackle congestion and reduce journey times. The extra lane on the M62 will increase capacity between the North West and Yorkshire, and the variable limit will tackle stop-start conditions by keeping vehicles moving."

The £202 million smart motorway scheme between junction 8 of the M60 near Sale and junction 20 of the M62 near Rochdale will see the latest technology being used to monitor traffic levels and keep vehicles moving.

Around 200 new electronic signs on overhead gantries will be installed and the scheme will be completed in autumn 2017.

(LM/MH)