Home News M60 gantry demolition dates announced for July

M60 gantry demolition dates announced for July

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Sections of the M60 will be closed overnight for four nights during July while work takes place to demolish overhead gantries as part of the smart motorway scheme.

Highways England needs to remove the gantries, which weigh up to 100 tonnes, equivalent to the weight of around 70 family cars, as they are not suitable for the new electronic signs that are being installed as part of the £202 million project.

The 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 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.

Stretches of the M60 will be closed overnight, between 10pm and 6am, on Friday 3 July and during the first three Saturday nights in the month, between 9pm and 9am, while work takes place to remove one steel and three concrete gantries.

Paul Hampson, Project Manager at Highways England, said:

“The work to remove the outdated gantries is progressing well and we’re planning to remove another four during July, the largest of which spans 34 metres and weighs around 100 tonnes. It’s therefore essential we close sections of the motorway to remove them safely.

“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 anticlockwise side of the M60 will be closed overnight from junction 13 at Worsley to junction 12 at the M62/M602 interchange on Friday 3 July.

On Saturday 4 July, the clockwise side of the M60 will be closed overnight between junction 10 at Trafford Park and junction 12 at the M62/M602 interchange, along with the anticlockwise side between junction 12 and junction 11 at Irlam.

On Saturday 11 July, the M60 will be closed overnight in both directions between junction 12 at the M62/M602 interchange and junction 13 at Worsley.

Finally, the clockwise side of the M60 between junctions 9 and 10 near Trafford Park will be closed overnight on Saturday 18 July, along with the anticlockwise side between junction 12 at the M62/M602 interchange and junction 10.

The eastbound link roads from the M62 onto both sides of the M60 will also be closed during all three Saturday nights. Drivers will be able to follow clearly-signed diversion routes when sections of the motorway are closed.

Work to demolish 16 overhead gantries began in April and will continue into the summer. All of the closures will take place overnight at weekends at a time when the motorway is at its quietest.

When the smart motorway scheme is completed in autumn 2017, around 200 new electronic message signs on overhead gantries will warn drivers of changes in the mandatory speed limit, lane closures and incidents ahead.

To stay up to date with the latest developments, visit the road project pages.

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