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Warning as M60 weekend closures announced

George LythgoeLocal Democracy Reporting Service
News imageNational Highways Simister Island, Junction 18 on the M60 motorway in Greater Manchester. The image shows vehicles travelling at junction 18 of the M60 with vehicles on the right of the motorway heading for the M62 towards Leeds and Huddersfield. It is a cloudy and dry day.National Highways
The reason for the closure is to remove five overhead gantries, National Highways says

Transport bosses are warning of severe delays as a busy interchange and stretch of motorway is set to be closed for two weekends.

The Simister Island junction of the M60 Manchester Outer Ring Road will be closed - and the motorway shut in both directions to junction 17 (Whitefield) - on the weekends of 26 September and 10 October, National Highways said.

Simister Island, north of Manchester, connects the M60, M62, and M66.

National Highways added the reason for the closure was to remove five overhead gantries that carried M60 signage, and together weighed about 450 tonnes. The removal will mark the completion of the current phase of the £207-£340m upgrade of Simister Island to ease congestion.

The upcoming weekend closures are as follows:

26-28 September:

  • M60 anticlockwise (westbound): closed from 20:00 BST Saturday to 6:00 Monday
  • M60 clockwise (eastbound): closed from 22:00 BST Saturday to 6:00 Monday

10-12 October:

  • M60 anticlockwise (westbound): closed from 22:00 BST Saturday to 6:00 Monday
  • M60 clockwise (eastbound): closed from 23.59 BST Saturday to 6:00 Monday

The weekends were carefully chosen to reduce the impact on road users as much as possible, said National Highways.

However, severe delays to journeys are expected, so motorists have been urged to plan ahead and avoid, where possible, the M60 between junctions 17 and 18 during the closures.

Diversions will be in place and National Highways has been working closely with Transport for Greater Manchester, local authorities and partners to keep disruption to a minimum, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Nicola Eastwell, National Highways project manager, said: "The M60 Simister Island scheme will create extra capacity, improve traffic flows and support future housing, employment and economic growth across the city region."

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