National Highways issues update for Wigan motorway upgrade

A major phase of National Highways’ upgrade of the M6 between Warrington and Wigan is continuing with gantries needed for electronic and other signs being installed along the northern section of the project.

In January, the project team started installing gantries between junction 23 (Haydock) and junction 26 (Orrell).

To continue this work a series of overnight closures of either the southbound or northbound carriageway will continue on Monday March 20.

In all, 65 new gantries are being installed along the motorway between junction 21a and junction 26.

Ten of the new structures are super-span gantries providing overhead signs across both carriageways.

In all, 21 gantries have now been installed between junction 23 at Haydock and junction 26 at Orrell with just 12 more still to be installed.

The other 32 gantries will be installed between junctions 21a and 23 over the coming months.

A new video showing the overnight construction of one of the new ‘super-span’ gantries straddling all eight lanes of the motorway has also been released.

The current phase of work also includes installing new safety barriers, completing drainage and finishing resurfacing of the new lane one in both the southbound and northbound carriageways.

Work to tackle potholes in other lanes will also be taking place.

To allow the remaining gantries to be installed safely, the southbound M6 between junction 26 and junction 23 will be closed overnight – 9pm to 6am - on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights of next week (March 20-23). Overnight - 9pm to 6am - northbound carriageway closures between junction 23 and junction 26 will be taking place on Friday March 24 and also on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (March 27-31).

Clearly-signed diversions will be in place running west of the M6 using the A580, A570 and M58.

More information about the project is available from a dedicated webpage.