Significant disruption and delays are expected on local roads as the first of two major M6 weekend closures begins tonight at 8pm when the M6 will be fully closed between Junction 40 at Penrith and Junction 39 at Shap to all Northbound and Southbound traffic until 5am on Monday morning.
The closures are to enable Network Rail to carry out work to replace Clifton Railway bridge that carries the Westcoast mainline over the M6 at Clifton.
The WestCoast main line closed on New Years Eve for 16 days with Network Rail starting work stripping the bridge of its tracks overhead wires and gantry and ballast that has carried the trains across the 60 year old bridge.
The M6 will shut between junction 39 and 40 from:
8pm Friday 2 to 5am Monday 5 January
8pm Friday 9 to 5am Monday 12 January
Clearly signed diversions will be in place, but significant delays are expected on local roads as the full volume of motorway traffic is diverted.
Drivers are strongly urged to avoid this section of the M6 and use other routes.
If that’s not possible, the advice is to plan ahead and allow extra time or consider retiming your trip.
Drivers will face restrictions on roads heading out of Penrith on Kemplay and J40 between 5am and 8pm daily when these routes will be closed and diversions in place.
Carlton Avenue onto Kemplay Roundabout will also be closed to traffic over both weekends as Kemplay Roundabout will be reconfigured to no operate as a roundabout to enable the southbound M6 traffic diverted onto the A66 traffic to flow uninterrupted along the southbound diversion route.
Drivers can sign up to National Highways' text alert service on 07723 402215 and type M6 Clifton Railway Replacement
Then select "Add to Home Screen"
