A series of public information events in and around Penrith is continuing throughout the festive period ahead of two weekend closures of the M6 in the new year to provide details on closures and diversion of the motorway and local road restrictions.
The M6 will be closed for the first two weekends of January - 8pm on each Friday to 5am each Monday – to allow Network Rail to demolish and replace a 60 year old bridge at Clifton which carries the West Coast Mainline over the motorway between junction 39 at Shap and junction 40 at Penrith.
The M6 will be fully closed between junction 39 and junction 40 in both directions during the two weekends with a number of separate local and longer distance diversions in place.
National Highways has this week delivered over 23,000 leaflets to local residents with further details of diversions and other arrangements including local resident permits that will be required for using local roads during the closures.
Local residents can find out more at a series of public information/meet the team drop-in events which will be attended by project managers from both National Highways and Network Rail.
The remaining dates and venues for the events include:
Tuesday 23, Wednesday 24, Monday 29 and Tuesday 30 December, 9.30am to 5pm – at Rheged.
Monday 22 December, 10am to 7pm - Kirkby Stephen Methodist Church, High Street, Kirkby Stephen.
Steve Mason, National Highways’ programme delivery manager, said:
“We are working hard on a traffic management plan which will keep diverted traffic out of local villages and ensure everyone sticks to the official diversion routes. At the same time we want to ensure local people and services can access their own communities and experience as little disruption as possible.
“These public information events are an opportunity to find out more about the project and ask any questions about traffic management and other arrangements for the two weekend motorway closures.”
Keeping traffic on the key diversion routes and out of local villages is one of the key principles behind National Highways’ traffic management plan for the two weekend motorway closures.
To minimise the impact on local communities three main diversion routes for through traffic will be in place with southbound and northbound traffic using totally different routes:
Northbound drivers using the A6 from junction 39 and rejoining the M6 at junction 40 via Kemplay roundabout
Southbound HGVs leaving the M6 at junction 40 and being diverted onto the A1(M) at Scotch Corner via the eastbound A66
Other southbound drivers leaving at junction 40 diverted along the eastbound A66 to Brough and joining the southbound A685 to rejoin the M6 at junction 38 at Tebay via Kirkby Stephen.
The southbound diversions will be daytime only with all Southbound traffic between 8pm and 6am diverted with the Northbound traffic along the A6 via Kemplay Bank and Eamont Bridge to rejoin the M6 at junction 39 Shap.
To help keep diverted traffic on the move around junction 40, special arrangements will be in place at Skirsgill and Kemplay roundabouts with the M6 and A6 junctions respectively including temporary traffic lights National Highways will use to manage traffic flow. Kemplay roundabout will not operate as a roundabout with through traffic arrangement only.
Traffic will not be able to exit Penrith onto junction 40 with traffic diverted via Mile Lane and Newbiggin requiring resident permits to access these roads.
National Highways will be working with Cumbria Police throughout both weekends to minimise disruption on local communities and keep people safe on the county’s road network.
The works are planned to start on Friday the 2nd January with the M6 due to close from 8pm.
Subject to weather and delays to the project there is a risk the works could see a further third weekend of closures in January to complete the project.
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