Motorists have been warned to expect delays as parts of a major motorway will be closed to allow for the installation of a new £22m railway bridge. Work to replace the bridge between Manchester and Leeds on the M62 in Castleton, near Rochdale, has begun and will see part of the road shut from 21:00 BST on Friday until 06:00 on Monday.
The road closure to install the bridge “could not be avoided”, Network Rail said, with it being repeated between 20 and 23 September. Dee Murray from National Highways said motorway traffic would have to go onto local roads, adding: “It’s all been planned but it is going to be extremely busy.
The original railway bridge was built in 1969 and was given a lifespan of 60 years. Demolishing it safely was a difficult process with engineers having been on site since February. Concrete peckers will be used to take the old bridge away before the debris is removed and the new bridge will be wheeled down the motorway and fitted into place.
Olivia Boland from Network Rail said workers had begun by removing a motorway embankment. She said: “We’ve had to complete a major earthworks scheme and build a new road to motorway specification which will take the weight of all our machinery. She told BBC Radio Manchester: “Before demolition, we put thick pieces of wood down on the carriageway to protect the road surface.
Source: BBC
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