Highways England are advising motorists of a closure to the M56 next month as construction works get underway.

Junction eight of the M56 near Bowdon in Cheshire will close for approximately four weeks.

The closure is part of construction work on Highways England's new £192m A556 link road between the M56 and M6.

The junction will close from 14 September as part of the second phase of works between Bowdon Roundabout and the Bucklow Hill junction.

The closure will be accompanied by seven overnight closures of both the southbound and northbound A556 between Bowdon Roundabout and Bucklow Hill between 14 September and 24 September, with no closures on 19 and 20 September.


The closures will last from 9pm to 5am each night.

Also from the 14 September, the Cherry Tree Lane at its junction with the southbound A556 will be closed for around six months with a signed diversion in place.

Highways England A556 project manager Jonathan Stokes said: "These are scheduled closures for key elements of the improvements we are making to the existing northern section of the A556 to accommodate the new dual carriageway."

Construction work on the new link road, which will bypass most of the existing route, began in November 2014 and is planned to open early in 2017.

The month-long closure of junction 8 is for work to refurbish the Chester Road bridge which carries the A556 and start of the slip road over the motorway.

Drivers needing to access the westbound M56 can use alternative motorway junctions such as junction six at Hale or use the official diversion - joining the westbound M56 from the M6 at Lymm Interchange via the A56 through Lymm, A50 to junction 20 of the M6 and southbound M6 to the interchange.

Signed diversions will also be in place for the A556 overnight and long-term Cherry Tree Lane closures.

(LM/MH)