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£3.3 Million For M65 Resurfacing

A £3.3 million National Highways project along the M65 in Lancashire will help keep the motorway safe for drivers.

A three-mile section of the motorway between junction 8 at Hapton and junction 10 at Burnley is being resurfaced in both directions in overnight roadworks which will start later this month.

As well as a new road surface, the work also includes replacement of road markings, bridge joints and traffic detection cables. Forty four bridge joints – mechanisms that allow bridge decks to safely expand and contract with the weather – will be replaced at the same time as the resurfacing to reduce costs and inconvenience to motorway users.

National Highways project manager Rob Williams said:
“These are routine wear and tear repairs but they are important to ensure the motorway is kept in good condition for drivers. Totally resurfacing both carriageways and replacing so many bridge joints at the same time is a huge undertaking and either the westbound or the eastbound carriageway will be closed on a nightly basis. Clearly-signed diversions along an established diversion route will be in place.”

Work will start from Monday 18 October for around 17 weeks with nightly working between Monday and Saturday starting at 8pm each night. The work will finish at 5am each day except on Saturdays when the work will continue until 7am.

For safety, overnight full carriageway closures will be in place along the eastbound carriageway between junction 8 and junction 10 or along the westbound carriageway between junction 10 and junction 8. Work around junction 10 or junction 8 will also require occasional carriageway closures between junction 7 at Accrington and junction 11 east of Burnley. The diversion route will run south of the M65 along the A579 Accrington/Burnley Road between Burnley and the A56 at Huncoat interchange.

More information on the project, including diversion routes, is available at www.highwaysengland.co.uk/regions/north-west.

Overnight closure information is also posted daily on Twitter @HighwaysNWEST.