M56 to be closed all weekend
MOTORISTS heading to Manchester Airport and into the city centre from the south, are being reminded that the M56 is closed all weekend.
While there will be access to the airport, it won’t be possible to travel into the city, or to Old Trafford where Manchester United are playing at 3pm on Saturday.
The M56 will be closed in both directions between junctions 5 and 6 for work to install a £5.5m new bridge.
The Highways Agency will be installing the bridge, linking Thorley Lane over the M56 near Manchester Airport, between 10pm on Friday and 5am on Monday March 2.
The westbound carriageway of the motorway will be closed throughout the weekend from junction 5 – allowing people heading away from Manchester to access the airport as normal.
The eastbound carriageway of the motorway will also be closed throughout the weekend from junction 6 at Hale, with people heading for the airport needing to take a short diversion along Hangar Lane to get to the airport complex.
Drivers with no need to be at the airport are being warned they will be unable to travel westbound beyond junction 5 or eastbound beyond junction 6 – and risk being trapped in airport traffic if they try.
A clearly-signed diversion steering traffic away from the M56 and the airport will be in place between junction 9 of the M56 at Lymm and the M60 in Manchester – using the M6, M62 and M60 instead.
Highways Agency project manager Mark Mosley said: “The simple message is that the M56 is closed this weekend at Manchester Airport and unless you need to catch or meet a flight then please, please stay clear for everyone’s sake.
“Local roads around the airport will be very busy so we appeal to anyone who does not need to travel to the airport or communities in the area to avoid the M56.”
Fans of Manchester United (home to Sunderland at 3pm on Saturday) and Manchester City (away at Liverpool at noon on Sunday) are also being warned not to try to use the M56 for journeys into and out of Manchester and to use the M60, M62 and M6 diversion routes instead.
Manchester Airports Group director of passenger services, Wayne Poole said: “While every effort is being made to minimise the disruption to airport users, the M56 closure will affect people travelling to and from Manchester Airport so we ask that people plan ahead for this closure and leave extra time to complete their journeys.”
