Traffic bulletin: Weekend overnight closures for vital M6 bridge works
The first of a handful of overnight carriageway closures as part of the £9 million overhaul of a bridge carrying the M6 over the River Lowther near Penrith in Cumbria are taking place at the weekend.
The two-year project started today (Monday 31 March) and National Highways will be setting out the first phase of long-term traffic management over the next two weekends – with the northbound carriageway closed between junction 39 and junction 40 from 10pm to 6am this weekend on both Saturday and Sunday nights (5 and 6 April). From Monday (7 April) the northbound carriageway will be reduced to two lanes – with the hard shoulder and lane one closed and with drivers using lanes two and three to drive past the roadworks.
The southbound M6 will then be closed between junction 40 and junction 39 from 10pm to 6am each night on Saturday 12 April and Sunday 13 April. From Monday 14 April the southbound carriageway will reduced to two lanes – again with the hard shoulder and lane one closed and drivers able to use lanes two and three past the roadworks.
During both weekend overnight carriageway closures a diversion will operate between junction 39 and junction 40 using the parallel A6.
The work, along the bridge deck and underneath it, includes concrete repairs to both the deck superstructure and substructure, full re-waterproofing and resurfacing and renewing the central reservation barrier. Bridge joints – mechanisms in the carriageway which allow the bridge to expand or contract in different weather conditions – will also be replaced.
The motorway will remain open at all times when the repairs are taking place with two lanes operating in both the southbound and northbound carriageway during the day and a lane open in each direction overnight.
A 40mph speed limit with free recovery will be in place. The traffic management is being shared with Network Rail which is working to replace Clifton bridge – about ¾ mile south of Lowther bridge and which carries the important west coast mainline over the motorway.
Drivers heading out on journeys can check traffic conditions before setting out on journeys. Live traffic information is always available at www.trafficengland.com or from National Highways’ 24-7 customer contact centre at 0300 123 5000. Updates will also be posted to @HighwaysNWest – National Highways’ regional feed on X.
More information about the Lowther Bridge project is available on a dedicated webpage.
Notes to Editors
National Highways is the wholly government-owned company responsible for modernising, maintaining and operating England’s motorways and major A roads.
Real-time traffic information for England’s motorways and major A roads is available via the Traffic England website, local and national radio travel bulletins, electronic road signs and mobile apps. Local Twitter services are also available.
For further information please contact National Highways' press office (24hrs) on 0844 693 1448 and select the most appropriate option:
Option 1: National enquiries (9am to 5.30pm) and out of hours for urgent enquiriesOption 2: North West (9am to 5.30pm)Option 3: Yorkshire and North East (9am to 5.30pm)Option 4: West Midlands (9am to 5.30pm)Option 5: East Midlands (9am to 5.30pm)Option 6: East (9am to 5.30pm)Option 7: South East (9am to 5.30pm)Option 8: South West (9am to 5.30pm)
