North West motorways including the M56 in Cheshire set for £128 million ‘wear and tear repair’ investment

Millions of road users across the North West are set to enjoy safer and smoother journeys after we outlined a multi-million-pound package of wear and tear repairs and improvements during the next 12 months.

Key motorway routes including the M56 and M6 are included in the planned ‘renewals’ package.

The cash is also in addition to the hundreds of millions of pounds committed to delivering major infrastructure improvements in construction or in development such as the M56 and M6 motorway upgrades.

In total, we’re spending more than £128.9 million up to the end of next March on 116 renewals schemes across Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Lancashire and Cumbria.

Alan Shepherd, our regional director for the North West, said: “Hundreds of thousands of drivers rely on National Highways motorways and major A-roads daily for work journeys, home deliveries and the movement of goods and services, so it’s essential that we keep them in a good condition to ensure safety and reliability.

“This investment – whilst not always the eye-catching stuff – means that we can continue our work to deliver the essential maintenance and vital upgrades that will help keep drivers on the move throughout the region.”

πWe have already started work on our comprehensive maintenance and improvements programme for the year with the in-year allocation of funds including:

• £18 million for the A533 Expressway bridge replacement over the M56 in Cheshire
• £4.5 million for comprehensive resurfacing along the M57 in Merseyside
• £2.5 million for the M67 St Anne’s bridge replacement in Greater Manchester
• £2.5 million for ongoing work along the M60 Palatine Road viaduct in Greater Manchester
• £2 million M6 River Dane bridge concrete repairs near Holmes Chapel in Cheshire
• £1.5 million for Barton bridge parapet repairs along the M60 near the Trafford Centre

As well as dozens of smaller projects up and down the region to deliver resurfacing, refresh road markings and road studs and renew sections of safety barrier and drainage, there is also money for design or engineering work to extend the life of key sections of the region’s major.