Earlier today the final restriction on a major M56 upgrade between junction 6, just south of Manchester Airport, and junction 8 at the A556 junction we’re lifted
This means you can now drive up to the 70mph national speed limit along this route.
If you’ve been using the road recently, you’ll know that a new fourth lane was opened earlier this year.
Drivers were kept at a lower maximum speed limit of 60mph for their safety while we fine-tuned the technology, which detects stopped vehicles.
The upgrade means drivers using this busy stretch of motorway, that carries around 142,000 vehicles each day, will benefit from added capacity and smoother journeys.
Motorists who get into difficulty during their journeys will be able to access any of four new emergency areas that have been created as part of the upgrade, two are located on each carriageway.
Drivers will have a place to stop in an emergency every 1.07 miles on average. Someone travelling at 70mph will reach a place to stop in an emergency every 66 seconds.
Emergency areas must only be used in an emergency. They provide a safer place to stop than a hard shoulder, are set back from the carriageway and are also wider than a hard shoulder.
They are designed to a standard 100 metres in length, with a 30-metre central stopping area. Drivers must use the emergency telephone provided and follow the operator’s advice for exiting the emergency area.
Drivers on the M56 will continue to see improvements to their journeys this summer as we resurface a section of the motorway.
As part of a separate £2.4 million project, the Highways Agency will be resurfacing lanes two and three of both carriageways between junction 6 and 7 of the M56.
The essential works are due to be complete by the end of July 2023.
The upgraded road surface will improve journeys and reduce the need for future repairs. While also benefitting the community as we’re installing a low-noise road surface.
To minimise the disruption to road users, they will be carrying out most of our work overnight between 8pm and 6am. We’ll mainly work under a series of overnight lane closures, meaning we can keep traffic flowing in both directions.
However, some overnight road closures will be required to complete our work safely. The M56 westbound junction 6 to 7 will be closed overnight from Tuesday 11 to Friday 14 July, reopening at 7am on Saturday 15 July.
Traffic numbers are very low in this area overnight and the usual good diversions for local and longer distance traffic will be in place.
