Travel disruption expected on M56 towards Manchester Airport for three weeks

M56 eastbound carriageway Credit: National Highways

Holidaymakers travelling from Cheshire to Manchester Airport are being urged to leave extra time for journeys starting from next week.

Ongoing overnight work on the M56 eastbound carriageway will effect anyone taking late night and early morning flights between 9am and 7pm, from locations west of the airport, including parts of Cheshire.

Sajjad Ali, National Highways’ M56 upgrade project manager: "On nights when the eastbound carriageway is closed, those good diversions will be in place but our key message for people heading to the airport for an early morning flight is to please spend a little time planning journeys before setting out and follow the diversion advice once you are approaching the airport."

The third and final main construction phase of the project began in May installing new drainage and a concrete safety barrier Credit: National Highways

He continued: "We have an ongoing conversation with the airport about our construction programme and only close carriageways when we need the space to work safely."

Work will begin on Thursday 14 July and is due to finish on Friday 5 August, into Saturday 6 August. 

Other locations affected by the overnight work include the West Midlands and North Wales.

Overnight closures of the eastbound carriageway will take place on:

  • Thursday 14 July (9pm to 6am)

  • Friday 15 July (9pm to 7am)

  • Monday 18 July (9pm to 6am)

  • Tuesday 19 July (9pm to 6am)

  • Wednesday 20 July (9pm to 6am)

  • Thursday 21 July (9pm to 6am)

  • Friday 22 July (9pm to 7am)

  • Monday 25 July (9pm to 6am)

  • Tuesday 26 July (9pm to 6am)

  • Wednesday 27 July (9pm to 6am)

  • Thursday 28 July (9pm to 6am)

  • Friday 29 July (9pm to 7am)

  • Monday 1 August (9pm to 6am)

  • Tuesday 2 August (9pm to 6am)

  • Wednesday 3 August (9pm to 6am)

  • Thursday 4 August (9pm to 6am)

  • Friday 5 August (9pm to 7am)

Diversions

Anyone travelling the airport from junction 7 of the motorway at Altrincham should use the northbound A56 through Altrincham, eastbound A56, then the southbound A5144 Thorley Lane/Delahays Road and eastbound A538 Hale Road from Timperely to Hale Barns then using Runger Lane to get to the airport and junction 5. 

This route is not suitable for commercial vehicles.

People heading to the airport can follow the following diversions - via Altrincham (above) or via the M6, A57, M60 and westbound M56 (below) Credit: National Highways

Drivers preferring to use the alternative motorway route should join or stay on the M6 at Lymm interchange – M56 junction 9/M6 Junction 20 – travelling north to junction 21 of the M6 where they should join the eastbound A57 Manchester Road, anti-clockwise M60 and westbound M56 for junction 5.

National Highways say the M56, between junction 6 at Hale Barnes and junction 8 at Bowdon, will be closed nightly apart from at weekends over that period.