Highways England has completed major repairs and safety improvements along the M6 near Knutsford in Cheshire – lifting road works at the weekend.

The last narrow lanes, 50mph speed limits and cones and barriers were removed from the motorway between junction 19 at Knutsford and junction 20 at Lymm on Sunday morning (July 10) after completion of a new concrete central reservation safety barrier and repairs to two bridges.

A substantial proportion of the £14.5 million works, which started in December, have been completed.

Aerial picture of the new concrete barrier at junction 19 of the M6 at Knutsford

However, after a review of the project, Highways England has decided to lift roadworks and complete the final elements of the scheme – including repairing a third bridge and installing new steel safety barriers in the motorway verges – at another time, using only hard shoulder and occasional overnight lane closures.

Highways England project manager Phil Deller said: “We would like to thank drivers for their patience over the last few months while we have worked to deliver these vital bridge repairs and important safety improvements, often requiring overnight carriageway closures.

“We will be returning to finish the work at a later stage but will look to do that with the minimum of inconvenience to drivers and encroachment on carriageways.”