Several major roads will be closed this weekend to allow work to continue on Cheshire’s new A556 dual carriageway.

Junctions 7 and 8 of the M56, junction 19 of the M6 and the existing A556 will all be shut with diversions in place.

This is the second of three scheduled weekends of road closures as the £192 million Knutsford to Bowdon road is constructed.

The first took place last weekend and was completed on Monday morning.

This weekend’s 56 hour closure will begin at 9pm on Friday (March 3) and will be finished by Monday (March 6).

It will allow the old road to be sealed off to through traffic and for the motorway junctions to be tied into the new dual carriageway.

Motorway users will be diverted to alternative junctions to leave or join the M6 or M56.

Drivers on the northbound M6 heading for Manchester and Manchester Airport will need to stay on the M6, join the westbound M56 at Lymm Interchange (M6 junction 20) and then join the eastbound M56 at junction 10 at Stretton.

Drivers on the westbound M56 heading away from Manchester and wanting to join the southbound M6 will also need to travel to junction 10 at Stretton – joining the eastbound M56 from there to travel back to Lymm Interchange and access the southbound M6.

Local diversions will also be in place with access to the A50, Chapel Lane and Mereside Road.

A one way system, travelling southbound, will be in place at Bucklow Hill to allow access for residents and businesses located between the Bucklow Hill and Mere junctions along Chester Road.

Vehicles must use Mereside Road and Chapel Lane to access Chester Road. Traffic marshalls will be at Mere and Bucklow Hill junctions to facilitate the local diversion.

The roadworks will allow the motorway junctions to be tied into the new dual carriageway
The roadworks will allow the motorway junctions to be tied into the new dual carriageway

Over the weekend, only the northbound exit slip at junction 19 of the M6 will remain partially open – allowing drivers to access the southbound, local authority section, of the A556 towards Northwich.

Drivers are advised to build in some extra time for the diversions and to check traffic conditions before setting out on journeys.

Highways England provides live traffic information via its website www.trafficengland.com, local and national radio travel bulletins, electronic road signs and mobile apps.

Information is also available from Twitter via @highwaysNWEST as well as services in other regions.

Providing they can do so safely, road users can also call the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000 to keep up to date with road conditions.

The final full weekend of closures for finishing work will take place between 9pm on Friday (March 10) and 5am on Monday (March 13).

Construction of the new A556 link road started in November 2014 and is part of a £15 billion government investment in motorways and major A roads.

It is being delivered by Highways England as part of the Northern Powerhouse initiative.