A £7 million package of maintenance and repairs along the M6 near Carlisle in Cumbria which will keep drivers and the local economy, smoothly and safely on the move, has been unveiled by Highways England.
The work includes resurfacing the main motorway carriageway, upgrading the roundabout at busy junction 44 and installing an improved noise barrier in the area.
The series of separate improvements is being carried out as one project to minimise disruption to drivers – similar to work completed along the A66 Eden Valley around Penrith last year.
Highways England project manager Jobert Fermilan said: “This work will ensure people using this part of Cumbria can continue to enjoy safe and smooth M6 journeys.
“Delivering several different improvements in one package, as we did with the recent resurfacing work along the A66, will help minimise disruption and inconvenience to road users.”
Junction 44, where the M6 meets the A7 and A689, is one of the busiest in the county and provides access to the motorway network for several retail and business parks as well as distribution firms.
In detail the project – which starts on Monday 1 April and should and be completed in August – involves:
Resurfacing the M6 northbound and southbound carriageways between junctions 44 and 45 north of Carlisle
Totally resurfacing the junction 44 roundabout and providing improved road markings to help guide drivers through the junction.
Giving people living along the northbound carriageway near Todhills extra protection from noise by installing a brand new replacement acoustic barrier.
The work will be delivered during two distinct phases with the carriageway resurfacing and acoustic barrier improvements starting in April and requiring overnight lane closures and some speed restrictions past the roadworks. A second phase will follow – concentrating on the roundabout upgrade and requiring overnight closures of the junction over five weekends.
Highways England has already discussed the work with Cumbria County Council and local businesses and will be publicising more details including any lane and junction closures ahead of and during the work.
Cllr Keith Little, Cumbria County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: “This is fantastic news for the M6, and for the communities and businesses that rely on this important route every day. Works to enhance road safety and the installation of a noise barrier will facilitate a better and safer experience for all road users and I’m delighted that such significant investment is being made in to the M6.”
A dedicated webpage for the project is available at: www.highwaysengland.co.uk/M6CarlisleNorth
Anyone interested in the improvements and details of the roadworks can also find out more by attending one of several ‘drop-in’ events Highways England is staging at the M6 junction 44 Premier Inn (Parkhouse Road, Carlisle, CA3 0JR) on Wednesday and Thursday 24 and 25 April (both 6pm to 10pm) and on Friday 26 April (10am to 5pm).
