M6 Clifton Bridge West Coast Main Line replacement work begins

Drivers are being diverted as a concrete railway bridge is demolished and a new steel crossing installed.

The M6 between junctions 39 at Shap and 40 near Penrith is closed this weekend and next as part of West Coast Main Line works, which have also seen disruption to train services.

It is to allow for the demolition of the 60-year-old Clifton Bridge, which began earlier.

Project manager William Brandon from Network Rail said it had taken “slightly longer than anticipated”, but work would be carried out on time.

“It has taken slightly longer than anticipated due to the complex nature of this bridge,” Mr Brandon said.

“When we plan these civil engineering projects we always build in contingency time and we are confident that we will hand back the M6 on time on Monday morning.”

The bridge will be replaced by a new 427ft-long (130m), 4,200 tonne structure, which just needs to be moved into place from a holding area nearby.

James Corker, rail director at Skanska, which is working on the project, said he was “extremely confident” works would run on time.

Mr Corker said: “We’ve done 4D rehearsals on it, digital rehearsals putting the bridge in and taking the old bridge out.

“So yeah, extremely confident.”

Steve Mason from National Highways said the £60m bridge was part of a “vital project” on the route between Carlisle and London.

He said Kirkby Stephen would take the brunt of the diverted traffic during the day, and Clifton and Shap would see more impact at night.

“We are trying to spread that burden over those hours over the weekend,” Mr Mason said.

Eamont Bridge resident Stewart Hannan, who will see vehicles diverted through his village, said: “The bridge has got to be put in so it’s just something we’re going to have to put up with.”

Planned disruption for West Coast Mainline works includes:

• The M6 will be shut between junction 39 at Shap and junction 40 near Penrith from 20:00 GMT on 2 January to 05:00 on 5 January and at the same times the following weekend

• Until 5 January: buses will replace trains between Milton Keynes and Northampton/Rugby

• Until 5 January: trains will not call at stations between Preston and Carlisle with buses used instead. Buses will also replace trains between Blackpool, Buckshaw Parkway Preston, Lancaster and Wigan

• Until 7 January, buses will replace trains between Carlisle and Dumfries/Lockerbie

• Until 15 January: buses will run between Oxenholme and Carlisle, with a shuttle rail diversion running on the Settle to Carlisle line between Preston and Carlisle