The first phase of a multi-million pound project to resurface roads near Manchester Airport, including parts of the M56, has been completed.

National Highways has said that the £2.3m project to resurface a number of slip roads and large sections of the M56 between junction 4 at Wythenshawe and junction 6 at Hale Barns will continue into next month but is progressing well.

The government agency has also thanked motorists for their patience as the works have been carried out.

Overnight works began in June and now all the M56 eastbound carriageway resurfacing has been completed, with the focus of the work shifting to the westbound carriageway when the project resumed on Monday, 15 July. 

The remainder of the work is not set to affect people's access to the airport at junction 5, meaning people heading to the airport for early morning flights or work should no longer be impacted.

National Highways said it was keen to get this phase of the work out of the way before the main summer holidays got underway.

The remaining overnight carriageway closures, none of which will affect access to the airport are currently scheduled as follows:

  • Tonight (Monday, July 22) to Friday (July 26) - M56 westbound junction 5 to 6
  • Monday, July 29 and Tuesday, July 30 - M56 westbound junction 5 to 6
  • Sunday, August 4, Thursday, August 8, and Friday, August 9 - M56 westbound junction 5 to 6

All the work, which also includes replacing some bridge joints and traffic detection loops in the road surface, is being carried out between 9pm and 5am (7am on Saturdays) when the motorway is at its quietest.

Further information on these and other slip road closures, including diversion maps, is available on an M56 webpage.

National Highways project manager Rob Williams said: “We’d really like to thank people heading to the airport for work or early morning flights for their patience– especially in June when the eastbound M56 was closed at junction 7 for five nights with a lengthy motorway diversion in place. 

“This is important, if routine, wear and tear work which we can only really do at this time of the year in decent weather. We’re making good progress and hope motorway users are already enjoying safer and smoother journeys along this section of the M56.”