Drivers are being reminded that a key section of England’s main trans-Pennine motorway will be closed this month.
As Network Rail looks to replace an almost 60-year-old railway bridge, the Castleton bridge, a key section of the M62 between junction 19 at Heywood and junction 20 at Rochdale is set to close for two full weekends while demolition work takes place.
The section of the major motorway will be closed in both directions from 9pm on Friday (6 September) to 6am on Monday (9 September), and again from 9pm on Friday 20 September to 6am on Monday 23 September.
National Highways – which operates the M62 – is working with Network Rail to ensure the work goes “as smoothly as possible”, but just as you’d expect, is warning drivers that will likely affect travel plans, especially as the motorway links Liverpool and Hull, as well as the cities of Manchester and Leeds in between.
#M62#Rochdale The M62 between Manchester and Leeds will be CLOSED at Rochdale this weekend.
While drivers are being urged to avoid this section of the M62 if possible, diversions will be in place.
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Due to the timings of the work over the two weekends, different closure and diversion arrangements will be in place for the westbound and eastbound carriageways – with the eastbound carriageway actually being closed from junction 18 of the M62 at Simister Island interchange, to junction 20 of the M62 at Rochdale.
The westbound carriageway will be closed between junction 20 at Rochdale and junction 19 at Heywood.
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This is the first time in recent memory that the M62 – which carries around 120,000 vehicles a day – has been closed for a whole weekend or other extended periods, specifically for planned work.
A key part of the M62 in Rochdale is closing this weekend / Credit: National Highways
Traffic officers at National Highways’ regional operations nearby will be working “around the clock” throughout the two weekends to monitor traffic, and work alongside the police and Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) to help clear any incidents as quickly as possible.
Drivers heading across the Pennines are being urged to plan journeys in advance, including checking for congestion or incidents before setting out.
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A dedicated webpage has been set up to help keep commuters, businesses, and other M62 users up to date with all the progress and planned closures in relation to the Network Rail project – including diversion information.
Check it out on the National Highways website here.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
News
Family pay tribute to father-of-two killed in Rochdale plane crash
Daisy Jackson
The family of a man killed in a light aircraft crash in Rochdale have paid tribute to a ‘deeply loving father and devoted husband’.
36-year-old Arian Abbasi was one of two men killed when an aircraft crashed into farmland in Littleborough in Rochdale last week, after travelling from Birmingham.
Emergency services rushed to the scene shortly after 11am on Tuesday 3 February, but sadly pronounced both men dead at the scene.
It’s believed there was no one else on board the aircraft, and there were no reported injuries on the ground.
Now, Arian’s family have issued a moving tribute to him. He was a pilot from Harrow in Greater London.
They described him as being a ‘deeply loving’ family man, whose passion was flying.
He was about to embark on a new chapter with a commercial airline in just a few weeks’ time.
His family said: “He lived his life for his family and friends, giving them his constant love, strength, and support.
“Flying was his passion, and he was on the brink of beginning an exciting new chapter with a commercial airline on 23 February; a dream he had worked toward with immense pride and determination.”
GMP investigations are now focused on finding part of the parachute system which contains propellant and hasn’t yet been located.
Finding the device has been ‘very difficult’ due to the nature of the terrain and the wide area over which it may have travelled.
It measures approximately 10 cm in diameter and 30 cm long and has a red anodised finish. It weighs less than 2 kg. It may have a silver metal collar attached at one end.
GMP said: “Please do not handle the device if you see it. If discovered, contact the police immediately via 101 or our Live Chat at gmp.police.uk, quoting log 1056 of 03/02/26.”
Homeless children in Greater Manchester will now get free bus travel to and from school
Emily Sergeant
Children who are currently living in temporary housing in Greater Manchester are set to get extra support with school travel.
In a move that was announced by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) at the end of last week, and following years of campaigning, homeless children living in temporary accommodation are now set to get free school travel on all Bee Network buses.
TfGM says it understands that some children end up a long way from their school when placed into temporary accommodation, and this leaves parents or carers with the difficult choice of either having to move them to a closer school, which ultimately disrupts their education, or having to pay unexpected travel costs.
While the Greater Manchester Strategy – which is the plan for the city region’s next decade – commits to reducing the number of families and children in temporary accommodation, and measures are also being taken to make sure residents have the support they need to ‘access, improve, and retain’ a decent, affordable home, this doesn’t tackle the immediate issue.
Homeless children in Greater Manchester will now get free school bus travel / Credit: TfGM
So, to help those families when they ‘need it most’, free bus travel to and from school is set to be provided, as subject to approval of this year’s Combined Authority budget.
The move comes after Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham asked TfGM last year to look at options to help with the cost of travel.
“Using our locally-controlled Bee Network buses to support families when they need it most is the right thing to do,” Andy Burnham commented.
Of course, the long-term solution is no kids in TA and we’re working with our councils to achieve this in the next few years.
We can do it because GM will soon hit the point where we are building more council and social homes every year than we’re losing through right-to-buy. 👍🏻
“A move into temporary accommodation is often a massive upheaval for families and can be a worrying time. With this measure, the cost of travel to school will be one less thing for families to worry about.
“It will mean parents and carers don’t have to choose between an extra demand on their household budget and keeping their children with friends and teachers they know and trust.”
Emily Sergeant -
4th September 2024 
