Bridge replacement to force overnight motorway closures

From September 4, the M62 will be closed overnight on various weekends for approximately four months between junctions 26 and 25 while a major scheme to replace Whitechapel Road Bridge in Cleckheaton gets underway.

The bridge in Whitechapel Road is to be taken down and rebuilt and while the work is carried out, diversions will be in place.

Some traffic will be diverted through Cooper Bridge but much of it will be sent through Brighouse.

Consequently, drivers will leave the motorway at Chain Bar, travel through Wyke crossroads, along Bradford Road and across brighouse and Rastrick roundabout and into Wakefield Road to rejoin the motorway.

The work – which is being carried out by the Highways Agency – is expected to take 42 weeks and to affect Brighouse for about 14 weeks.

An Agency spokesman said: "There will be carriageway or full motorway closures depending on the nature of the work taking place and clearly signed diversion routes will be in place throughout.

"When the westbound carriageway is closed traffic will be diverted through Brighouse, eastbound traffic will be diverted through Cleckheaton and Liversedge."

The first diversion will be overnight on September 4 from 10pm until 8am.

Calderdale councillor Colin Stout (Ind, Brighouse) said: "The bridge is in a dangerous condition but because it is mainly a Kirklees problem Cooper Bridge will be badly affected.

"Consultation has already taken place with residents in Cleckheaton and we are trying to arrange a meeting with residents in the Brighouse area over the next few weeks so they are aware of all the facts.

"We will have three lanes of traffic from the M62 coming on a single trunk road. We have looked at every other way of trying to get traffic through. There is going to be a noise problem particularly at night but I hope those issues will be addressed at the public meeting we are hoping to call nearer the time.

"All I am hoping to do now is make people aware that this is coming in September."