MANCHESTER Airport-bound drivers are being urged to leave extra time for journeys when the M56 is closed for the whole weekend at the end of the month.

A new bridge is being installed between junction 6 at Hale and junction 5 at Manchester Airport with the motorway closed in both directions between the junctions between 10pm on Friday February 27 and 5am on Monday March 2.

Motorists planning to reach the airport from the eastbound M56 towards Manchester will find a short diversion to the airport in place from junction 6 at Hale.

Anyone travelling to Manchester or beyond are being advised to avoid the M56 and use the official diversion via the eastbound M62 from Croft Interchange with the M6.

Highways Agency Project Sponsor Mark Mosley said: “It is vital for everyone to understand you should only be using this part M56 over this particular weekend if you are travelling to the airport – and you should leave extra time to get to the airport to make your flight.

“When we closed the motorway to demolish the bridge last August we did have non-airport traffic from outside the area ignoring the diversion from the M56 at Lymm and finding themselves on the diversion route to the airport instead – putting themselves in queuing airport traffic and looking for a place to turn around and frustrating people on legitimate journeys to the airport. We urge drivers to heed our advice.”