Runcorn Bridge works

[lesmcs]

That's great news Brian, I actually came across the bridge on Sunday 14th July at about 7.40pm and the slip road to the bridge was actually open and no lane closures on the bridge. No idea why as I was fully expecting to have to continue onto the Retail Park before filtering back onto the bridge hoping for the same to happen this Sunday 21st July.
Cheers
Les McS

[viscount]

When I came around Runcorn last Thursday afternoon from the M56 to the Bridge, there were yellow signs that appeared to state that the road (A557 Weston Park Expressway) would be closed Monday to Friday sometime later in July, from the 22nd?. First sign was just after the speed camera shortly before the off-slip road for the Station road interchange (Picow Farm Road) with another after the on-slip road and again by the slip road off onto the Bridge.

There were no times on the notices - is the closure total? I know the alternative route on the Daresbury and Central Expressways from Bridge to M56, but with a trip planned for 8am Monday, will that route cope coming off the Bridge - or should I take the 25 minute longer route via the tunnel and M53? Or will I be alright outbound if the closure is only on one side of the dual carriageway, just affecting traffic heading for the bridge? Anyone know?

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(inserted later on edit) Thanks 'Speedbird' for finding the answer. So it is a major total road closure (or at least one side of the road). Looks as though I got the date wrong though - always a problem on those small yellow sign boards; reading, assimilating, interpreting and ultimately remembering the message, and all when you really need to be concentrating on the traffic.

[speedbird1960]

Hi Viscount, i spotted these two large signs myself last Wednesday and have been trying to confirm this myself.

I have now found it, on Wire FM would you believe. (I could not find any mention of this by Halton B.C. or The Highways Agency.)

Five Day Closure On The Weston Point Expressway

From Monday 29 July the A557 Weston Point Expressway will be closed for five days between Bankes Lane and the Silver Jubilee Bridge (northbound)while essential resurfacing work is carried out.
Access to Weston Point will be available via Bankes Lane and Picow Farm Road (southbound). There will be no access to Weston Point Expressway (Northbound) from Bankes Lane or Picow Farm Road. Signed diversion routes will be provided.
Halton Borough Council apologises for any inconvenience caused while this essential maintenance work is carried out (northbound) while essential resurfacing work is carried out.

www.wirefm.com/news/local/five-day-closure-on-the-weston-point-expressway/

Update: I have today 21/7/13 been down to recheck the dates of when the roadworks start and the date quoted on the two yellow signs is the 29th of July.

[viscount]

Bl***y (and I'm the one who is supposed to 'police' language on this forum!!) Runcorn.

Left visiting at Glan Clwyd (Rhyl) at 3:25pm for a routine one hour drive home, early enough to avoid the Runcorn rush queues. Got home 6:45 pm. 2 hours and 20 minutes to drive around the Expressways and across the Bridge. Not only that, but the fuel gauge showed 19 miles to 'zero' (double that needed to get home, plus) when we joined the static queue, by the time we had crawled around to the expensive garage at the lights before the Bridge it was down to just 2 miles (hopefully plus an unknown reserve) - I was not a happy bunny! A grim drive, I don't want to repeat in a hurry. I know we were told of the road works in advance, but the traffic disruption resulting is beyond a joke. So were the manners of some of the drivers who deliberately used the 'through' traffic lane then bullied their way into the static traffic, with many an only just avoided RTA as they did so.

I'll be using the tunnel for the same trip home on Friday.

Thank goodness I don't live in Runcorn!!