The A51 in Cheshire East has reopend on time after a 16-week closure.

Work to stabilise 750 metres of carriageway at Wardle began in August and required the complete closure of one of the busiest roads in the borough. Highways engineers also replaced the drainage system and safety barriers.

The road carries heavy haulage traffic, chiefly from Merseyside and North Wales, including the ports of Liverpool and Holyhead. Completion and reopening of the road was witnessed by councillors and members of the highways project team.

Councillor Craig Browne, Cheshire East Council deputy leader and chair of the council’s highways and transport committee, said: “This scheme has been vitally important to ensure the long-term safety and stability of the road. Our highways team has worked tirelessly to meet the 16-week project schedule and see the road reopened on time.

“We apologise for the disruption this has caused and we thank our residents and local businesses for their patience and understanding while the scheme has been underway.

“This has been a challenging scheme and I also want to thank Cheshire East highways and our engineers for keeping the works on track, working safely and completing such a professional job.”

The section of road was reopened by the mayor of Cheshire East and local ward member, Councillor Sarah Pochin.

She said: “Huge congratulations to Cheshire East highways for completing such a complex job and on schedule. This represents a wonderful Christmas present for residents and businesses and highways should be proud of the work they have done and the way in which they have kept residents and businesses informed throughout the project.”

As part of the project’s environmental mitigation, the team reused 1,676 tonnes of recycled material and were able to cut ‘virgin’ aggregate use by 942 tonnes, reducing any environmental impact.

The road has been totally reconstructed where it runs alongside the Trent and Mersey Canal, preventing any further decline in its condition.