The first instalment of a £50m fit-for-the-future investment in Merseyside and Cheshire’s M53 motorway will get under way next week

For each of the projects, overnight lane closures along the M53 will be used where possible – with a limited number of weekend motorway closures for demolition and installation phases.  Traffic management will also need to be installed along the local road network.

Each of the new bridge decks will be assembled alongside the motorway and wheeled into place once the old bridges have been demolished – echoing bridge replacement work at Moreton, at junction 2 of the motorway, several years ago. Some of the work will focus on preparing the bridge supports alongside the hard shoulder for the new bridges.

Amy Williams, National Highways’ director for the North West, said:

“Parts of the M53 were built almost 55 years ago at a time when traffic volumes and the weight of vehicles was considerably lower.

“This £50 million maintenance, renewals and repairs package – including the new bridge decks – will help secure safe, smooth and reliable journeys for businesses, commuters, residents and other motorway users for many years to come.”

National Highways is also planning to host a number of public information events so road users and other local people can find out more about the programme of work.

The work at Eastham Viaduct will start next week with a number of overnight carriageway closures to set out narrow lane traffic management on the Northbound and Southbound carriageways. Works will continue into the autumn.

The resurfacing and drainage work will start in July and also run into the autumn with regular overnight single carriageway closures and clearly-signed diversions in place.

The M53, which runs for almost 19 miles between Chester in Cheshire and Wallasey in Merseyside, was constructed in several phases with the northern section serving the Mersey tunnels opened in 1972 and the final, southern, stretch to Hoole outside Chester city centre, completed in 1982.

The latest package of work will provide the biggest investment in the M53 since the two bridges at junction 2 at Moreton were replaced in separate projects completed in in 2015 and 2021 as well as refurbishment of Bidston Moss Viaduct at junction 1 between 2010 and 2012 to remove HGV weight restrictions.

(Picture: National Highways)