£1m safety boost for Salford motorway bridges

Work to deliver a £1m project to improve safety along the M602 in Salford, Greater Manchester will begin next week.

National Highways, which operates the M602, is providing the improvements to three bridges over the motorway at Eccles and Weaste. Langworthy Road, Derby Road and Weaste Road bridges, between junction 2 and junction 3 of the motorway, will each benefit from new safety fencing with the installation of 1.8 metre high parapets capped with protective ‘steeples’. 

The footpaths across the bridges will also be resurfaced and parking restrictions, backed by road markings, will also be introduced.

All three bridges also cross the main Manchester to Liverpool railway line. National Highways’ improvements, backed by Network Rail and Salford Council, will complement existing safety fences over the railway tracks.

National Highways project manager Ian Spence said:

“Local people will appreciate this is an important safety project. While we are doing all we can to minimise inconvenience to bridge users during the work some restrictions, especially overnight, will be in place.”

The project will start on Monday (24 November) and is expected to last for up to six months focusing initially along Derby Road bridge which will be totally closed until Thursday 18 December.  From early January, for up to a month, overnight temporary traffic lights will be in place along Langworthy Road and Weaste Road bridges – with traffic management removed during the day.

Rebecca Rathore, Route Strategy Director for Network Rail said: 

“We are pleased to work with National Highways on their important project in Salford which will improve safety for pedestrians and road users.

“There will be no impact to rail services during the work and railway colleagues are on board to help this project run safely and smoothly.”

More information on the project, including details of diversions during Derby Road bridge closure are available on a dedicated webpage: