MOTORISTS are being warned of disruption on the M6 this month, with carriageway closures planned.

Engineers will soon start work to install gantries between junctions 23 for Haydock and 26 for Orrell.

National Highways says the new signs will provide key information to motorists while travelling, keeping them safe and ensuring journeys run smoother.

To safely carry out this work, M6 carriageways will be closed between junctions 23 and 26 overnight, from 9pm and 6am, over two weeks.

The northbound side will be closed from Monday, September 12, to Friday, September 16, with southbound being shut from Monday, September 19, to Thursday, September 22.

Clearly signed diversion routes will be in place for each closure.

A National Highways spokesman said: “When installing the gantries, nearby residents may notice more noise in the area than normal.

“We will be making every effort to reduce the noise as much as possible and will be following industry best practice, but nonetheless, we would like to apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

“We always aim to work to schedule, however unforeseen circumstances such as poor weather may mean changes occur at short notice, and this may change the dates above.”

When the scheme is complete, messages on the gantries will be operated from the agency’s regional operations centre.

Radar technology and cameras will be used to detect the speed, volume and flow of traffic.

The signs can also be altered manually by regional operations centre staff in the event of an accident or debris on the road.

Operations centre staff can close a lane to protect a live lane breakdown and to create a path for emergency service vehicles to access the incident.

A red X will be shown above the affected lane or lanes to close the traffic. Supporting variable message signs will be set to inform approaching motorists of a closed lane.