M6 bridge repair work 'ends soon'

The bridge has been hit by delays for two years

Months of traffic jams at a bridge on the M6 may be coming to an end after the Highways Agency said repair work should be finished by Christmas.

It says the work on the Thelwall Viaduct, in Cheshire, will be finished four months ahead of schedule.

A roller bearing supporting the 58,000 tonne northbound carriageway cracked two years ago and engineers discovered all 148 bearings needed to be replaced.

Traffic was diverted onto the southbound carriageway, causing delays.

There has been just one lane on the northbound carriageway, leading to daily jams for the 160,000 vehicles using the bridge each year.

The Highways Agency says the northbound carriageway will fully re-open ahead of schedule on 19 December

Minor restrictions on the southbound carriageway will be in place until February 2005.