The M6 through Cumbria reopened on Sunday afternoon after engineers completed the installation of a new railway bridge over the motorway more than half a day earlier than planned.

Network Rail and contractor Skanska replaced the Clifton railway bridge near Penrith as part of a wider programme of upgrades to the West Coast Main Line. The new 130m steel-and-concrete structure, weighing about 4,200t and designed to last 120 years, was manoeuvred into position on Saturday 10 January using self‑propelled modular transporters (SPMTs). The move took about three hours and the transporters used to carry the bridge had 608 wheels in total.

Work required full closures of the M6 between junctions 39 and 40 over two consecutive weekends. National Highways had scheduled unprecedented 60‑hour shutdowns from 8pm on Friday to 5am on Monday on the weekends of 2–5 and 9–12 January to allow demolition of the old bridge and installation of the new one. In the event the motorway was closed for 106 of the 120 planned hours, and was reopened shortly before 4pm on Sunday 11 January , around 13 hours ahead of the scheduled reopening , after engineers completed critical tasks despite sub‑zero temperatures and poor weather.

Both carriageways had also opened earlier than planned the previous weekend, with northbound and southbound lanes restored 70 minutes ahead of schedule. National Highways lifted its diversionary routes sooner than anticipated as a result.

With the bridge now in place, rail crews will complete final checks and then install new track, reconnect overhead line equipment and reinstate signalling across the renewed structure. The railway between Oxenholme and Carlisle remains closed until the start of service on Thursday 15 January; in the meantime passengers can travel as far north as Oxenholme and are being served by rail replacement buses between there and Carlisle.

The Clifton works form part of a larger series of interventions on the West Coast Main Line carried out over the Christmas and New Year period. Network Rail says nearly £200M was invested in upgrades between London and Cumbria during the festive season, and that the works form part of a planned £400M programme over the next four years to improve capacity and resilience on the route.

Residents, motorists and passengers affected by the closures were earlier asked for patience while the “penultimate” phase of the project was completed. The on‑site team’s ability to finish ahead of schedule reduced disruption for road users sooner than expected and allowed rail engineers to move on to the next phase of reinstatement.

The new Clifton railway bridge in its final position relinking the West Coast Main Line

Network Rail North West and Central region capital delivery director Christian Irwin OBE said: “It’s a testament to the hard work of hundreds of people that we’ve been able to install this huge new structure both successfully and speedily.

“We’ve been in close contact with National Highways throughout so we could capitalise on that and get the M6 reopen over half a day ahead of schedule to alleviate pressure on local roads.

“I’d like to once again thank drivers for adhering to the road diversions, and also thank the local communities impacted by them this weekend, so we could carry out this vital work to secure journeys for both road and rail users in the future.

“Thanks also to the hundreds of people who came to see us move the bridge into place yesterday and the support and well wishes from residents in Clifton. Our focus now turns to final bridge checks before we reinstate the tracks, overhead power lines and signalling systems so we can fully reopen the West Coast Main Line by 5am on Thursday.”

National Highways programme delivery manager Steve Mason said: “We’d like to once again thank motorists, and particularly local residents, for their patience and support while these works have been ongoing. We’re pleased to have been able to lift the diversion routes much earlier than planned.

“This is the first time in recent memory the M6 has been closed for whole weekends and follows years of careful planning with Network Rail. Some 48,000 vehicles use this section of the M6 daily but we chose a time of the year when traffic volumes are at their lowest.

“This was an incredibly complex operation and reopening the M6 13 hours early is a tremendous achievement. Despite severe weather conditions, the teams involved worked tirelessly to deliver this vital, one-in-a-lifetime project to future-proof one of the most important railway lines in the country.”

Skanska UK rail programme director Rosario Barcena said: “Over the course of the weekend, we’ve worked closely with Network Rail and National Highways to re-prioritise our work in order that we could re-open the motorway much earlier than planned. Before midday this was for emergency services, and now to all road-users.

“It’s been achieved thanks to our whole team, including our amazing supply chain partners. They’ve worked tirelessly across the weekend to successfully install the new Clifton railway bridge, a hugely complex and precise operation, and now re-open the motorway.”

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