Drivers are being warned a section of the M56 will be totally closed to traffic this entire weekend.

Both carriageways will be shutting between junction six, for Hale, and junction eight, for Bowdon, as work is carried out to upgrade the motorway.

The £85m National Highways project will see an extra lane added to each carriageway as well as extra technology aimed at helping smooth drivers' journeys.

The closure begins at 9pm on Friday, March 25, before the motorway reopens at 5.30am on Monday, March 28.

The eastbound M56 will be closed from junction nine at the Lymm interchange with the M6 to junction five for Manchester Airport; the westbound carriageway will be closed from junction five to junction eight. Clearly-signed diversions will be in place.

The closure will allow a giant, 450-tonne crane to be moved onto the motorway to lift two 60-tonne ‘superspan’ gantries into place across both the eastbound and westbound carriageways.

The gantries will support technology so National Highways’ regional operations centre near Warrington can manage traffic and identify and locate incidents.

National Highways project manager Clare Bond said: “We only close a motorway for a weekend in exceptional circumstances but doing the work this way will mean we can avoid multiple separate overnight carriageway closures at other times.

Northwich Guardian: Work to convert the hard shoulders and prepare foundations for gantries has been taking place day and night (National Highways)Work to convert the hard shoulders and prepare foundations for gantries has been taking place day and night (National Highways)

“Getting a crane on site and installing the two huge gantries – which will span eight lanes of the motorway – will be the most visible feature of the weekend’s operation but we will be squeezing in as much other work as possible.

“We’re urging drivers to spend a little more time planning their journeys during the weekend closure – including checking traffic conditions before setting out, leaving a bit of extra time and following the diversion information.”

Over the weekend, access to Manchester Airport at junction five will be maintained via the westbound M56.

However, drivers not on airport or local journeys such as those travelling longer distances between Manchester and the Midlands, Wirral, and North Wales are being advised to avoid the area and use alternative motorway routes.

A westbound diversion will operate using the M60, M62 and M6.

National Highways is also converting the hard shoulders to add an extra running lane to both carriageways.

A new central reservation concrete safety barrier, low noise surfacing, four emergency areas – providing a place to stop in the event of break downs or other emergencies – and technology to alert the control centre to breakdowns and incidents will also have been installed before the extra lanes open to drivers by the end of the year.