M62 closure, cancelled trains and tram disruption could cause chaos in Greater Manchester town

Motorway closures, cancelled trains and tram disruption could cause people in Rochdale a few headaches later this year. A stretch of the M62 motorway - between junctions 18 and 20 - will be out of action during periods of September.

Motorists have been told to expect disruption while 'essential works' are carried out. The bridge that takes trains over the M62 in Castleton, connecting the Rochdale and Manchester Victoria stations, will close.

The scheme, costing £27m, will see engineers dismantle the old 42m long, 2,000 tonne bridge and take it away on the motorway. Network Rail and National Highways, who are responsible for the works, have warned passengers and motorists to check before they travel in September.

READ MORE: The masterplan that will transform a Greater Manchester suburb and expand Metrolink

Network Rail said rail and road closures are required in order to ensure the 'safety and reliability of the bridge for years to come'. The Metrolink network is still expected to be down between Rochdale and the centre of Manchester due to 'land movement' affecting tracks.

Currently, no trams are operating between Rochdale town centre and Oldham Mumps until further notice, after the land slip earlier this month. The issue affected services between Derker and Shaw and Crompton. A closure is in place to allow for engineers to carry out investigations.

A replacement bus service is running between Rochdale Town Centre and Oldham Mumps every 20 minutes.

When works on the bridge begin, the M62 will be closed over two weekends between J18 and J20 - from the evening of Friday, September 6 to early morning on Monday, September 9; and from the evening of Friday, September 20 to early morning on Monday, September 23.

It means