DRIVERS who use the northbound M6 out of Lancaster are being advised the entry slip road will be closed around the clock for 10 days from Friday as part of Lancashire County Council’s £124 million Heysham Link project.

Work to complete and open a brand new slip road onto the northbound M6 requires the closure of the existing slip road – and that will be taking place between 8pm on Friday and 6am on Monday August 1.

The new road – to be officially named the Bay Gateway later this year – will link Heysham with junction 34 of the M6, which is operated by Highways England.

Highways England project manager Paul Elliott said: “Although Heysham Link is a county council project along the local road network, its connection to the M6 is delivering significant improvements at junction 34 of the motorway with better entry and exit slip roads.

“The closure of the existing northbound entry slip road to complete these improvements is part of that.”

By August 1, all four new or improved slip roads will be open to drivers, making it easier and safer to join or leave the motorway.

Work to provide the brand new entry slip road onto the northbound M6 involves closing the existing access south of the River Lune and providing a safer, longer slip road north of the river which will be reached by the new river bridge and a new roundabout at Shefferlands connected to the start of the new dual carriageway to Heysham.

During the slip road closure, drivers will be diverted along the A6 and join the northbound M6 at junction 35 at Carnforth. High sided vehicles over 15ft 6inches (4.72m) will be diverted onto Kellet Road (B6254) in Carnforth to avoid the low railway bridge on Scotland Road (A6).

The Lancashire County Council road project started in January 2014 and is due to be completed in October. The improvements around junction 34 include the improved motorway slip roads and a 600-space park and ride site.

Lancashire County Council has a dedicated website for the project which features up-to-date aerial pictures and roadworks information: http://heyshamlink.lancashire.gov.uk.