Warning for holidaymakers travelling to Birmingham Airport this weekend as major motorway closed
Travellers are being warned to plan ahead as the M42 near Birmingham Airport is set to close this upcoming weekend.
The motorway will be closed in both directions between Junctions five at Solihull and Six, which provides the main access to the airport.
It is set to close on Saturday, October 15 at 00:01am until 5am on Monday, October 17 – in order for two bridges to be moved into position.
The closure was initially supposed to take place two weeks ago but it was cancelled after strike action saw public transport adversely affected, and according to the National Highways website, specialist engineers undertook final checks and due to safety, they decided to postpone the work.
National Highways on its website: "Before we closed the road on Friday 30 September, specialist engineers were completing routine, final checks prior to moving the first bridge. During this time we discovered that the deflection, which is the movement at either end of the bridge, exceeded the amount expected when it was being lifted. Safety is always our top priority, and a decision was made to cancel the closure and postpone the work in order for a detailed investigation to be carried out."
People flying off on holiday this weekend could face problems before they even get to the airport due to the closures and so they have been advised to plan ahead of their travels.
National Highways says bridge installation work will be carried out. Two new bridges weighing 2,050 tonnes are set to be moved into place over the M42 as part of the ongoing upgrade.
Anyone attending events at the NEC Birmingham should also be aware of the potential traffic delays.
Events set to take place at NEC this weekend are:
The National Snow Show
The Pharmacy Show
Advice for motorists travelling to the airport:
If you're travelling northbound on the M42, you will need to follow the diversion route via the A45, as detailed in the below map.
If you're travelling southbound, you will be able to leave the M42 at Junction 6. However, National Highways: West Midlands advise that all traffic will be doing the same you'll have to allow "plenty of extra travel time."
There are going to be delays for those travelling on and around the M42, and drivers are being urged to allow extra time for their journeys across the board.
