Iain Roberts

A huge thank you to everyone who came along to the fantastic Heald Green festival on Saturday.

For once, the weather was on our side and along with the stalls there was a funfair, bouncy slides and castles, donkey rides, a little steam train ride and of course the parade and displays.

Lots of people came over to us to take a look at the map showing the detailed route of the A555 (you can see it online here) and we raised a good deal of money which, of course, all goes to pay those Lib Dem papers, leaflets and letters that come through your door.

Mark Hunter was there, but we didn’t see too much of him as he did his circuit of the ground.

I’ll be at the Gatley Festival next Sunday, so fingers crossed for the weather there too.

Come along and enjoy the Heald Green festival, 1pm on Saturday 27th June.

While you’re there, why not find me at the Lib Dem stall and say hello.

The Highways Agency is advising drivers using the M60 between junctions 19 at Middleton and 23 at Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester to allow extra time to complete their journeys over the next six weekends.

Starting Friday (June 19), work is being carried out along this 6-mile section each weekend until August, weather permitting.

A full carriageway closure will be in place with a contraflow on the opposite side of the motorway while the work is being carried out. Various entry and exit slip roads will also need to be closed.

The work is taking place over weekends when traffic volumes are lighter and disruption to drivers can be kept to a minimum – however some delays can be expected. Work will start each Friday at 9pm and the motorway will be fully reopened by 5am each Monday.

To ensure the ongoing safety of road-users and our workforce, a 40mph speed limit will be in place throughout the roadworks – which are planned to be completed by 5am, July 27.

Overhead message signs will be used to advise drivers of the closures so they can choose an alternative route.

Highways Agency project manager Manuelle Salathe said:
“We regret any disruption this work may cause to drivers and would encourage them to plan their journey in advance and allow for extra time to get to their destination.”

The exploratory works are taking place to assess the condition of the carriageway on this section of the M60.

The Highways Agency’s North West Traffic Officer Service will deploy extra crews for the duration of the work with a dedicated patrol to cover the roadworks area and react quickly to any breakdowns or accidents to help keep drivers on the move.

The Highways Agency Regional Control Centre will be monitoring incidents and traffic conditions from motorway cameras as well as using electronic signs to provide drivers with up-to-the-minute information.