Oldham flyover to close

Drivers will face delays in Oldham as a dual carriageway near the town centre shuts. The closure will be in place until September.

Oldham council has issued a reminder to drivers as the Manchester Street Viaduct, a flyover next to Oldham town centre, will close for refurbishment. This is part of £6.5m works which started on May 18 and are due to finish in December 2026.

The A62 will be closed completely in both northbound and southbound directions from July 19 to September 3. The project is being funded through a mix of Oldham Council as well as Department for Transport funding.

The viaduct was built in the 1970s and ‘is now in a poor and deteriorating condition due to its age’. Oldham Council said: “It is in need of repair and improvement to extend its lifespan, to keep Oldham Way open and maintain the resilience and efficiency of the existing highway network.

“Since being built no maintenance works to halt deterioration have been undertaken. The planned works will ensure the structure remains in service for years to come.

“The planned maintenance works includes waterproofing, expansion joint replacement, concrete repairs, parapet refurbishment and resurfacing.”
The viaduct is located above the A62 Oldham Way/Manchester Street roundabout and carried high volumes of traffic from Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, and other parts of the borough.

Works are currently taking place with the carriageway cut down to one lane. Drivers have face delays already due to the works and with both lanes due to close, this could get worse.

The local authority said it was ‘working with our project team to ensure that works are phased in such a way to minimise disruption to local businesses and residents over this period’.

However drivers going south are being told to leave the A62 at the Manchester Street roundabout exit slip road, go around the roundabout and rejoin the A62 at the next slip road. Those going north are being told to do the same in the opposite direction.

The council added: “Most of the work will be carried out using lane closures to help keep disruption to a minimum. However, some full closures of the viaduct will also be needed so that important concrete repairs can be carried out to key parts of the structure.”

Explaining the need for the project, the local authority said: “Typically, highway structures have a design life of up to 120 years. To achieve the design life maintenance interventions are required as materials and components deteriorate over time.

“Manchester Street Viaduct was constructed in the late 1970s. To date, no maintenance works to halt deterioration have been undertaken.

“As such, Oldham Council are undertaking planned maintenance of the viaduct and ensuring the structure remains in service for years to come.
“The planned maintenance works includes waterproofing, expansion joint replacement, concrete repairs, parapet refurbishment and resurfacing.”