Major Engineering Work Planned at Clifton (Cumbria) to Replace WestCoast Mainline Bridge Over M6 - Jan 2026

[chiltern trev]

https://penrith.town/news/major-eng...-to-replace-westcoast-mainline-bridge-over-m6

Network Rail have revealed plans to replace a bridge across the M6 that carries the WestCoast main line at Clifton in a £20million pound project that will see full closures of the M6 and the WestCoast mainline during work to replacing the railway bridge at Clifton.

The existing bridge is now 57 years old and is formed of a three-span twin concrete underbridge with the central span of the structure passing over 6 lanes of the M6.

The bridge was constructed over a two year period and moved into place in 1967, the year before the section of the M6 opened.

Network rail plans will see a large site compound built near the bridge along with the construction of slip roads from the M6 for works traffic to access the compound.

The work is expected to see a series of overnight closures of the M6 to allow some works to be carried out on the bridge and embankments ahead of two complete weekend closures of the M6 between J40 and J39 in both directions with traffic diverted along the A6 between Kemplay and Shap via Clifton.

The rebuilding of the bridge will also see the Westcoast Mainline closed between Penrith and Oxenholme for at least a week with the old bridge removed over the first weekend closure of the M6 and the new bridge moved into place during the second weekend closure of the M6.

Network Rail has said “that a detailed examination of the structure was undertaken in June 2022. This identified several significant structural defects.”

Some of the identified defects on the bridge includes.

Hairline fractures and numerous areas of spalled concrete and exposed secondary reinforcement throughout the superstructure.

Widespread cracking to post-tensioned box girder both internally and externally and the bearings that are heavily corroded.

Network Rail has said “the most suitable means of addressing the above defects is through the reconstruction of the bridge.”

The planning for the reconstruction of the bridge is now underway with the on-site work expected to take 5 months ahead of two weekend closures of the M6 for the removal of the current bridge and installation of the new bridge expected to take place Friday 2nd January 2026 to Monday 5th January 2026 and the second closure Friday 9th January 2026 to Monday 12th January 2026.

Network Rail have submitted Prior Notification to Westmorland and Furness Council of its planned reconstruction of the railway bridge and engaging with stakeholders including National Highways, Westmorland and Furness Highways and Clifton Community Council on plans for the works and impacts on the local community.

Any more info on overall approach? Lift off off old concrete bridge or install temporary props so old bridge can be 'blown' up or crushed in situ? Crushing would need a huge sleeper mat to protect the motorway carriageways - I have seen a sleeper mat and concrete crushing used for a M4 overbridge removal near Slough/Maidenhead. New bridge to be steel and rolled in with a big lift? Central resevation removed, say 100m north and south, and replace by tarmac/concrete to provide one very wide continuous surface across both carriageways during the works?

Just south of this bridge is a part built off slip, then a 800m gap and a part built on slip. These slips are not cut back into the motorway cutting so look like a large layby - I think this was for a potiential future service area that has never been built. So if the approach if to use a multi heavy crane lift to remove the existing concrete bridge onto several mutli wheel (steerable and powered) lifting platforms, then the old bridge could be parked in one of these. And the new bridge, steel(?) assembled here before rolling in and a lifting in.

Photo below - Google, M6 WCML Clifton bridge, south side, looking north.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Wow. I have been under that bridge many times. I thought the design life was 100 years. How wrong was I ?

 

[chiltern trev]

Wow. I have been under that bridge many times. I thought the design life was 100 years. How wrong was I ?

Probably did have a design life of 100 years, but from the article description, looks like it is failing early. Poor concrete mix allowing water entry to give rise to spalling - or even salty air from motorway salt spray in winter? Cracks due to stress - under designed or overloaded or too many trains passing over os all of these?

 

[snowball]

Bridges are generally supposed to be designed to last 120 years, but there are numerous reasons why some of them might last a lot less.

 

[simonw]

https://penrith.town/news/major-eng...-to-replace-westcoast-mainline-bridge-over-m6



Any more info on overall approach? Lift off off old concrete bridge or install temporary props so old bridge can be 'blown' up or crushed in situ? Crushing would need a huge sleeper mat to protect the motorway carriageways - I have seen a sleeper mat and concrete crushing used for a M4 overbridge removal near Slough/Maidenhead. New bridge to be steel and rolled in with a big lift? Central resevation removed, say 100m north and south, and replace by tarmac/concrete to provide one very wide continuous surface across both carriageways during the works?

Just south of this bridge is a part built off slip, then a 800m gap and a part built on slip. These slips are not cut back into the motorway cutting so look like a large layby - I think this was for a potiential future service area that has never been built. So if the approach if to use a multi heavy crane lift to remove the existing concrete bridge onto several mutli wheel (steerable and powered) lifting platforms, then the old bridge could be parked in one of these. And the new bridge, steel(?) assembled here before rolling in and a lifting in.

Photo below - Google, M6 WCML Clifton bridge, south side, looking north.

View attachment 160754

Presumably as the railway was there first, this comes out of the roads budget? Not that it makes much difference in the wider scheme of things.

 

[snowball]

Presumably as the railway was there first, this comes out of the roads budget? Not that it makes much difference in the wider scheme of things.

I think the usual procedure for a new motorway going under an existing railway is that the original bridge is designed by the railway's civil engineer, built in a contract supervised by the railway that is separate from the motorway contract, charged to the motorway project, but then maintained by the railway at the railway's expense.

However the bridge carrying the Manchester-Rochdale line over the M62, which is of similar age, and is being replaced this year, and has its own thread, seems to have followed a slightly different protocol.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

There's another such M6/WCML bridge south of Carlisle at Wreay/Lowhurst.
Others south of Penrith are at Tebay and Lambrigg, all of which will have been designed/constructed at the same time.
Although all three are M6-over-rail, so maybe with a different life cycle.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

The bridge did see the end of steam, introduction of diesels and the lines electrification. Electric traction should have lessened the loads the bridges experience.

 

[Bow Fell]

I might be thinking of the wrong bridge but isn’t there an existing box instruction that up and down trains may not pass over the bridge at the same time?

 

[M60lad]

I might be thinking of the wrong bridge but isn’t there an existing box instruction that up and down trains may not pass over the bridge at the same time?

I think your thinking of Castleton Bridge over M62 as that's the instruction given at the moment

 

[59CosG95]

I think your thinking of Castleton Bridge over M62 as that's the instruction given at the moment

An easy enough mistake to make - in fact, before I clicked on this thread I thought it was Castleton over the M62!


(image shows Brenda from Bristol exclaiming disbelief about the 2017 election, which is how this forum user feels about seeing another concrete bridge replacement over a motorway in NW England with "M6" in all or part of its number)

 

[The Planner]

I might be thinking of the wrong bridge but isn’t there an existing box instruction that up and down trains may not pass over the bridge at the same time?

I think your thinking of Castleton Bridge over M62 as that's the instruction given at the moment

No, there is an instruction on this one too.

 

[chiltern trev]

No, there is an instruction on this one too.

Could you please clarify "this one". M6 Clifton or M62 or both.

If the M6 Clifton bridge has a restriction, is that recent i.e. as a result of an inspection giving a 'bad' answer? If there is a restriction, it must be impacting the WCML capacity.

 

[Bow Fell]

Definitely at Clifton as well, I knew there was one on the WCML, just couldn’t think where. Trains are regulated accordingly over the section.

 

[The Planner]

Could you please clarify "this one". M6 Clifton or M62 or both.

If the M6 Clifton bridge has a restriction, is that recent i.e. as a result of an inspection giving a 'bad' answer? If there is a restriction, it must be impacting the WCML capacity.

Both. It causes delay minutes but not restricting anything at Clifton.

 

[td97]

Any more info on overall approach?

Replacement to be a 3-span weathering steel superstructure, with existing substructure retained and modified. Wider deck to provide walkways adjacent to both lines.

Lift off off old concrete bridge or install temporary props so old bridge can be 'blown' up or crushed in situ?

Will be SPMTs (Self-Propelled Modular Transporters) to remove main span

 

[snowball]

There's another such M6/WCML bridge south of Carlisle at Wreay/Lowhurst.
Others south of Penrith are at Tebay and Lambrigg, all of which will have been designed/constructed at the same time.
Although all three are M6-over-rail, so maybe with a different life cycle.

You appear to have missed the one just south of Penrith station (recently discussed in the current Speculation thread on Penrith-Keswick). It also spans Haweswater Road and the tapers to the junction 40 slip roads.

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.co.uk

(link is to Streetview of bridge)

Curious (or boring) fact: the main motorway route from London to Glasgow crosses the main rail route about 19 times (you may make it one more or less, depending on exactly where you regard the road route as starting and ending). At nearly all of these, the motorway goes over the railway. The 3 exceptions where it goes under the railway are 3 consecutive bridges, at Clifton, Penrith and Wreay.

The bridges are very unevenly distributed geographically. The first is NW of Rugby, the second is NW of Stafford, then there are two between Warrington and Preston, 5 between Grayrigg and Penrith, one south of Carlisle, five between Carlisle and Lockerbie, one south of Beattock, one south of Crawford, one near Uddingston, and you may count the huge M74 viaduct at Eglinton Street.

 

[chiltern trev]

Replacement to be a 3-span weathering steel superstructure, with existing substructure retained and modified. Wider deck to provide walkways adjacent to both lines.

Will be SPMTs (Self-Propelled Modular Transporters) to remove main span

Thank you.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Replacement to be a 3-span weathering steel superstructure, with existing substructure retained and modified. Wider deck to provide walkways adjacent to both lines.

So same/similar material of construction as the Ordsall Chord then.

 

[The Planner]

So same/similar material of construction as the Ordsall Chord then.

Weathered steel is the norm now.

 

[chiltern trev]

Both. It causes delay minutes but not restricting anything at Clifton.

So does that mean it is configured into the signalling system/track circuits/Carlisle signal box to set the signals accordingly automatically?

 

[The Planner]

So does that mean it is configured into the signalling system/track circuits/Carlisle signal box to set the signals accordingly automatically?

No, signaler watches the panel and cautions if needs be.

 

[chiltern trev]

This morning on BBC Radio Cumbria, I heard about lane closures on the M6 at Clifton in and from January (2025). (I think they said hard shoulder and lane 1 but cannot rmemeber which carriageway(s) and from which exact day or weekend).

I assume the BBC Radio Cumbria item was in response to this article which appeared on the Network Rail media site on Thursday 09 January 2025.

The link is https://www.networkrailmediacentre....n-line-motorway-bridge-replacement-in-cumbria

Here is the picture in the article - shows the WCML bridge over the M6 -




The text is:

Thursday 9 Jan 2025

£60m investment for West Coast Main Line motorway bridge replacement in Cumbria​

Region & Route: North West & Central: North West | North West & Central
Network Rail is replacing Clifton bridge, near Penrith, in 2026.


Engineers are starting preparations on site one year before a major railway bridge is replaced in Cumbria.


The 71-year-old bridge, which takes trains over the M6 between the North of England and Scotland, has reached the end of its life, and needs to be replaced. Currently, only one train at a time is allowed on the bridge, which causes delays for passengers and freight services.


So workers can carry out the work safely, there will be road and rail closures in January 2026.


To complete the work, engineers need to dismantle the old bridge and take it away on the M6. The new bridge materials will be delivered by road and built on site.


This week, the team arrived on site to prepare a compound for the work.


National Highways is working on behalf of Network Rail to build an access road to the work site.


From January 2025 until the end of the project in 2026, there will be traffic management* in place on the M6, starting approximately three miles south of Junction 40.


The work will ensure safe and reliable journeys for passengers and freight over this vital 135-metre-long structure for years to come.

Olivia Boland, Network Rail sponsor, said: “We are rebuilding Clifton bridge over the M6 to keep rail passengers and motorway users safe for years to come. This project is essential as the bridge has reached the end of its life.
“The main work, which involves rail and road closures, is not happening until January 2026. However, people living in the Clifton area or driving past might notice the start of our construction activities.
“We’re working with National Highways to make sure we can carry out our work as safely as possible with as little inconvenience to local people and the travelling public. Thank you for your patience during this critical work.”

Steve Mason, National Highways’ programme delivery manager, said: “This is an essential Network Rail project to secure the future of one of the most important railway lines in the country.
"We’ll be working closely with Network Rail throughout to keep motorway users and local people up to date with developments – especially as we approach the two weekend closures of the motorway at the beginning of next year.”

In January 2026, the railway will be closed for two weeks so the bridge can be demolished and replaced over two weekends. Network Rail is working with train operators to plan what alternative transport options will be available during this time.


The M6 will be closed over two weekends in January 2026. Between the evening of Friday 2 January and the morning of Monday 5 January 2026 and the evening of Friday 9 January and the morning of Monday 12 January, the motorway will be closed in both directions between junction 39 at Shap and junction 40 near Penrith.


Network Rail and National Highways will share plans for diversionary routes as a soon as possible.

​

 

[furnessvale]

God, I'm getting old! As a 19 year old junior engineer I attended the slide of this bridge!

 

[The Prisoner]

I seem to remember there being various restrictions on the Carlisle/Wreay bridge of similar construction over the M6 in the 1980s when I lived up there due to structural issues. Was that every replaced/repaired? Still restricted to 85 I think.

 

[DelW]

God, I'm getting old! As a 19 year old junior engineer I attended the slide of this bridge!

The article quoted above refers to it being a "71 year old bridge", which I assume is an error as the M6 certainly wasn't built in the early 1950s. Should it have been "51 year old"? I think that stretch was built in the early '70s.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

The article quoted above refers to it being a "71 year old bridge", which I assume is an error as the M6 certainly wasn't built in the early 1950s. Should it have been "51 year old"? I think that stretch was built in the early '70s.

I agree. Surely not 71 years old. The first motorway in the UK is generally recognized as what is now part of the M6 and that was Preston by-pass. I think that was 1959 - so that section is 65 years old.

 

[InOban]

If this is part of the penrith bypass, it was opened in 1968, according to Wikipedia

 

[AndyPJG]

The article quoted above refers to it being a "71 year old bridge", which I assume is an error as the M6 certainly wasn't built in the early 1950s. Should it have been "51 year old"? I think that stretch was built in the early '70s.

Probably the jorno hack misreading it was BUILT in 1971?
Edit: Nope can't be - quote from the NR news release in post #1:-

The existing bridge is now 57 years old and is formed of a three-span twin concrete underbridge with the central span of the structure passing over 6 lanes of the M6.

The bridge was constructed over a two year period and moved into place in 1967, the year before the section of the M6 opened.

 

[Pinus contorta]

Probably the jorno hack misreading it was BUILT in 1971?
Edit: Nope can't be - quote from the NR news release in post #1:-

Typical usual rubbish coming out these days that either is not proof read properly ( or at all) for grammar, and fact checked. Or is simply regurgitated 'copy and paste' from someone else's website/source.