Workers start to demolish M62 rail bridge

The M62has been closed to allow the bridge over the motorway to be demolished

Workers have started to demolish a rail bridge over the M62 with part of the motorway closed for the weekend.

Tens of thousands of drivers have been affected as a section of motorway in Castleton, near Rochdale, Greater Manchester, has been shut for the installation of a new £22m railway bridge.

The road, which closed eastbound between junctions 18 and 20 and westbound from junctions 20 to 19 on Friday, is due to reopen at 06:00 on Monday.

BBC drone footage showed a number of bulldozers bringing down sections of the bridge.

The 60-year-old bridge carried trains between Manchester and Rochdale over the motorway, including freight services transporting materials to and from Drax power station near Selby, North Yorkshire.

The new bridge will be installed during a second weekend closure from 21:00 on 20 September to 06:00 on 23 September.

National Highways said they were the first planned weekend closures of the M62, which carries about 120,000 vehicles a day, in "recent memory".

Long queues have been seen as drivers left the motorway.

A 60-year-old railway bridge is being replaced

Warnings to plan ahead have been issued to people using the M62 to travel to and from the North East for Sunday’s Great North Run.

National Highways senior network planner Gary Farrell said: "Network Rail clearly needs to replace what is an ageing bridge and a critical piece of the railway's infrastructure supporting the important Manchester Victoria to Leeds service and other routes."

The new bridge will be installed during another weekend later in the month