New aerial photographs of the M6 in Cheshire show how much progress Highways England has been making since it started a £43 million project at junction 19 near Knutsford to tackle congestion.

Work to install a new bridge through the existing roundabout and over the M6 to link sections of the A556, began in earnest in March. And the first aerial pictures of the work show how one of the most challenging construction projects in the region is literally taking shape – with the bridge foundations in the central reservation and carriageway verges being installed.

Highways England’s senior programme manager Kennedy Muzira said:

This new bridge through the roundabout and over the M6 will create a better flow of traffic between the motorway and the A556. This will speed up journeys and reduce congestion around the roundabout. There will also be improvements for pedestrians and cyclists.

The aerial photos show how much progress we’ve made in the last few weeks. We’d like to thank users of the motorway and the A556 for the patience they have shown while we have installed traffic management to enable us to get this complex construction project underway.

The new bridge is due to open next summer after a complex operation this winter to lift the bridge beams into place and construct the new deck over the M6.

While preparation work like establishing a construction compound occupied the first weeks of the project, permanent work such as installing piled foundations for the bridge piers is now underway.