Oh those wacky funsters at Highways England really do love a laugh don’t they!
They have definitely excelled themselves with the Westbound M62 Closure between J24 and J22 in West Yorkshire, the diversion, I say diversion, it’s really more of a motoring holiday through the Yorkshire/Greater Manchester border area, takes you through the extensive and narrow roadworks on the approach into Halifax town centre, then heads through some very steep switchback descents which take you through Sowerby Bridge and Ripponden eventually rejoins the motorway at Rishworth Moor summit.
Those of you familiar with Sowerby Bridge will know there’s a 15’ 3” arch bridge that takes the railway over the main road, requiring HGV traffic to straddle the centre line
Just as well I wasn’t pulling one of the Tesco deckers which at 16’3” would have ended in some major inconvenience all round.
Those Highways boys love a practical joke, the spirit of Jeremy Beadle lives on!
I went through at 03:00 this morning and fortunately there was nobody around and I had an empty trailer so it wasn’t too bad, what it would be like around 23:00 with a fully freighted trailer, I shudder to think
In the pitch dark I thought the arch bridge was 15’3” but it appears to be 16’3” along the centre line but I’d still have a tightly clenched bottom going under it in a decker.
I’m thinking of going via the A62 through Huddersfield and Marsden tonight
As a little extra treat I forgot to mention that the Highway Fun Boys also closed a long section of the Eastbound carriageway down to one lane, this was the night Manchester City hosted Real Madrid, a lot of taxis from the Teeside area stuck in it I noticed
Are you not tempted to go through Halifax to the A58 and join the M62 at J26?
I haven’t lived in that area since 2008 so I don’t remember all the roads so well.
It’s going to be fun on Friday afternoon Even without that diversion the M62 is atrocious at that time
The bridge is 16’3 down the middle. Look at Goodalls - their yard is between the bridge and the river - if they can turn under it without hitting it I’m sure you can manage.
You can cut all that out if you come off at Elland and follow the B6114 to Barkisland then right at the post office to drop down the hill back to Ripponden. To get out - handbrake on, lock in first gear (do NOT allow it to change) and hit the weight transfer. I’ve had a fully loaded merc out of there in the wet - it’s a challenging hill start but do-able
Those steep switchback descents - just stay to the right and don’t do them.
bigdave789:
the spirit of Jeremy Beadle lives on!
The work needs doing, what do you want them to do? You can always park yourself in hartshead moor until it reopens
And if you could all learn where your nearside is that’d be great
I’ve been through there the last two mornings around 4.45am. First morning I went over the A640 to denshaw and back up the hill to jct22. It’s a bit ropey that way with some real right turns. I was ok as nothing coming the other way thankfully. Then the road itself is a bit bouncy so don’t drive at speed you will be bouncing off the road down the 100 foot drops on your left hand side ha ha . I was lucky this morning as they had reopened it when I got there. Probably because I was ■■■■■■■ about on the bloody M621 coming from M1/A1 as M1 M62 westbound link road was shut. Also on my fun run up to Gateshead and back I had to endure the A1m being closed at 55 to 58 so a detour up the A19 via Stockton. Then guess what that was bloody closed aswell just after Stockton so a ride cross country back to the A1m. I’m off now for my four nights and my god do I need them
Even without that diversion the M62 is atrocious at that time