PART of the M53 will be closed overnight for nine weeks as part of a £520,000 "wear and tear" repairs project.

Highways England started the repairs along sections of the motorway at junction two Moreton Spur last Thursday.

The spur and associated slip roads, which link the local road network and the motorway, will be  resurfaced and bridge joints replaced in the nine-week project. 

All the work will be done between 10pm and 5am at night, Monday to Friday, and will require full overnight closures of the westbound or eastbound link road carriageways and slip roads at either end at different times.

The work is taking place after a £2.8m project to replace and repair bridges carrying the southbound slip roads over the motorway at junction 2 was completed earlier this year.

Project manager Phil Deller said: “This is important work to complete a major overhaul of this busy junction, responding to drivers’ concerns about the quality of journeys.

“Although the M53 itself will be unaffected by the work, people will be unable to leave or join the motorway at junction 2 at times during the overnight link road and slip road closures. Drivers will be able to follow clearly-signed diversions.”

No work will take place between Friday, December 18, and Monday, January 4, to help give drivers smoother Christmas and New Year holiday journeys.