Reminder issued ahead of road closures due to Transpennine Route Upgrade
Drivers are reminded of upcoming road closures in Uppermill High Street, Saddleworth, due to works on the Saddleworth viaduct as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU). The closures will affect motorists and pedestrians over two weekends, including the May bank holiday, with potential impacts on train journeys between Manchester, Leeds, and York.
Uppermill High Street will shut completely for two weekends—April 26-27 and May 3-4—while engineers replace tracks on the 19th-century Saddleworth viaduct as part of the £2.9 billion Transpennine Route Upgrade.
Barriers will block Brownhill Lane, Den Lane and the Huddersfield Narrow Canal towpath from 06:00 each Saturday until 11:00 the following Sunday, barring both vehicles and pedestrians from the popular Pennine beauty spot over the early-May bank holiday.
Mark Ashton, speaking for the TRU programme, said: “While we carry out works as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade, the safety of the workforce and public are our number one priority. The planned road closures will be in place to protect vehicles and pedestrians while track upgrade works are carried out on the viaduct. We’re aware that this may cause some inconvenience, particularly over the bank holiday weekend, and we have been working closely with the highways and transport teams from Oldham Council to reduce the impact of the closure as much as possible. We really appreciate the local community’s patience and understanding while the work takes place.”
Network Rail aims to electrify the Manchester-Leeds line and run faster, more frequent services once the upgrade is finished; additional local works will add step-free ramps at Greenfield station, raise the A670 bridge for overhead wires and finally close the accident-plagued Moorgate Halt level crossing, which will remain open during the viaduct closures under marshal supervision.
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