The ongoing work to create the new Manchester smart motorways system has reached a significant milestone, with overhead gantries in the process of being replaced along a stretch of the M62 near Rochdale.

A two-mile section of the carriageway is being closed to all traffic for the next four weekends, as engineers complete the difficult task of removing these cumbersome structures.

Each are approximately 40 metres wide and weigh in excess of 130 tonnes. It is therefore a difficult task that will require a full closure of the motorway between 21:00 each Saturday night until 10:00 the following Sunday mornings.

Specialist 500-tonne cranes have been moved into position to help carry out this stage of the ambitious £202 million project.

Highways England project manager Paul Hampson explained: "These are massive structures and we will need to close the M62 to remove them safely by lifting the beams onto the carriageway.

"We're advising people to allow extra time for their journeys if they're planning to travel when the closures are taking place, although we've deliberately timed the demolition work to be carried out when traffic levels are at their lowest."

This present phase of roadworks will see overnight closures between junctions 19 and 20 of the M62, and is scheduled to begin each weekend on November 14th, 21st and 28th, as well as December 5th.

Once complete, the new smart motorways system will help to considerably reduce congestion in the local area and is expected to be fully operational by autumn 2017.