A6070 Carnforth maintenance

We're currently carrying out vital repairs to the A6070 which links the M6 motorway to the A6 near Carnforth.

Lancashire County Council has received £9.245m from the Department for Transport to carry out the following improvements which are scheduled to take place from April 2024 to March 2025:

• The speed limit will be reduced to 50mph
• The hard shoulder will be replaced with a grass verge
• The road will be resurfaced and vital maintenance carried out to related infrastructure, including drainage, safety barriers and bridges
• The landscaping will be enhanced
• Ecological improvements will be made
• All associated signage will be amended

The A6070 was previously known as the A601(M), however following approval from the Secretary of State for Transport the 'special status' of the route has been removed and it is no longer a motorway.

Originally the northern limit of the M6, the road became the A601(M) when the motorway was extended in the 1960’s. After more than 60 years in service this major maintenance scheme will bring the road up to standard and make sure it meets future transport needs.

Benefits

The following benefits have been identified:

• Lancashire County Council will save up to £30m on the cost of maintenance over the coming years
• A wider variety of users will be able to use the road
• Environmental and ecological improvements
• Levels of noise and air pollution will be reduced
• As the road won’t need to be maintained to motorway standards, we can extend its life by carrying out more timely and affordable repairs

Delivery of works

Following a competitive tender process based on both price and quality, the contract has been awarded to Bolton based construction specialists A E Yates Group.

Some lane closures and overnight road closures will be needed to allow the work to take place safely.