Motorists driving through a popular holiday hotspot could face four years of traffic chaos as Network Rail commences on a mammoth project that is expected to cause significant travel disruptions in the area. A £60m infrastructure project to replace the ageing Clifton bridge over the M6 motorway near Penrith, Cumbria, will soon commence affecting 40 million journeys.
The 71-year-old bridge, serving as a vital link in the railway network connecting northern England and Scotland, has been deemed unsafe, prompting urgent action. The bridge’s deterioration has led to operational restrictions. Currently, it only allows one train to cross at a time, significantly impacting passenger and freight services. Preparation is currently under way before construction commences in 2027, according to HighwaysIndustry.com, with the project estimated for completion in 2030 or 2031.
The major project will affect anyone journeying to northern parts of the Lake District, such as Penrith or Kendal as well as anyone travelling further north to Scotland.
The tourism sector in Cumbria generated £4.6 billion in 2024 and supported 74,823 jobs, representing 28% of the county’s workforce. In 2023, the Lake District National Park recorded 18.11 million tourist visits.
Critics of the project say it will cost local people millions and could put jobs at risk.
Tebay service station in Cumbria fears it could lose £30 million in turnover, according to The Telegraph.
Sarah Dunning, the chairwoman of Westmorland, which owns Tebay services, fears the work “could really knock the region”.
She said: “Tourism in Cumbria took a battering during Covid. It has taken time to build it back up again. I think this could really knock the region. People might just go somewhere else in order to avoid the upheaval.”
She estimates the bridge works could knock 20% turnover at the service station, which employs 450 people and supports 90 suppliers, including farms, cheesemakers and bakeries.
A National Highways spokesperson said the “works are vital to improve safety” and it would “look to reduce disruption as much as possible when the main work starts in two years”.
Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron said the four-year closure of junction 38 and the temporary closure of the A685 bridge near Tebay would be “devastating for local residents”, reports the BBC.
“Precious little thought has been given to the communities of Tebay, Grayrigg, Kirkby Stephen, and Orton,” he said.
“The partial closure of junction 38 at the same time as the closure of the bridge on the A685 just outside of Tebay will be devastating for local residents, families, businesses and farms.”