National Highways will shut the M61 northbound between junctions 6 and 8 from 10pm on Sunday, October 18 until 6am on Monday, October 19. Drivers heading north from Bolton towards Chorley and Preston will need to leave the route or wait for the road to reopen.
The closure covers a single overnight window, but the diversion is fixed: traffic will be sent via the A6027, A6 and A674. National Highways said motorists should allow extra time, and services will stay open to southbound traffic during the closure.
Bolton to Chorley diversion
The detour matters because the route change applies to anyone travelling north through this part of the motorway network. Drivers who are expecting a straight run between Bolton and Chorley will instead need to follow the signed diversion, which adds distance and road changes in the middle of the night.
For anyone planning to use the motorway in that window, the practical choice is simple: leave extra time or travel outside the closure period. The closure is limited to one night, but the diversion will affect the journey for as long as the road remains shut.
National Highways maintenance works
The overnight shutdown is part of wider maintenance works on the M61 running from September 14 to December 18. That programme also includes overnight closures on the northbound exit slip road at junction 8 between 8pm and 6am, Monday to Friday. Drivers needing to leave at junction 8 during those periods are advised to continue to junction 9, then return towards junction 8.
National Highways said planned closures can change at short notice, so the published window is not a guarantee that every restriction will stay exactly as posted. Motorists are being told to check the latest information before setting off, especially if their journey depends on reaching Chorley and Preston through this stretch of road.
For drivers already committed to the route, the safest plan is to treat the closure as the default and the through-running M61 as unavailable northbound between junctions 6 and 8 until 6am on Monday, October 19.
