Timelapse footage has been released by Network Rail after a major milestone in the £60m project to renew Clifton Bridge near Penrith in Cumbria.

The milestone was reached over the weekend with Network Rail and Skanska completing the demolition of the bridge.

The M6 was completely closed over the weekend between Junctions 39 and 40, and Network Rail has thanked motorists

The demolition work, which can be viewed in time-lapse footage below, was completed earlier than scheduled, with the motorway reopening at 03:50 am.

The motorway will be open until Friday, when a second closure will be in place to allow for a 4,200 tonne structure to be moved into place.

The motorway will reopen at 5am on Monday 12th January 2025.

On the railway, the WCML is currently split in two, and passengers are being advised to check before travel up until the 15th January when the whole project is due to finish.

Trains will now travel as far north as Oxenholme Lake District, with rail replacement buses running to Carlisle.

Meanwhile, Avanti West Coast is running a diverted trian service between Preston and Carlisle. A video of which can be seen here:

“The demolition of Clifton bridge has been a mammoth task and I’d like to thank drivers who’ve had to use the road diversions, rail users whose journeys have changed and people local to the construction site who’ve been extremely patient with all the noise and disruption.

“This £60m project forms part of our major investment programme to improve journeys on the West Coast Main Line for passengers and freight for generations to come.”

Christian Irwin OBE, Network Rail North West and Central region Capital Delivery director