DRIVERS in West Yorkshire are being warned about 10 weeks of overnight closures on the M62 for "essential improvements".

The motorway will be resurfaced in both directions between junctions 26 (Chain Bar) and 27 (Gildersome) over a 10-week period from today (Monday, September 25).

According to National Highways, the work will "create smoother journeys".

All eastbound lanes will be shut between 8pm and 6am on Monday to Friday from today (Monday, September 25) to Wednesday, November 1.

The westbound carriageway will be closed between the same times on weeknights from Thursday, November 2, to Thursday, November 30.

The junction 26 eastbound entry and westbound exit slip roads and the junction 27 eastbound exit slip road will also be shut.

National Highways said a fully signed diversion would be in place along the A58 and A650.

National Highways project manager Raymond Mcloughlin said: "We're aiming to improve this stretch of motorway, making it smoother and safer.

"We're carrying out this work overnight when traffic is at its lightest to keep disruption to a minimum, but we appreciate this may cause some disruption for drivers planning to travel during the closures. 

"We want to thank drivers in advance for their patience and hope to have this carried out as soon as we can."