Mill Lane in Macclesfield, Cheshire, has been closed to through-traffic until 6 February 2026 while engineers carry out emergency repairs to a leaking sewer pipe. Workers from United Utilities started the urgent project on 31 January 2026, after heavy seasonal rain saturated the ground and increased pressure on the town’s aging underground sewer network.
The work involves open-cut excavation across the carriageway between the junctions of Windmill Street and the Silk Road (A523) to reach and replace the damaged section of pipe. United Utilities and highways officers said immediate action was required because the leak risked road subsidence and local flooding if left unaddressed.
Drivers are being told to expect significant delays as the closure removes a key alternative route used while nearby Gas Road Bridge improvement works are carried out on the Silk Road. According to Cheshire East Highways, marshals and staff on-site are allowing residents and emergency vehicles to access properties within the closure, but through-traffic must follow the signed diversions.
Bus passengers are also affected. D&G Bus has rerouted its Service 38 via London Road and Park Lane (with stops such as Mill Lane/Lodge Farm suspended), and other local services, including services 3 and 4, are facing delays and restrictions near the work zone during the closure.
If you have questions about the repairs, call United Utilities on 0345 672 3723 (Ref: Mill Lane Emergency) or contact Cheshire East Highways on 0300 123 5025. The works are scheduled to finish on 6 February 2026, with the road expected to be reinstated and reopened by the end of that day.
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