Motorists are being advised to plan ahead as HS2 prepares to close the M42 in Warwickshire over a number of weekends.

The high speed rail developer is set to shut the motorway over the first weekend in November, and then over two more weekends in December.

HS2 is set to close the road from junction 6 (Solihull) to 7/7a (Coleshill) as part of more works to build the new 'twin box structure' to carry the rail line over the M42.

The Motorway will be closed from:

• 9pm on Friday 1November until 5am on Monday 4 November.
• 9pm on Friday 6 December until 5am on Monday 9 December.
• 9pm on Friday 13 December until 5am on Monday 16 December. 

The notice from HS2 said: "The new railway will pass over the M42 on a twin box structure near Birmingham Business Park and the NEC.

"This new structure, measuring 300m length by 25m width will cover around 130m of the M42 and will be built in position whilst maintaining three lanes of traffic flowing on the M42.

"To prepare for this construction activity we will need to close the motorway for three weekends to undertake works that is not safe to do around live traffic."

A diversion route will be in place