LANES heading northbound and southbound on the M6 have been closed to allow for maintenance work.
One lane in each direction on the stretch of motorway between Carlisle and Penrith was shut to traffic at the end of May.
A spokesman from Highways England has revealed the reason behind the closures.
He said: "We started a programme of what we call cyclical maintenance in the central reservation at the end of May with a series of rolling lane three closures of 4 km at a time.
"Cyclical maintenance is periodic work to keep the motorway safe for all users and can include everything from grass cutting to drain clearance, litter picking and safety barrier repairs.
"Each 4km section requires the lane closure in each direction for 48 hours."
Works on the road are planned to be finished by this Saturday, June 22.
The spokesman added: "We need the lane closures to allow operatives to work in a safe environment but we always plan work to ensure maintenance does not affect drivers’ journeys or any impact is kept to an absolute minimum.
"We tend to do a lot of this work during the spring and summer months once the weather has improved."
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