View source for M65 motorway

{{county|Lancashire}}
[[File:UK-Motorway-M65.svg|right|200px]]
[[File:M65 - geograph.org.uk - 158854.jpg|right|215px|thumb|Looking east along the newest section]]
The '''M65''' is a motorway in [[Lancashire]], running from just south of [[Preston]] through the major junction of the [[M6 motorway|M6]] and [[M61 motorway]]s, east past [[Darwen]], [[Blackburn]], [[Accrington]], [[Burnley]], [[Nelson, Lancashire|Nelson]] and ending at [[Colne, Lancashire|Colne]].

==History==
The M65 was opened in the following sections:

*Junctions 1a to 6 in 1997
*Junctions 6 to 7 in 1984
*Junctions 7 to 10 in 1983
*Junctions 10 to 12 in 1981
*Junctions 12 to 13 in 1983
*Junctions 13 to 14 in 1988

The first section of the motorway was opened in 1981, connecting [[Burnley]] to [[Brierfield]].  Over the years, several extensions were made, the largest being the link from [[Whitebirk]] to the M6 and M61 motorways in 1997. This extension was the scene of a standoff between construction security workers and protesters.

Junctions 1a to 6 were opened 18 December 1997 by Jack Straw, Home Secretary and Member of Parliament for Blackburn. The opening ceremony took place on the westbound carriageway beneath junction 5 at Guide with a heavy police presence as protesters threatened to bring a halt to the proceedings.

Much of the 1997 extension was relaid shortly after it opened with a new, quieter tarmac because the amount of road noise had been so great that it prevented birds of prey (mainly owls) from foraging effectively.

Originally, the M65 was planned to go via the town centre of [[Blackburn]], but opposition by the local council effectively killed this plan off, which was cancelled by the government in 1980 until the 1990s. There were six planned routes, four of which avoided the town centre completely. In the end, the only route to go around the south of the town was selected.

==Features==
===Unusual spur road===
When the M65 was extended, a slip road was built at Walton Summit, south-east of [[Preston]], from the roundabout linking junction 9 of the [[M61 motorway|M61]] with junction 2 of the M65 to the Walton Summit industrial estate. It is a single-carriageway road, with two lanes towards the junction (uphill) and one away (downhill). It is around 500 yards long and replaced an A-road spur of the A6 that was built in the 1980s.

According to the statutory instrument that authorised its construction, the road is officially classified as a 'special link road to connect the [M65/M61 roundabout] with the all-purpose road known as Tramway Lane'.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1991/Uksi_19910722_en_3.htm | title=The M65 Motorway (Bamber Bridge to Whitebirk Section, Blackburn Southern Bypass) and Connecting Roads Scheme 1991 | publisher=Office of Public Sector Information | year=1991 | accessdate=10 January 2009 }}</ref>  It is unclear whether this road forms part of the M61, M65, or neither.

[[File:M65 between Jn7 and Jn8 - geograph.org.uk - 65210.jpg|right|215px|thumb|Between junctions 7 & 8]]

==Junctions==
{| border=1 cellpadding=2 style="margin-left:1em; margin-bottom: 1em; color: black; border-collapse: collapse; class="wikitable"
|- align="center" bgcolor="0080d0" style="color: white;font-size:120%;"
| colspan="5" | '''M65 motorway'''
|- align="center" bgcolor="000000" style="color: white"
|mile
| Eastbound exits
| Junction
| Westbound exits
|- align="center"
| 25.8
| [[Skipton]], [[Keighley]], [[Nelson, Lancashire|Nelson]], Colne A6068
| J14<br>''Terminus''
| ''Start of motorway''
|- align="center"
| 24.4
| Nelson, [[Kendal]] A682
| J13
| Nelson A682
|- align="center"
| 23.3
| Nelson, [[Brierfield, Lancashire|Brierfield]] A682
| J12
| Brierfield A682
|- align="center"
| 21.0
| {{no2}}No access
| J11
| Burnley, Nelson (A679, A682) B6434
|- align="center"
|19.9
| Burnley (Central), [[Padiham]] A671
| J10
| Burnley (Central), Padiham A671
|- align="center"
|18.5
| Burnley (West) A679
| J9
| {{no2}}No access
|- align="center"
|17.3
| [[Bury]], [[Manchester]] A56<br>[[Clitheroe]] A6068
| J8
| Bury, Manchester A56<br>Clitheroe A6068
|- align="center"
|14.5
| Accrington, Clitheroe A6185
| J7
| Accrington A6185
|- align="center"
|12.4
| Blackburn (North & East) A678
| J6
| Blackburn (North & East) A678
|- align="center"
|10.1
| B6232, Shadsworth A6077
| J5
| B6232, Shadsworth A6077
|- align="center"
|8.5
| Blackburn (South), [[Bolton]], [[Darwen]] A666, ''Blackburn&nbsp;with&nbsp;Darwen&nbsp;services''
| J4<br>''Services'' 
| Blackburn (South), Bolton, Darwen A666, ''Blackburn&nbsp;with&nbsp;Darwen&nbsp;services''
|- align="center"
|4.9
| Blackburn (West) A674<br>Bolton A675
| J3
| Blackburn (West) A674
|- align="center"
|2.2
| [[Manchester]], The North West, [[Lancaster]] [[M61 motorway|M61]]
| J2
| Manchester, The North West, Lancaster M61
|- align="center"
|0.7
| The South, [[Birmingham]], The North West, Lancaster [[M6 motorway|M6]]
| J1
| The South, Birmingham, The North West, Lancaster M6
|- align="center"
|0.6
| ''Start of motorway''
| J1a<br>''Terminus''
| Preston, [[Bamber Bridge]] A6
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Outside links==
* [http://www.cbrd.co.uk/motorway/m65/ CBRD Motorway Database – M65]
*[http://www.highways.gov.uk/ Highways Agency]
*[http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/home/index.asp Lancashire County Council]
*[http://pathetic.org.uk/motorways/waltonsummit.shtml Pathetic Motorways – Walton Summit]
*[http://www.iht.org/motorway/m65master.htm The Motorway Archive – M65]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAshEOQq5yQ Amateur documentary of commencement ceremony and early works at Brierfield 1976] YouTube ([http://www.pendlemoviemakers.org.uk/ Pendle Movie Makers])

{{UK motorways}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:6-0065}}
[[Category:Roads in Lancashire]]