M60 motorway
The M60 motorway, Manchester Ring Motorway, or Manchester Outer Ring Road, is an orbital motorway around the Manchester conurbation in Lancashire and Cheshire. It is 36 miles long and was numbered as such in 2000, with parts of the M62 and M66 and all of the M63 being amalgamated into the new route.[1]
History
The M60 was developed by connecting and consolidating the existing motorway sections of the M63, M62, and an extended M66. It came into existence as the M60 in 2000, with the completion of the eastern side (Junctions 19-24) opening in October.[2]
The original plan called for a completely new motorway, but policy change led to the plan which created the current motorway. As soon as it opened, the motorway got close to its projected maximum volume on significant sections.
As an orbital motorway, it is equivalent to London's M25 motorway; unlike the M25, the M60 forms a complete loop. In 2004, a section of the northern M60 was the UK's busiest stretch of road, with an average of 181,000 vehicles per day using the stretch between junctions 16 and 17. Usually, the western side of the M25 motorway holds that distinction, but the M25's figures at the time were lower than normal due to roadworks starting.[3]
In 2006[4] the section between junctions 5 and 6 was widened from three to four lanes each way and the section between junctions 6 and 8 was widened from two to three lanes each way with an additional two-lane collector/distributor road]on either side of the main carriageways. Access for junctions 6 to 8 is only from the collector/distributor road. Some of the junctions were extensively re-modelled. As part of the project, the A6144(M) motorway, which connected to the M60 at junction 8, was downgraded and lost its motorway status.
Work to upgrade two sections of the M60 to a managed motorway system had been planned to commence in 2013. This would have included a new lane from junction 12 to 15 and a new lane from junction 8 to 12 near the Trafford Centre.[5][6] Both these projects were subsequently cancelled in favour of a new project that includes speed cameras on this section but no additional lane or hard-shoulder running. An 'environmental assessment' was cited as the reason an additional lane will not be provided. Consequently, daily congestion on this section is expected to continue indefinitely.[7] A combined approach was initiated in 2014, comprising managed motorway system and lane gain scheme. Work commmenced in July 2014 and is expected to be completed by August 2017
M60 genealogy
| M60 motorway genealogy | |
| Section | Original number |
| J1 – J7 | M63 |
| J7 – J12 | Opened as M62,[8] later became M63 |
| J12 – J18 | M62 |
| J18 – J19 | M66 |
| J19 – J23 | Planned as M66, opened as M60 |
| J23 – J25 | M66 |
| J25 – J1 | M63 |
Junctions
The junctions on the M60 are very closely spaced together, with an average distance of 1.3 miles between junctions. The recommended junction spacing for motorways is 1 every 10–20 miles.[9] By comparison, the M6 motorway has an average distance of 5.3 miles between junctions.
| M60 motorway | ||||
| mile | Anti-clockwise exits - "B" Carriageway | Junction | Clockwise exits - "A" Carriageway | |
| Lancashire | ||||
| 0.0 | Stockport A5145 | J1 | Stockport A5145 | |
| Cheshire | ||||
| 1.5 | Cheadle A560 | J2 | No access | |
| Cheadle, Wilmslow A34 | J3 | Cheadle, Wilmslow A34 | ||
| Cheadle, Wilmslow A34 | J4 | Chester, Warrington, Manchester Airport M56, Birmingham (M6) | ||
| 4.5 | Wythenshawe A5103 Manchester, Knutsford (A556), Chester (M56) |
J5 | Manchester, Didsbury A5103 | |
| 6.0 | Sale A6144 | J6 | Sale A6144 | |
| Lancashire | ||||
| 6.8 | Altrincham A56 | J7 | Altrincham, Stretford A56 | |
| 7.5 | Carrington A6144 | J8 | Carrington A6144 | |
| 9.3 | Trafford Park, Trafford Centre A5081 | J9 | Trafford Park, Trafford Centre, Urmston A5081 | |
| 10.3 | Trafford Park B5214 | J10 | Trafford Park B5214 | |
| 11.4 | Irlam, Eccles A57 | J11 | Irlam, Eccles A57 | |
| 12.2 | Warrington, Liverpool M62 Salford M602 |
J12 | Warrington, Liverpool M62 Salford M602 | |
| 13.0 | Swinton A572 Worsley, Leigh A575 |
J13 | Swinton A572 | |
| 14.1 | St Helens, Leigh A580 | J14 | No access | |
| Bolton, Wigan, Preston M61 | J15 | Bolton, Wigan, Preston M61 | ||
| 16.3 | Salford, Clifton, Pendlebury, Kearsley A666 | J16 | No access | |
| 18.5 | Whitefield, Manchester, Prestwich A56 | J17 | Prestwich, Whitefield A56 | |
| 19.8 | Leeds, Bolton, Preston, Liverpool M62 Bury, Burnley M66 |
J18 | Leeds M62 | |
| 21.0 | Middleton, Manchester A576 | J19 | Middleton, Manchester A576 | |
| 22.6 | No access | J20 | Blackley, Moston A664 | |
| 24.7 | Oldham, Failsworth A663 | J21 | Oldham, Failsworth A663 | |
| 26.3 | Manchester City Centre, Chadderton A663 | J22 | Oldham, Failsworth A62 | |
| 28.6 | Ashton-under-Lyne A635 | J23 | Ashton-under-Lyne A635 | |
| 30.6 | Manchester A57 Sheffield M67 |
J24 | Manchester A57 Sheffield M67 Denton Island | |
| Cheshire | ||||
| Bredbury A560 | J25 | Bredbury A560 | ||
| No access | J26 | Stockport A560 | ||
| Stockport East (multiple roads) | J27 | No access | ||
| 36.1 | Road continues to J1 | |||
References
- ↑ "M60 Motorway". Highways Agency. Archived from the original on 2009-11-15. http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20091115001925/http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/23612.aspx. Retrieved 2012-03-18.
- ↑ "M60". Highways Agency. Archived from the original on 15 November 2009. http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20091115001925/http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/23612.aspx. Retrieved 30 October 2009.
- ↑ http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_transstats/documents/downloadable/dft_transstats_038887.pdf dft.gov.uk
- ↑ "Speech by Minister of State for Transport, Dr Stephen Ladyman, delivered at the opening ceremony of the widened M60 junction 5-8". Department For Transport. 26 June 2006. https://www.dft.gov.uk/press/speechesstatements/speeches/m60widening. Retrieved 28 January 2008.
- ↑ "M60 Junctions 8-12 Managed Motorways". Highways Agency. http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/road-projects/M60-Junctions-8-12-Managed-Motorways. Retrieved 2012-12-19.
- ↑ "M60 Junctions 15-12 Lane Gain". Highways Agency. http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/road-projects/m60-junctions-15-12-lane-gain/. Retrieved 2012-12-19.
- ↑ "M60 Junction 8 to M62 Junction 20: Smart Motorway". Highways Agency. http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/road-projects/m60-junction-8-to-m62-junction-20/. Retrieved 2014-05-31.
- ↑ M62, Pathetic Motorways
- ↑ http://www.cbrd.co.uk/motorway/m60/
Outside links
- CBRD Motorway Database - M60
- Highways Agency - M60 Jct 5 to 8 (formerly M63 Jct 6 to 9) widening
- Guide to the M60 Smart Motorway Construction
Further reading
Hyde, M., O'Rourke, A. and Portland, P. Around the M60: Manchester's Orbital Motorway. Altrincham: AMCD Publishers, 2004.
| Motorways in the United Kingdom |
|---|
|
Great Britain: M1 • M2 • M3 • M4 • M5 • M6 • M6 Toll • M8 • M9 • M10 • M11 • M18 • M20 • M23 • M25 • M26 • M27 • M32 • M40 • M42 • M45 • M48 • M49 • M50 • M53 • M54 • M55 • M56 • M57 • M58 • M60 • M61 • M62 • M63 • M65 • M66 • M67 • M69 • M73 • M74 • M77 • M80 • M85 • M90 • M180 • M181 • M271 • M275 • M602 • M606 • M621 • M876 • M898 • Sections of A road: A1(M) |
Former motorways marked in italics
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