Template:This Template:Infobox road The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction (J45). Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74(M) which continues to Glasgow.
The M6 is the longest motorway in the United Kingdom and one of the busiest. It incorporates the first length of motorway opened in the UK and forms part of a motorway "Backbone of Britain", running north-south between London and Glasgow via the industrial North of England. It is also part of the east-west route between the midlands and the east coast ports. The section from the M1 to the M6 Toll split near Birmingham forms part of the unsigned E-road Template:Erd and the section from the M6 Toll and the M42 forms part of Template:Erd.
Route[]
The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 and from the beginning of A14 in Catthorpe near Rugby in central England, passes between Coventry and Nuneaton, through Birmingham, Walsall and Stafford and near the major cities of Wolverhampton and Stoke-on-Trent. The motorway has a major junction onto the M56 and M62 at Warrington, giving access to Manchester and Liverpool. The M6 then heads north past Preston and Lancaster. After the latter two cities it passes through Cumbria with some parts very close to the edge of the Lake District, and then passes Carlisle on its way to Gretna, before the motorway becomes the A74(M) a few hundred metres short of the Scottish border.
History[]
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Planning and construction[]
The southbound M6 as seen from a bridge just south of junction 29, Preston, 2008
The first section of the motorway and the first motorway in the country was the Preston by-pass. It was built by Tarmac Construction and opened by the Prime Minister Harold Macmillan on 5 December 1958.[1] In January 1959 the Preston By-pass was closed because of rapid surface deterioration over a stretch of Template:Convert/yd "due to water freezing and then thawing". Motorists were diverted to the old road while the UK road research laboratory at Harmondsworth pondered the importance of surface water drainage.[2]
Later the motorway was extended in both directions and is now Template:Convert/mi long.
The M6 in Cheshire, 1969
The second phase of construction was completed in 1960, running to junction 35 and forming the Lancaster by-pass. Some Template:Convert/mi south, the Stafford by-pass was completed in 1962. By 1965, the remaining section of motorway towards Preston had been completed. 1968 saw the completion of the Walsall to Stafford link as well as the Penrith by-pass some Template:Convert/mi north in Cumberland. In 1970, the Lancaster-Penrith link was completed, along with a short section of motorway by-passing the south of Walsall. The most northernly section of the motorway also opened in 1970, running to the designated terminus north of Carlisle. By 1971, the full route was completed between the junction with the M1 motorway at Rugby and the A452 road several miles north-east of Birmingham city centre, including the 3½ miles of viaduct between Castle Bromwich(J5) and Gravelly Hill(J6), which is the longest viaduct in Great Britain.[3][4]
Junction 6 in Birmingham is widely known as Spaghetti Junction because of its complexity.
On the elevated ground between Shap and Tebay, the north and south-bound carriages split apart. At this point a local road (to Scout Green) runs between the two carriageways without a link to the motorway.
The section of the M6 which runs over Shap Fell in Cumbria is Category:Aldwych Branch The Short Streach Of Line Between Holborn And Aldwych Was Closed In 1994.The Line Was Due To be extended to Waterloo but never was.There will be a bit of Aldwych In My Website when added above sea level, one of the highest points on any motorway in the UK (junction 22 of the M62 on Saddleworth Moor is higher). The motorway engineers here chose to follow the route of the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway engineered by Joseph Locke (now part of the West Coast Main Line) where the motorway runs in a split-level cutting above the railway in the descent from Shap Fell through the Lune Gorge into southern Cumbria.
The northbound entry slip road at Lancaster (J34) is unusually short, presenting problems for traffic joining the motorway. The M6 crosses the River Lune at this point and unless the bridge had been made wider, there was no space to build a longer slip road. This junction was upgraded from an earlier emergency-vehicles-only access point, which explains the substandard design.
The route was intended to replace the old A6, but a much closer approximation to the actual route of the M6 is provided by following the route: A45, A34, A50, A49, A6.
Operational[]
In July 1972 the UK Minister for Transport Industries announced that Template:Convert/mi of UK motorway particularly prone to fog would benefit from lighting in a project which "should be" completed by 1973.[5] Sections to be illuminated included the M6 between junctions 10 and 11, and between junctions 20 and 27.[5]
In March 2006, after 15-years of debate,[6] the government authorised the construction of a Template:Convert/mi extension of the M6 from its then northern terminus near Carlisle to the Anglo-Scottish border at Gretna (the so-called "Cumberland Gap"), where it links into the existing A74(M).[7] The road opened on 5 December 2008, the 50th anniversary of the M6 Preston Bypass.[8] The project, which was a mixture of new road and upgrade of the existing A74, crosses the West Coast Main Line and had an estimated costs of £174 million. It completed an uninterrupted motorway from Cumbernauld (via the M73) in the north to Exeter (via the M5) and to London (via both the M42/M40 and the M1) in the south.
The M6 Toll, Britain's first toll motorway, which bypasses the West Midlands conurbation to the east and north of Birmingham and Walsall and was built to alleviate congestion through the West Midlands, and opened in December 2003. Prior to the opening of the toll motorway, this section of the M6 carried 180,000 vehicles per day at its busiest point near Wolverhampton (between the junctions with the M54 and M5 motorways), compared with a design capacity of only 72,000 vehicles. Usage, at about 50,000 vehicles was lower than expected and traffic levels on the M6 were only slightly reduced as a result. The high toll prices which were set by the operating company and about which the UK government has no influence were blamed for the low usage.[9] Much traffic continues to use the M6 or the continued on the M1 and took the A50 or A52.[citation needed]
A proposed extension to the M6 Toll, known as the 'M6 Expressway' would have continued from the M6 Toll as far as Knutsford, at which point much of the existing M6 traffic leaves the M6 for Manchester was abandoned in 2006 due to excessive costs, anticipated construction problems[10] and disappointing levels of usage of the M6 Toll.
Proposed developments[]
Increased capacity between J11a and J19[]
The government wishes to improve reliability and capacity between Junctions 11 by Cannock and Junction 19 near Knutsford. In 2004, it favoured a new motorway, 'The Expressway' following a roughly parallel course to the existing M6.[11] In July 2006, the government announced its decision to abandon the Expressway proposal, and favoured widening accompanied by demand-management measures,[12] and have launched a study to consider options for providing additional capacity.[13] The first phase of the widening could be completed by 2014, with the remaining sections following until full completion in 2017.[12]
Hard shoulder running (junction 4-5 and 8 to 10a)[]
In October 2007, following a successful trial on the M42 in the West Midlands, the UK government have announced that two stretches of the M6 will be upgraded to allow the hard shoulder to be used as a normal running lane during busy conditions under a scheme called Active Traffic Management.[14] The two stretches, between junctions 4 and 5 and between junctions 10a and 8, are two of the busiest sections on the entire motorway[citation needed]. The system could also be extended onto other stretches of the M6 as the government is going to undertake a feasibility study to determine other likely locations where this technology can be used.[citation needed]
Junction with M1 and A14[]
- Main article: M1 motorway#Junction 19
The Highways Agency is planning a major upgrade to the overloaded interchange between the M6, the M1 motorway and the A14 road at Catthorpe.[15]
M6 motorway in culture[]
The M6 motorway was featured in the lyrics of Wings' 1973 single "Helen Wheels": "M6 south down Liverpool, where they play the west coast sound". The song was a single only release in the UK (1973) but was added to the US and international album release of Band on the Run.
Reference to the motorway appeared in the 1975 song "Moonlighting" by Leo Sayer via the lyric "Meanwhile the Carlisle turnoff of the M6 motorway, drinking cold black coffee, eating hot cup cakes".
A reference to the M6 motorway is made in the song "Family" from the 1989 New Model Army album Thunder and Consolation: "M6 southbound road side cafe on a wild wet windy night."
The song 'Northern', by experimental English group One More Grain describes a journey through Cumbria on the northbound carriageway of the M6 ("driving on the M6, headed north to Penrith"), mentioning many of the sites, towns and landmarks on the way e.g. Sedbergh, Howgill Fells, Metal Bridge, Rockcliffe Marsh and the Solway Firth.
Junctions[]
Data[16][17] from driver location signs are used to provide distance and carriageway identifier information. Where a junction spans several hundred metres and the start and end distances are known, both distances are shown.
| M6 Motorway | |||
| km | Northbound exits (A Carriageway) | Junction | Southbound exits (B Carriageway) |
| M6 now continues as A74(M) to Glasgow, Edinburgh | |||
| 504.1 | Gretna (Green) B7076 Longtown A6071 |
M6 J45 | No exit |
| Todhills rest area | Services | Todhills rest area | |
| 495.1 494.6 | Carlisle (North), Galashiels, Hawick A7 | J44 [coord 1] |
Hexham A689 Workington (A595), Carlisle A7 |
| 488.9 488.4 |
Carlisle, Hexham, Newcastle upon Tyne A69 | J43 | Carlisle, Hexham, Newcastle upon Tyne A69 |
| 484.6 484.0 |
Carlisle (South) A6 | J42 | Carlisle (South) A6 |
| Southwaite services | Services | Southwaite services | |
| 464.6 464.1 |
Wigton B5305 | J41 | Wigton B5305 |
| 459.5 459.0 |
Penrith, Workington, Keswick A66 | J40 | Penrith, Keswick, Brough, Scotch Corner A66 |
| 441.6 441.0 |
Shap, Kendal (A6) | J39 | Shap (A6) |
| Tebay services | Services | Tebay services | |
| 432.7 432.1 |
Brough A685 Appleby B6260 |
J38 | Kendal, Brough A685 |
| 418.9 418.4 |
Kendal, Sedbergh A684 | J37 | Kendal, Sedbergh A684 |
| no access to services | Services | Killington Lake services | |
| 406.7 406.0 |
Kirkby Lonsdale, Skipton A65 Kendal, Barrow-in-Furness A590 |
J36 | Kirkby Lonsdale, Skipton A65 Barrow-in-Furness A590 |
| Burton-in-Kendal services | Services | no access to services | |
| 394.4 393.6 |
Carnforth, Morecambe A601(M) (A6) | J35 | Carnforth, Morecambe A601(M) (A6) |
| 387.6 387.2 |
Lancaster, Morecambe, Kirkby Lonsdale, Heysham A683 | J34 | Lancaster, Morecambe A683 |
| 377.6 377.1 |
Lancaster A6 | J33 | Garstang, Fleetwood A6 |
| Lancaster (Forton) services | Services | Lancaster (Forton) services | |
| 356.5 355.7 |
Blackpool, Fleetwood, Preston, Garstang M55 | J32 | Blackpool M55 |
| 353.2 352.9 |
Preston, Longridge B6242 | J31A | No exit |
| Preston, Clitheroe A59 | J31 | Preston, Clitheroe A59 | |
| 346.6 345.9 |
No exit | J30 | Manchester, Bolton M61 Leeds (M62) Blackburn (M65) |
| 344.3 343.6 |
Burnley, Blackburn, Preston M65 | J29 | Burnley, Blackburn M65 |
| 341.6 341.0 |
Leyland (A49) | J28 | Leyland (A49) |
| Charnock Richard services | Services | Charnock Richard services | |
| 329..6 329.0 |
Parbold, Standish, Chorley A5209 | J27 | Parbold, Standish, Wigan A5209 |
| 323.1 322.6 |
Wigan, Skelmersdale, Liverpool, Southport M58 | J26 | Wigan, Skelmersdale, Liverpool, Southport M58 |
| 318.7 318.3 |
Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan, A49 | J25 | No exit |
| 316.9 316.3 |
No exit | J24 | Ashton-in-Makerfield, St. Helens A58 |
| 314.8 314.1 |
Haydock, Ashton-in-Makerfield, St Helens, Manchester, Liverpool, Newton-le-Willows A580 (East Lancashire Road) | J23 | Haydock, Ashton-in-Makerfield, St Helens, Manchester, Liverpool, Newton-le-Willows A580 (East Lancashire Road) |
| 309.6 309.1 |
Newton-le-Willows A49 Leigh A579 | J22 | Warrington A49 |
| 307.4 306.5 |
Manchester, Leeds M62 | J21A | Liverpool, Southport M62 |
| Liverpool, Southport M62 | Manchester, Leeds M62 | ||
| 303.0 302.5 |
Warrington, Irlam A57 | J21 | Warrington, Irlam A57 |
| Thelwall Viaduct [coord 2] |
|||
| 298.7 298.2 |
Lymm, Macclesfield A50 Lymm Services |
J20 Services |
Lymm, Macclesfield A50 Lymm Services |
| NORTH WALES, Runcorn, Birkenhead M56 | NORTH WALES, Chester, Manchester & Airport, Stockport M56 | ||
| 290.2 289.5 |
Manchester & Airport, Stockport A556 (M56 (west)) | J19 | Northwich, Knutsford, Macclesfield A556 |
| Knutsford services (no HGVs) |
Services | Knutsford services (no HGVs) | |
| 277.2 276.7 |
Holmes Chapel, Middlewich, Northwich, Chester A54 | J18 | Holmes Chapel, Middlewich A54 |
| 271.3 270.8 |
Congleton, Sandbach A534 | J17 | Congleton, Sandbach A534 |
| Sandbach services | Services | Sandbach services | |
| 261.7 261.2 |
Stoke-on-Trent, Crewe, Nantwich A500 | J16 | Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stoke-on-Trent, Crewe, Nantwich A500 |
| Keele services | Services | Keele services | |
| 246.4 246.1 |
Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme A500 | J15 | Stoke-on-Trent, Stone, Eccleshall A500 Derby (A50) |
| Stafford services | Services | Stafford services | |
| 228.6 228.2 |
Stafford, Stone, Eccleshall A34 | J14 | Stafford (North) A34 |
| 220.1 219.6 |
Stafford A449 | J13 | Stafford (South & Central) A449 |
| 211.8 211.1 |
Telford A5 | J12 | NORTH WALES, Cannock, Wolverhampton, Telford A5 (M54) |
| No exit | J11A | The SOUTH, Lichfield M6 Toll | |
| 207.2 206.7 |
Cannock A460 | J11 | Wolverhampton A460 |
| Hilton Park services | Services | Hilton Park services | |
| 204.4 203.9 |
NORTH WALES, Wolverhampton, Telford M54 | J10A | No exit |
| 198.4 197.8 |
Walsall, Wolverhampton A454 | J10 | Walsall A454 |
| 195.8 195.6 |
Wednesbury A461 | J9 | Wednesbury A461 |
| 193.0 | The SOUTH WEST, Birmingham (West), West Bromwich M5 | J8 [coord 3] |
The SOUTH WEST, Birmingham, West Bromwich M5 |
| 190.6 190.1 |
Birmingham (NW), Walsall A34 | J7 [coord 4] |
Birmingham A34 |
| 183.8 183.3 |
Birmingham (Central & North) A38(M) Sutton Coldfield A5127 |
J6 Gravelly Hill Interchange [coord 5] |
Birmingham A38(M) & A38 |
| 178.5 178.3 |
Birmingham (NE), Castle Bromwich A452 | J5 [coord 6] |
No exit westbound |
| 175.1 174.8 |
No exit | J4A | The NORTH (M1) The SOUTH (M40) M42 |
| 170.6 170.1 |
Lichfield A446 The SOUTH WEST, Birmingham (East & Airport), Solihull, NEC M42 |
J4 | Coventry, Birmingham Airport, NEC A446 |
| The NORTH WEST, Lichfield M6 Toll (M42) | J3A | No exit | |
| Corley services | Services | Corley services | |
| 155.9 155.2 |
Bedworth, Coventry, Nuneaton A444 | J3 | Bedworth, Coventry, Nuneaton A444 |
| 150.8 150.1 |
Coventry A46 Leicester M69 (M1) |
J2 | Coventry A46 Leicester M69 |
| 137.8 137.1 |
Rugby A426 | J1 | Rugby, Lutterworth A426 |
| 137.1 | No exit | M1 J19 [coord 7] |
Felixstowe, Corby, Kettering A14, M1 (North) |
| Start of motorway | London M1 | ||
Coordinate list[]
- ↑ 54°55′48″N 2°56′47″W / 54.93013°N 2.94643°W J44
- ↑ 53°23′26″N 2°30′21″W / 53.3906°N 2.5059°W Thelwell Viaduct
- ↑ 52°32′53″N 1°57′54″W / 52.548°N 1.965°WJ8 - Start of M5 motorway
- ↑ 52°33′11″N 1°56′02″W / 52.5530°N 1.9338°W J7
- ↑ 52°30′40″N 1°51′58″W / 52.511°N 1.866°W J6 - Gravelly Hill Interchange
- ↑ 52°30′33″N 1°47′20″W / 52.5093°N 1.7888°W J5
- ↑ 52°24′15″N 1°10′39″W / 52.4043°N 1.1776°W Southern end of the M6
Legislation[]
The M6 near Carnforth, 2005
Each motorway in England requires that a legal document called a Statutory Instrument be published, detailing the route of the road, before it can be built. The dates given on these Statutory Instruments relate to when the document was published, and not when the road was built. Provided below is an incomplete list of the Statutory Instruments relating to the route of the M6.
- Statutory Instrument 1987 No. 252: County Council of West Midlands (M6 Motorway Junction 10) (Connecting Road) Scheme 1985 Confirmation Instrument 1987[18]
- Statutory Instrument 1987 No. 2254: M6 Motorway (Catthorpe Interchange) Connecting Roads Scheme 1987[19]
- Statutory Instrument 1990 No. 2659: M6 Motorway: Widening between Junctions 20 and 21A (Thelwall Viaduct) and Connecting Roads Scheme 1990[20]
- Statutory Instrument 1991 No. 1873: M6 Motorway (Widening and Improvements Between Junctions 30 and 32) and Connecting Roads Scheme 1991[21]
- Statutory Instrument 1993 No. 1370: Lancashire County Council (Proposed Connecting Roads to M6 Motorway at Haighton) Special Roads Scheme 1992 Confirmation Instrument 1993[22]
- Statutory Instrument 1997 No. 1292: M6 Birmingham to Carlisle Motorway (At Haighton) Connecting Roads Scheme 1997[23]
- Statutory Instrument 1997 No. 1293: M6 Birmingham To Carlisle Motorway (at Haighton) Special Roads Scheme 1997 Transfer Order 1997[24]
- Statutory Instrument 1998 No. 125: The M6 Motorway (Saredon and Packington Diversions) Scheme 1998[25]
See also[]
- List of motorways in the United Kingdom
- Category:M6 Motorway service stations
References[]
- ↑ Preston Bypass Opening (Booklet) (pdf). CBRD. Retrieved on 2008-01-20.
- ↑ "The Preston By-pass-Enquiry Needed" (March 1959). Practical Motorist and Motor Cyclist 5 (nbr57): 803.
- ↑ http://www.cbrd.co.uk/motorway/m6/timeline.shtml cbrd.co.uk
- ↑ http://www.ciht.org.uk/motorway/m5m6midlink.htm ciht.org.uk
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "News: Motorway lighting" (13 July 1972). Autocar 137 nbr 3978: page 19.
- ↑ M6 Carlisle - Gretna. CBRD. Retrieved on 2008-01-20.
- ↑ M6 Carlisle to Guards Mill Extension. Highways Agency. Retrieved on 2008-01-20.
- ↑ M6 North Extension, United Kingdom. Road Traffic Technology. Retrieved on 2008-01-20.
- ↑ one year after study (PDF). Highways Agency (2005-08-11). Retrieved on 2008-01-24.
- ↑ Decision on M6 upgrade announced (2006-07-20). Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
- ↑ Encouraging better use of roads and the M6. Department for Transport. Archived from the original on 2007-08-11. Retrieved on 2008-01-20.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Decision on M6 upgrade announced. Government News Network (2006-06-22). Retrieved on 2008-01-20.
- ↑ M6 Jct 11A - 19 (Increasing Capacity) Study. Highways Agency. Retrieved on 2008-01-20.
- ↑ Hard-shoulder scheme to go nationwide. The Independent (2007-10-27). Retrieved on 2007-01-25.
- ↑ M1 Jct 19. Retrieved on 2008-02-28.
- ↑ Driver Location Signs, M6 J4-18(map) Highway Authority 2009
- ↑ Driver Location Signs, Highway Agency Area 10 (map) - Highway Authority, 2009
- ↑ S.I. 1987/252. Office of Public Sector Information.
- ↑ S.I. 1987/2254. Office of Public Sector Information.
- ↑ S.I. 1990/2659. Office of Public Sector Information.
- ↑ S.I. 1991/1873. Office of Public Sector Information.
- ↑ S.I. 1993/1370. Office of Public Sector Information.
- ↑ S.I. 1997/1292. Office of Public Sector Information.
- ↑ S.I. 1997/1293. Office of Public Sector Information.
- ↑ S.I. 1998/125. Office of Public Sector Information.
External links[]
- CBRD
- Lancashire Historic Highways - a page supplied by Lancashire County Council detailing the history of the M6 in North West England, and the construction of Preston Bypass, the UK's first motorway.
- Route 6
- The Motorway Archive
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