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M6 motorway

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M6 motorway shield

M6 motorway

M6 highlighted in dark blue
Route information
Part of Tabliczka E05.svg E05 and Tabliczka E24.svg E24
Maintained by Highways Agency
Length: 232.2 mi (373.7 km)
History: Opened in 1958, completed in 2008
Major junctions
South end: Catthorpe
  UK-Motorway-M1.svg
M1 motorway
Junction 2.svg UK-Motorway-M69.svg
J2 → M69 motorway
Junction 3a.svg UK-Motorway-M6 Toll.svg
J3a → M6 Toll
Junction 4.svg UK-Motorway-M42.svg
J4 → M42 motorway
Junction 4a.svg UK-Motorway-M42.svg
J4a → M42 motorway
Junction 6.svg UK-Motorway-A38 (M).svg
J6 → A38(M) motorway
Junction 8.svg UK-Motorway-M5.svg
M5 motorway
Junction 10a.svg UK-Motorway-M54.svg
J10a → M54 motorway
Junction 11a.svg UK-Motorway-M6 Toll.svg
J11a → M6 Toll
Junction 20.svg UK-Motorway-M56.svg
J20 → M56 motorway
Junction 21a.svg UK-Motorway-M62.svg
J21a → M62 motorway
Junction 26.svg UK-Motorway-M58.svg
J26 → M58 motorway
Junction 29.svg UK-Motorway-M65.svg
J29 → M65 motorway
Junction 30.svg UK-Motorway-M61.svg
J30 → M61 motorway
Junction 32.svg UK-Motorway-M55.svg
J32 → M55 motorway
Junction 35.svg UK-Motorway-A601 (M).svg
J35 → A601(M) motorway
Junction 45.svg UK-Motorway-A74 (M).svg
J45 → A74(M) motorway
North end: Gretna
Location
Primary
destinations:
Rugby, Coventry, Nuneaton, Birmingham, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent, Warrington, Wigan, Manchester, Liverpool, Preston, Lancaster, Kendal, Penrith, Carlisle, Winsford
Road network
  • Roads in the United Kingdom
  • Motorways
  • A and B road zones

The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Lancaster, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction (J45). Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74(M) which continues to Glasgow as the M74.

The M6 is the longest motorway in the United Kingdom and one of the busiest. It incorporated the Preston By-pass, 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 E 24 and the section from the M6 Toll and the M42 forms part of E 05.

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 major junctions with the M56 and M62 at Warrington, giving access to Chester, Manchester and Liverpool. The M6 then heads north past Wigan, 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

Planning and construction

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. In January 1959 the Preston by-pass was closed because of rapid surface deterioration over a stretch of 100 yards (91 m) "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.

Later, other sections of the motorway were constructed, and finally it was all linked together, giving an uninterrupted motorway length of 230 miles (370 km).

The M6 in Cheshire

The second phase of construction was completed in 1960, forming the Lancaster by-pass. Some 100 miles (160 km) south, the Stafford by-pass was completed in 1962. By 1965, the remaining sections of motorway Stafford–Preston and Preston–Lancaster had been completed. 1968 saw the completion of the Walsall to Stafford link as well as the Penrith by-pass some 150 miles (240 km) 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 northerly 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 A38 road several miles north-east of Birmingham city centre, including Bromford Viaduct between Castle Bromwich (J5) and Gravelly Hill (J6), which at 3½ miles is the longest viaduct in Great Britain.

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 that runs over Shap Fell in Cumbria is 1,050 ft (320 m) 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 (junction 34) 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 originally intended to replace the old A6, which it does along the northern section starting with the Preston Bypass. However, a much closer approximation to the overall actual route of the M6 (heading north from its southern terminus) is provided by following the A45, A34, A50, A49, then the A6. South of Preston, the A6 route is instead supplemented by the M61 as far as Manchester, with the M60 acting as a bypass around the city. South of Manchester, there is no true motorway replacement for the old road. The M1 acts as a bypass for long-distance traffic in the south, from the Kegworth junction near Nottingham, to Luton and St. Albans near London; but, it is not an alternative for local traffic as the routes diverge by more than 15 miles while passing through Northamptonshire. Across the Pennines, the old road remains the main local through-route, and long-distance fast traffic between Derby and Manchester must instead take either the A50 and M6, or M1 and M62.

Operational

In July 1972 the UK Minister for Transport Industries announced that 86 miles (138 km) of UK motorway particularly prone to fog would benefit from lighting in a project which "should be" completed by 1973. Sections to be illuminated included the M6 between junctions 10 and 11, and between junctions 20 and 27.

In March 2006, after 15 years of debate, the government authorised the construction of a 6-mile (9.7 km) 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). The road opened on 5 December 2008, the 50th anniversary of the M6 Preston By-pass. 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 just south of Dunblane (via the M9, the recently opened M80 section near Cumbernauld and 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. Before 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 over which the UK government has no influence, were blamed for the low usage. Much traffic continues to use the M6 or the continued on the M1 and took the A50 or A52. As of July 2012 the road between Junctions 3A and 11A now carries 120,000 motor vehicles every day.

A proposed extension to the M6 Toll known as the ' M6 Expressway', which 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 and disappointing levels of use of the M6 Toll.

Proposed developments

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. The two stretches, between junctions 4 and 5 and between junctions 10a and 8, are two of the busiest sections on the entire motorway. 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.

Managed motorway J13 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. In July 2006, the government announced its decision to abandon the Expressway proposal, and favoured widening accompanied by demand-management measures, and have launched a study to consider options for providing additional capacity. The current proposal is in introduce managed motorway between Junction 13 and 19.

Catthorpe interchange – (M6/M1/A14)

The Highways Agency has developed proposals for a major upgrade to the overloaded Catthorpe Interchange where the M6, the M1 motorway and the A14 road meet at Catthorpe.

Junctions

Data 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
mile km Northbound exits (A carriageway) Junction Southbound exits (B carriageway)
M6 continues as A74(M) to Glasgow, Edinburgh
313.2 504.3 Gretna (Green) B7076
Longtown A6071
M6 J45
No access
309.6
309.2
498.2
497.5
Todhills Rest Area Services Todhills rest area
307.6
307.3
495.1
494.6
Carlisle (North), Galashiels, Hawick A7 J44
Hexham A689
Workington ( A595), Carlisle A7
303.8
303.5
488.9
488.4
Carlisle, Hexham, Newcastle upon Tyne A69 J43 Carlisle, Hexham, Newcastle upon Tyne A69
301.1
300.7
484.6
484.0
Carlisle (South) A6 J42 Carlisle (South) A6
Southwaite services Services Southwaite services
288.7
288.4
464.6
464.1
Wigton B5305 J41 Wigton B5305
285.5
285.2
459.5
459.0
Penrith, Workington, Keswick A66 J40 Penrith, Keswick, Brough, Scotch Corner A66
274.4
274.0
441.6
441.0
Shap, Kendal (A6) J39 Shap (A6)
Tebay services Services Tebay services
268.9
268.5
432.7
432.1
Brough A685
Appleby B6260
J38 Kendal, Brough A685
260.3
260.0
418.9
418.4
Kendal, Sedbergh A684 J37 Kendal, Sedbergh A684
No access Services Killington Lake services
252.7
252.3
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
245.1
244.6
394.4
393.6
Carnforth, Morecambe A601(M) (A6) J35 Carnforth, Morecambe A601(M) (A6)
240.8
240.6
387.6
387.2
Lancaster, Morecambe, Kirkby Lonsdale, Heysham A683 J34 Lancaster, Morecambe A683
234.6
234.3
377.6
377.1
Lancaster A6 J33 Garstang, Fleetwood A6
Lancaster (Forton) services Services Lancaster (Forton) services
221.5
221.0
356.5
355.7
Blackpool, Fleetwood, Preston (North), Garstang M55 J32
Blackpool, Preston (North) M55
219.5
219.3
353.2
352.9
Preston (West), Longridge B6242 J31A No access
Preston (Central), Clitheroe A59 J31 Preston (Central), Clitheroe A59
215.4
214.9
346.6
345.9
No access J30 Manchester, Bolton M61
Leeds ( M62)
Blackburn ( M65)
213.9
213.5
344.3
343.6
Burnley, Blackburn, Preston (South) M65 J29 Burnley, Blackburn, Preston (South) M65
212.3
211.9
341.6
341.0
Leyland (A49) J28 Leyland (A49)
Charnock Richard services Services Charnock Richard services
204.8
204.4
329.6
329.0
Parbold, Standish, Chorley A5209 J27 Parbold, Standish, Wigan A5209
200.8
200.5
323.1
322.6
Wigan, Skelmersdale, Liverpool, Southport M58 J26 Wigan, Skelmersdale, Liverpool, Southport M58
198.0
197.8
318.7
318.3
Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan, A49 J25 No access
196.9
196.5
316.9
316.3
No access J24 Ashton-in-Makerfield, St. Helens A58
195.6
195.2
314.8
314.1
Haydock, Ashton-in-Makerfield, St Helens, Manchester, Liverpool, Newton-le-Willows A580 J23 Haydock, Ashton-in-Makerfield, St Helens, Manchester, Liverpool, Newton-le-Willows A580
192.4
192.1
309.6
309.1
Newton-le-Willows A49 Leigh A579 J22 Warrington A49
191.0
190.5
307.4
306.5
Manchester, Leeds M62 J21A Liverpool, Southport M62
Liverpool, Southport M62 Manchester, Leeds M62
188.3
188.0
303.0
302.5
Warrington, Irlam A57 J21 Warrington, Irlam A57
Thelwall Viaduct
185.6 298.7 No access J20 Macclesfield, Warrington A50
Lymm B5158
185.3 298.2 No access J20A NORTH WALES, Chester, Runcorn, Manchester & Airport M56
184.5 296.9 NORTH WALES, Chester, Runcorn M56 J20 No access
Warrington, Lymm A50
180.3
179.9
290.2
289.5
Manchester & Airport, Stockport A556 (M56 (west)) J19 Northwich, Knutsford, Macclesfield A556
Knutsford services
(Sign Posted No HGVs use Polar 2000 Services (Lymm), but HGV fuel pumps and a small HGV parking area are provided)
Services Knutsford services
172.2
171.9
277.2
276.7
Holmes Chapel, Middlewich, Winsford, Northwich, Chester A54 J18 Holmes Chapel, Middlewich, Winsford A54
168.9
168.3
271.3
270.8
Congleton, Sandbach A534 J17 Congleton, Sandbach A534
Sandbach services Services Sandbach services
162.6
162.3
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
153.1
152.9
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
142.0
141.8
228.6
228.2
Stafford, Stone, Eccleshall A34 J14 Stafford (North) A34
136.8
136.5
220.1
219.6
Stafford A449 J13 Stafford (South & Central) A449
131.6
131.2
211.8
211.1
Telford A5 J12 NORTH WALES, Cannock, Wolverhampton, Telford A5 ( M54)
No access J11A
The SOUTH, Lichfield M6 Toll
128.7
128.4
207.2
206.7
Cannock A460 J11 Wolverhampton A460
Hilton Park services Services Hilton Park services
127.0
126.7
204.4
203.9
NORTH WALES, Wolverhampton, Telford M54 J10A
No access
123.3
122.9
198.4
197.8
Walsall, Wolverhampton A454 J10 Walsall A454
121.7
121.5
195.8
195.6
Wednesbury A461 J9 Wednesbury A461
119.9 193.0 The SOUTH WEST, Birmingham (West), West Bromwich M5 J8
The SOUTH WEST, Birmingham, West Bromwich M5
118.4
118.1
190.6
190.1
Birmingham (NW), Walsall A34 J7
Birmingham A34
114.2
113.9
183.8
183.3
Birmingham (Central & North) A38(M)
Sutton Coldfield A5127
J6
Gravelly Hill Interchange
Birmingham A38(M) & A38
110.9
110.8
178.5
178.3
Birmingham (NE), Castle Bromwich A452 J5
No access
108.8
108.6
175.1
174.8
No access J4A The NORTH (M1)
The SOUTH ( M40) M42
106.0
105.7
170.6
170.1
Lichfield, Coleshill A446, The SOUTH WEST ( M5)
Birmingham (South), Solihull M42(S)
J4 Coventry, Birmingham Airport, NEC A446
The NORTH WEST ( M6 Toll), Tamworth M42(N) J3A No access
Corley services Services Corley services
96.9
96.4
155.9
155.2
Coventry (North), Nuneaton A444, Bedworth B4113 J3 Coventry (North), Nuneaton A444, Bedworth B4113
93.7
93.3
150.8
150.1
Coventry A46
Leicester M69 (M1)
J2 Coventry (East) A46, Leicester, Hinckley M69 (M1(N))
85.6
85.2
137.8
137.1
Rugby A426 J1 Rugby, Lutterworth A426
85.2 137.1 No access M1 J19
Felixstowe, Corby, Kettering A14, M1 (North)
Start of motorway London M1

Coordinate list

  1. ^ 54.9975°N 3.0562°W / 54.9975; -3.0562 (J45) – J45 A74(M)
  2. ^ 54.93013°N 2.94643°W / 54.93013; -2.94643 (J44) J44
  3. ^ 53.80712°N 2.69791°W / 53.80712; -2.69791 J32 M55
  4. ^ 53.3906°N 2.5059°W / 53.3906; -2.5059 Thelwell Viaduct
  5. ^ 52.6682°N 2.0716°W / 52.6682; -2.0716 (J11) J11 – M6 Toll
  6. ^ 52.6293°N 2.0479°W / 52.6293; -2.0479 (J10A) J10A — M54
  7. ^ 52.548°N 1.965°W / 52.548; -1.965 (J8)J8 – Start of M5 motorway
  8. ^ 52.5530°N 1.9338°W / 52.5530; -1.9338 (J7) J7
  9. ^ 52.511°N 1.866°W / 52.511; -1.866 (J6) J6 – Gravelly Hill Interchange
  10. ^ 52.5093°N 1.7888°W / 52.5093; -1.7888 (J5) J5
  11. ^ 52.4043°N 1.1776°W / 52.4043; -1.1776 (M1 J19) Southern end of the M6

Legislation

Each motorway in England requires that a legal document called a Statutory Instrument to 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
  • Statutory Instrument 1987 No. 2254: M6 Motorway (Catthorpe Interchange) Connecting Roads Scheme 1987
  • Statutory Instrument 1990 No. 2659: M6 Motorway: Widening between Junctions 20 and 21A ( Thelwall Viaduct) and Connecting Roads Scheme 1990
  • Statutory Instrument 1991 No. 1873: M6 Motorway (Widening and Improvements Between Junctions 30 and 32) and Connecting Roads Scheme 1991
  • Statutory Instrument 1993 No. 1370: Lancashire County Council (Proposed Connecting Roads to M6 Motorway at Haighton) Special Roads Scheme 1992 Confirmation Instrument 1993
  • Statutory Instrument 1997 No. 1292: M6 Birmingham to Carlisle Motorway (At Haighton) Connecting Roads Scheme 1997
  • Statutory Instrument 1997 No. 1293: M6 Birmingham To Carlisle Motorway (at Haighton) Special Roads Scheme 1997 Transfer Order 1997
  • Statutory Instrument 1998 No. 125: The M6 Motorway (Saredon and Packington Diversions) Scheme 1998
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