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M6 motorway

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Geography of Great
Britain; Road transport

   The M6 near Carnforth, 2005
   Enlarge
   The M6 near Carnforth, 2005

                              M6 motorway
              Length                                         226.7 miles
                                                                364.8 km
           Direction                                       South - North
               Start                                           Catthorpe
Primary destinations                          Rugby
                                              Coventry
                                              Birmingham
                                              Walsall
                                              Wolverhampton
                                              Stafford
                                              Stoke-on-Trent
                                              Warrington
                                              Preston
                                              Lancaster
                                              Kendal
                                                                 Penrith
                 End                                            Carlisle
  Construction dates                                         1958 - 1972
    Motorways joined
                                                        M1 motorway
                                                        2 -
                                                        M69 motorway
                                                        3A -
                                                        M6 Toll
                                                        4/4A -
                                                        M42 motorway
                                                        6 -
                                                        A38(M) motorway
                                                        8 -
                                                        M5 motorway
                                                        10A -
                                                        M54 motorway
                                                        11A -
                                                        M6 Toll
                                                        20 -
                                                        M56 motorway
                                                        21A -
                                                        M62 motorway
                                                        26 -
                                                        M58 motorway
                                                        29 -
                                                        M65 motorway
                                                        30 -
                                                        M61 motorway
                                                        32 -
                                                        M55 motorway
                                                        35 -
                                                        A601(M) motorway
Euroroute(s)


                     E 05


                     E 24

          This article concerns the M6 motorway in England. There are also
          M6 motorways in Hungary (see M6 motorway (Hungary)) and the
          Republic of Ireland (see N6 road).

   The M6 motorway is the longest motorway in the United Kingdom. It runs
   from a junction with the M1 near Rugby in central England, passes near
   Coventry, through Birmingham and near the major cities of
   Wolverhampton, Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Liverpool, and Preston, and
   runs to the north of Carlisle, close to the Scottish border.

   It is often claimed to be the busiest motorway in the country, although
   the M25 may also lay claim to this dubious distinction, depending on
   the measurement used. It is also sometimes referred to as the "Backbone
   of Britain" as it forms part of the central road corridor between
   Glasgow and London, connecting Scotland and the industrial North of
   England to the financial and governmental heart of the country in the
   South East.

   From the M1 to the M6 Toll split near Birmingham, the M6 is part of the
   unsigned E-road E24. E5 joins the M6 Toll from the M42 and then uses
   the M6 to its north end at Carlisle, where it continues along the M74.

History and curiosities

   The M6 in Cheshire, 1969
   Enlarge
   The M6 in Cheshire, 1969

   The first section of the motorway, and indeed the first motorway in the
   country, the Preston by-pass, was opened by the then Prime Minister
   Harold Macmillan on December 5, 1958. In subsequent years the motorway
   was extended piecemeal in both directions and is now 230 miles (370 km)
   long.

   Junction 6 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. Uniquely, at this point a local road
   (to Scout Green) runs between the two carriageways without a direct
   link to the motorway.

   The section of the M6 which runs over Shap Fell in Cumbria is 320m
   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 West Coast
   Main Line railway follows the same course, and in places runs alongside
   the M6 for much of its length.

   The northbound entry slip road at Lancaster North 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.

   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.

Hauntings

   The M6 has been found to be the most haunted road (or reputedly so) in
   Britain, in a study performed on behalf of Tarmac, the roadbuilding
   company. As reported in the Guardian newspaper, 'The survey's results
   also include more traditional scenes of hauntings such as the A9 in the
   Highlands of Scotland, where a stagecoach with bewigged footmen has
   appeared to a succession of drivers. Other reports include eyes peeping
   out of bushes at the site of a colliery disaster in Leigh, Greater
   Manchester. Most of the phenomena seem benign, but several roads have a
   reputation for figures which appear to run into the path of traffic.'

   The M6 Toll, being Britain's first toll motorway designed to relieve
   congestion on the main motorway section, is apparently haunted by a
   cohort of Roman legionnaires, with one interviewee reporting seeing
   'about 20 soldiers "more like upright shadows than men walking through
   the tarmac as you would through water."'

M6 Toll

   The M6 Toll, Britain's first toll motorway, was partially opened (to
   local traffic only) on December 9, 2003 and fully opened a few days
   later. It bypasses the West Midlands conurbation to the east and north
   of Birmingham and Walsall, and was built to alleviate congestion
   through the West Midlands. Prior to the opening of the toll motorway,
   this section of the M6 carried 180,000 vehicles per day at its busiest
   point near to Wolverhampton (between the junctions with the M54 and M5
   motorways), compared to a design capacity of only 72,000 vehicles. The
   daytime price for a car to travel the full length of the M6 Toll
   increased from £3 to £3.50 on 14 June 2005.

   An alternative way of by-passing the congested West Midlands area
   (northbound) is to continue north on the M1 then take the A50 or A52.

Future developments

Widening between J11a and J19

   Due to the congested nature of the M6 between Birmingham and
   Manchester, the UK Government is planning to widen the existing
   motorway to increase capacity. The proposal is to widen the road from a
   3 to a 4 lane dual carriageway between junction 11a and junction 19.
   The first phase of the widening could be completed by 2014, with the
   remaining sections following until full completion in 2017.

History of the proposal

   In December 2002, the then Secretary of State for Transport, Alistair
   Darling, announced his decision to widen the M6 between Birmingham and
   Manchester as a result of a study that had recently been completed.
   However, following on from the opening of the M6 toll road in December
   2003, Mr Darling announced on 6 July 2004 a proposal to build a second
   toll road (dubbed the M6 Expressway) as an alternative to the widening
   scheme.

   The two-lane Expressway was expected to run from Junction 11 ( Cannock)
   to Junction 19 ( Knutsford), following a roughly parallel course to the
   existing M6. It was discussed in the Department for Transport (DfT)
   document: M6: giving motorists a choice.

   On 19 July 2005 the Minister of State for Transport, Dr Stephen Ladyman
   MP, released a press notice acknowledging there was no clear consensus
   over which option was best, and stating that he had commissioned more
   work to further develop the proposals for both options. His intention
   being that it would be easier to make a choice when the two were more
   clearly defined.

   Responses to the earlier document were also published: Responses to M6:
   giving motorists a choice

   Dr Ladyman released a further press notice on 20 July 2006 to announce
   the decision to abandon the Expressway proposal and continue with the
   original widening option.

A556(M)

   The A556(M) link road, planned to provide a route to the M56 eastbound
   towards Manchester for travellers coming from the south on the M6, has
   been the subject of a public inquiry for many years. The Highways
   Agency's Route Management Strategy (RMS) for the A556 now promotes
   gradual upgrading to dual carriageway standard with a 50 mph speed
   limit, rather than a full upgrade to motorway.

"Cumberland Gap"

   In March 2006, after years of political wrangling, the Government
   finally gave the green light to extend the M6 for 6 miles (the
   so-called "Cumberland Gap") from its northern terminus at Guard's Mill
   near Carlisle to the Anglo-Scottish border at Gretna where it will link
   into the existing A74(M). Costing £174m, (estimated at more than £30m a
   mile) the new road will be a mixture of new road and online upgrade of
   the existing A74. The high construction cost is attributable to the
   route of the road, which has to traverse the West Coast Main Line, and
   to this end new bridges will need to be constructed. The project has
   also been subject to a lengthy public enquiry, and the course of the
   route has been designed to minimise the number of properties that will
   be destroyed or relocated by the motorway. Once completed however
   (estimated in 2009), an uninterrupted motorway will then exist between
   Glasgow and London, and effectively as far south as Exeter.

   What remains unclear however, is if the original numbering change to
   the M74/A74(M) to M6 will now go ahead. Although road signage on its
   southern stretches was equipped with removeable "A74(M)" plates which
   reveal "M6" beneath, the Scottish Executive has been reticent over
   whether the numbering change will actually happen.

   Construction began on this section of motorway at the end of July 2006.

Legislation

   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 S.I. 1987/252
     * Statutory Instrument 1987 No. 2254: M6 Motorway (Catthorpe
       Interchange) Connecting Roads Scheme 1987 S.I. 1987/2254
     * Statutory Instrument 1990 No. 2659: M6 Motorway: Widening between
       Junctions 20 and 21A (Thelwall Viaduct) and Connecting Roads Scheme
       1990 S.I. 1990/2659
     * Statutory Instrument 1991 No. 1873: M6 Motorway (Widening and
       Improvements Between Junctions 30 and 32) and Connecting Roads
       Scheme 1991 S.I. 1991/1873
     * Statutory Instrument 1993 No. 1370: Lancashire County Council
       (Proposed Connecting Roads to M6 Motorway at Haighton) Special
       Roads Scheme 1992 Confirmation Instrument 1993 S.I. 1993/1370
     * Statutory Instrument 1997 No. 1292: M6 Birmingham to Carlisle
       Motorway (At Haighton) Connecting Roads Scheme 1997 S.I. 1997/1292
     * Statutory Instrument 1997 No. 1293: M6 Birmingham To Carlisle
       Motorway (at Haighton) Special Roads Scheme 1997 Transfer Order
       1997 S.I. 1997/1293
     * Statutory Instrument 1998 No. 125: The M6 Motorway (Saredon and
       Packington Diversions) Scheme 1998 S.I. 1998/125
     * Statutory Instrument 1999 No. 1646: The M6 Motorway (Junction 38
       Slip Roads) (Speed Limit) Regulations 1999 S.I. 1999/1646

Junctions

                                 M6 Motorway
                 Northbound exits Junction Southbound exits
     Road continues as A74 ( A74(M)) to Glasgow, Edinburgh J44 Carlisle,
                            Galashiels, Hawick A7
              Carlisle, Galashiels, Hawick A7 Start of motorway
       Carlisle, Hexham, Newcastle-upon-Tyne A69 J43 Carlisle, Hexham,
                           Newcastle-upon-Tyne A69
                         Carlisle A6 J42 Carlisle A6
                             Southwaite services
                        Wigton B5305 J41 Wigton B5305
    Penrith, Keswick A66 J40 Penrith, Keswick, Brough, Scotch Corner A66
                       Shap, Kendal (A6) J39 Shap (A6)
                               Tebay services
                                 Brough A685
                    Appleby B6260 J38 Kendal, Brough A685
               Kendal, Sedbergh A684 J37 Kendal, Sedbergh A684
               no access to services Killington Lake services
                        Kirkby Lonsdale, Skipton A65
       Kendal, Barrow-in-Furness A590 J36 Kirkby Lonsdale, Skipton A65
                           Barrow-in-Furness A590
               Burton-in-Kendal services no access to services
   Carnforth, Morecambe A601(M) (A6) J35 Carnforth, Morecambe A601(M) (A6)
     Lancaster, Morecambe, Kirkby Lonsdale, Heysham A683 J34 Lancaster,
                               Morecambe A683
                   Lancaster A6 J33 Garstang, Fleetwood A6
                         Lancaster (Forton) services
        Blackpool, Fleetwood, Preston, Garstang M55 J32 Blackpool M55
                    Preston, Longridge B6242 J31A No exit
              Preston, Clitheroe A59 J31 Preston, Clitheroe A59
                     No exit J30 Manchester, Bolton M61
                                Leeds ( M62)
                              Blackburn ( M65)
         Burnley, Blackburn, Preston M65 J29 Burnley, Blackburn M65
                       Leyland (A49) J28 Leyland (A49)
                          Charnock Richard services
             Parbold, Standish, Chorley A5209 J27 Parbold A5209
   Wigan, Skelmersdale, Liverpool, Southport M58 J26 Wigan, Skelmersdale,
                          Liverpool, Southport M58
                 Wigan, Ashton-in-Makerfield A49 J25 No exit
              No exit J24 St. Helens, Ashton-in-Makerfield A58
    Haydock, Liverpool, Newton-le-Willows A580 (East Lancashire Road) J23
    Haydock Island Haydock, Manchester, Liverpool, Newton-le-Willows A580
                           (East Lancashire Road)
             Newton-le-Willows A49 Leigh A579 J22 Warrington A49
             Manchester, Leeds M62 J21A Liverpool, Southport M62
               Liverpool, Southport M62 Manchester, Leeds M62
               Warrington, Irlam A57 J21 Warrington, Irlam A57
                           Lymm, Macclesfield A50
               Poplar 2000 Services J20 Lymm, Macclesfield A50
                            Poplar 2000 Services
   NORTH WALES, Runcorn, Birkenhead M56 NORTH WALES, Chester, Manchester &
                           Airport, Stockport M56
      Manchester & Airport, Stockport A556 (M56 (west)) J19 Northwich,
                        Knutsford, Macclesfield A556
                             Knutsford services
                                  (no HGVs)
    Holmes Chapel, Middlewich, Northwich, Chester A54 J18 Holmes Chapel,
                               Middlewich A54
            Congleton, Sandbach A534 J17 Congleton, Sandbach A534
                              Sandbach services
       Stoke-on-Trent, Crewe, Nantwich A500 J16 Newcastle-under-Lyme,
                    Stoke-on-Trent, Crewe, Nantwich A500
                               Keele services
    Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme A500 J15 Stoke-on-Trent, Stone,
                               Eccleshall A500
                              Stafford services
              Stafford, Stone, Eccleshall A34 J14 Stafford A34
                       Stafford A449 J13 Stafford A449
    Telford A5 J12 NORTH WALES, Cannock, Wolverhampton, Telford A5 ( M54)
                  No exit J11A The SOUTH, Lichfield M6 Toll
                     Cannock A460 J11 Wolverhampton A460
                            Hilton Park services
            NORTH WALES, Wolverhampton, Telford M54 J10A No exit
                Walsall, Wolverhampton A454 J10 Walsall A454
                     Wednesbury A461 J9 Wednesbury A461
       The SOUTH WEST, Birmingham, West Bromwich M5 J8 The SOUTH WEST,
                        Birmingham, West Bromwich M5
                  Birmingham, Walsall A34 J7 Birmingham A34
                         Birmingham (Central) A38(M)
                           Sutton Coldfield A38 J6
              Gravelly Hill Interchange Birmingham A38(M) & A38
                    Birmingham, Solihull A452 J5 No exit
                         No exit J4A The NORTH (M1)
                            The SOUTH ( M40) M42
          Lichfield A446 J4 Coventry, Birmingham Airport, NEC A446
       The SOUTH WEST, Birmingham & Airport, Solihull, NEC M42 (South)
             The NORTH WEST, Lichfield M6 Toll (M42) J3A No exit
                               Corley services
   Bedworth, Coventry, Nuneaton A444 J3 Bedworth, Coventry, Nuneaton A444
                                Coventry A46
                     Leicester M69 (M1) J2 Coventry A46
                                Leicester M69
                    Rugby, Lutterworth A426 J1 Rugby A426
         No exit M1 J19 Felixstowe, Corby, Kettering A14, M1 (North)
                         Start of motorway London M1

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M6_motorway"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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