M58 motorway
Encyclopedia
The M58 is a motorway passing through Merseyside
and Lancashire
, terminating in Greater Manchester
, England
. It is 12 miles (19 km) long and provides a link between the M6 motorway and the area north of Liverpool
.
. before striking out across open countryside and into Lancashire south of Maghull
and Bickerstaffe
. It then curves south westerly south of Skelmersdale
before reaching the M6 at Orrell in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan
, Greater Manchester.
to Ormskirk
route had been proposed to improve traffic flows, yet with the decision in 1961 to develop Skelmersdale
as a new town, the proposals were revised to provide a link to the M6 at one end and Liverpool at the other.
The first part of the road was opened in March 1968 as the Skelmersdale Regional Road between what is now junctions 4 & 5. It was originally a two lane single carriageway road that was upgraded to 2 lane plus with hard shoulders
in 1973.
The next stage was to connect this road to the M6 and construction on this part began in 1968 and it was opened to traffic in October 1970 as all purpose
dual carriageway
. Now junctions 5 to 6, this road was upgraded to dual 3 lanes with a hard shoulder in 1977. These roads were upgraded to motorway status in 1977.
Construction on the Switch Island to junction 4 section began in 1978 with the road opening between April and September 1980.
At Switch Island, the junction has been built to allow an extension of the M57
and the end of M58 has provision for slip roads to the extension to be constructed.
Lancashire County Council
had in 1949 also proposed a Wigan to Bolton
road. In fact bridges had been built on the M61 motorway
to allow for this eventual continuation. Later plans saw the road downgraded to an A road and would have reached the M61 between junctions 5 and 6. These plans have also been dropped and currently Wigan Borough Council
has plans for a part dual and part single carriageway route to the A579 near Atherton
.
from driver location signs
are used to provide distance information.
Note: There is no Junction 2.
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
and Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, terminating in Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is 12 miles (19 km) long and provides a link between the M6 motorway and the area north of Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
.
Route
Apart from the approaches to its terminal roundabouts, the motorway is three lanes throughout. It starts at Switch Island in Merseyside and passes directly underneath the Merseyrail Northern LineNorthern Line (Merseyrail)
The Northern Line is one of the two commuter rail lines operated by Merseyrail in Merseyside, England. The other line is the Wirral Line. A third line of the Merseyrail Network, the City Line, is not owned or operated by Merseyrail, although funded by Merseytravel.The Northern Line passes...
. before striking out across open countryside and into Lancashire south of Maghull
Maghull
Maghull is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in Merseyside, England. The town is located eight miles north of the City of Liverpool and south of Ormskirk in West Lancashire. The area of Moss Side also contains HM Prison Kennet and Ashworth Hospital. Maghull had a...
and Bickerstaffe
Bickerstaffe
Bickerstaffe is a village and civil parish in the West Lancashire district of Lancashire, England. According to the 2001 Census the population of the civil parish was 1,196, although the population of the electoral ward was slightly greater at 2,013....
. It then curves south westerly south of Skelmersdale
Skelmersdale
Skelmersdale is a town in West Lancashire, England. It lies on high-ground on the River Tawd, to the west of Wigan, to the northeast of Liverpool, south-southwest of Preston. As of 2006, Skelmersdale had a population of 38,813, down from 41,000 in 2004. The town is known locally as Skem.The...
before reaching the M6 at Orrell in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan
Metropolitan Borough of Wigan
The Metropolitan Borough of Wigan is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in North West England. It is named after its largest component town, Wigan and also includes the towns of Leigh, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Ince-in-Makerfield, and Hindley. The borough was formed in 1974 and is an...
, Greater Manchester.
History
Since 1949 an upgrade of the WiganWigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
to Ormskirk
Ormskirk
Ormskirk is a market town in West Lancashire, England. It is situated north of Liverpool city centre, northwest of St Helens, southeast of Southport and southwest of Preston.-Geography and administration:...
route had been proposed to improve traffic flows, yet with the decision in 1961 to develop Skelmersdale
Skelmersdale
Skelmersdale is a town in West Lancashire, England. It lies on high-ground on the River Tawd, to the west of Wigan, to the northeast of Liverpool, south-southwest of Preston. As of 2006, Skelmersdale had a population of 38,813, down from 41,000 in 2004. The town is known locally as Skem.The...
as a new town, the proposals were revised to provide a link to the M6 at one end and Liverpool at the other.
The first part of the road was opened in March 1968 as the Skelmersdale Regional Road between what is now junctions 4 & 5. It was originally a two lane single carriageway road that was upgraded to 2 lane plus with hard shoulders
Shoulder (road)
A hard shoulder, or simply shoulder, is a reserved area by the verge of a road or motorway. Generally it is kept clear of motor vehicle traffic...
in 1973.
The next stage was to connect this road to the M6 and construction on this part began in 1968 and it was opened to traffic in October 1970 as all purpose
Special road
A special road is a classification of road in the United Kingdom. For a road to become a special road, it must have a Statutory Instrument sanctioned under the Highways Act 1980. A road which is not a special road is termed an all-purpose road...
dual carriageway
Dual carriageway
A dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...
. Now junctions 5 to 6, this road was upgraded to dual 3 lanes with a hard shoulder in 1977. These roads were upgraded to motorway status in 1977.
Construction on the Switch Island to junction 4 section began in 1978 with the road opening between April and September 1980.
Unfulfilled plans
Junction 2 was not built, and was the end of a proposed motorway to Preston.At Switch Island, the junction has been built to allow an extension of the M57
M57 motorway
The M57 motorway, also known as the Liverpool Outer Ring Road, is a road in England. Designed as a bypass road for Liverpool, it is long and links various towns east of the city, as well as the M62 and M58 motorways.-Route:...
and the end of M58 has provision for slip roads to the extension to be constructed.
Lancashire County Council
Lancashire County Council
Lancashire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Lancashire, England. It currently consists of 84 councillors, and is controlled by the Conservative Party, who won control of the council in the local council elections in June 2009, ending 28 years of...
had in 1949 also proposed a Wigan to Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
road. In fact bridges had been built on the M61 motorway
M61 motorway
The M61 motorway is a motorway in North West England. It runs from the M60 motorway northwest of Manchester and heads northwest past Bolton and Chorley to join the M6 just north of the junction between the M6 and M65 motorways to the south of Preston....
to allow for this eventual continuation. Later plans saw the road downgraded to an A road and would have reached the M61 between junctions 5 and 6. These plans have also been dropped and currently Wigan Borough Council
Metropolitan Borough of Wigan
The Metropolitan Borough of Wigan is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in North West England. It is named after its largest component town, Wigan and also includes the towns of Leigh, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Ince-in-Makerfield, and Hindley. The borough was formed in 1974 and is an...
has plans for a part dual and part single carriageway route to the A579 near Atherton
Atherton, Greater Manchester
Atherton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England, historically a part of Lancashire. It is east of Wigan, north-northeast of Leigh, and northwest of Manchester...
.
Junctions
Datafrom driver location signs
Driver location signs
Driver location signs are English highway route markers, first introduced in 2003, that complement distance marker posts. Both types of marker post display the distances from a nominal start point in kilometres...
are used to provide distance information.
| M58 Motorway | |||
| km | Eastbound exits | Junction | Westbound exits |
| 28.2 | The NORTH WEST, Preston, The SOUTH The South -Geography:* Southern United States* South of England* South of France* South Italy* South Korea* Republic of Ireland* South Province * Global South, the developing nations of the world-Other uses:* The South , by Victor Erice... , Manchester Manchester Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater... , Warrington Warrington Warrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens... M6 Wigan (A577) |
J6 Terminus |
Start of motorway |
| 25.2 | Skelmersdale (West), Upholland Upholland Upholland is a civil parish and village in West Lancashire, England. It is situated approximately 3 miles east of Skelmersdale, also in West Lancashire, and 4½ miles west of Wigan in Greater Manchester.-Geography:... (A577 A577 road - Route :The A577 starts at A572 in Boothstown, where it climbs uphill and over the A580 and into Tyldesley. It meets the A5082, then climbs up to Atherton. The road then meets A579 and passes the A578. The road heads into Hindley, crossing the A58 and goes into Wigan. It passes the JJB Stadium... ) |
J5 | Skelmersdale (West), Upholland (A577) |
| 22.6 | Skelmersdale (East & Central) (A5068) | J4 | Skelmersdale (East & Central) (A5068) |
| 19.9 | Southport Southport Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. During the 2001 census Southport was recorded as having a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England... (A570 A570 road The A570 is a primary route in northern England, that runs from St Helens to Southport. The road begins at junction 7 of the M62 motorway in Merseyside, and runs in a northerly direction as a dual carriageway through the centre of St Helens, meeting the A58 road, then the A580 road to the north of... ), Ormskirk Ormskirk Ormskirk is a market town in West Lancashire, England. It is situated north of Liverpool city centre, northwest of St Helens, southeast of Southport and southwest of Preston.-Geography and administration:... , St Helens St Helens, Merseyside St Helens is a large town in Merseyside, England. It is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens with a population of just over 100,000, part of an urban area with a total population of 176,843 at the time of the 2001 Census... , Rainford Rainford Rainford is a village and civil parish within Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, in Merseyside, England. It is around north of St Helens. At the 2001 Census the population of the civil parish was 8,344.... (A570) |
J3 | Southport (A570), Ormskirk, St Helens, Rainford (A570) |
| 13.9 | No access | J1 | Kirkby Kirkby Kirkby is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley in the metropolitan county of Merseyside in England. The town was developed from the 1950s through 1970s as a means to house the overspill of Liverpool. It is situated roughly north of Huyton, the administrative HQ of the borough and about... , Maghull Maghull Maghull is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in Merseyside, England. The town is located eight miles north of the City of Liverpool and south of Ormskirk in West Lancashire. The area of Moss Side also contains HM Prison Kennet and Ashworth Hospital. Maghull had a... (A506), Southport (A5147 A5147 road The A5147 is a road in northern England that runs from Maghull in Merseyside to Scarisbrick in Lancashire.-Merseyside:It begins off the A59 road in Maghull, where it is called Liverpool Road North. After leaving the town, it crosses over the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in Lydiate... ) |
| 10.4 | Start of Motorway | M57, J7 Terminus |
Liverpool (Central), Southport, Ormskirk (A59 A59 road The A59 is a major road in the United Kingdom that runs from Liverpool in Merseyside, to York in North Yorkshire.-Merseyside:The A59 begins in the centre of Liverpool at the mouth of the Birkenhead Tunnel, and heads north out of the city, first as Scotland Road in Vauxhall, then Kirkdale Road,... ) Docks Port of Liverpool The Port of Liverpool is the name for the enclosed 7.5 mile dock system that runs from Brunswick Dock in Liverpool to Seaforth Dock, Seaforth, on the east side of the River Mersey and the Birkenhead Docks between Birkenhead and Wallasey on the west side of the river... , Bootle (A5036 A5036 road The A5036 is a road in Merseyside, England, which comprises two separate sections separated by a gap of .The northern section is a section of trunk road, travelling from Seaforth through Litherland before terminating at the Switch Island junction in Netherton... ) Kirkby Kirkby Kirkby is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley in the metropolitan county of Merseyside in England. The town was developed from the 1950s through 1970s as a means to house the overspill of Liverpool. It is situated roughly north of Huyton, the administrative HQ of the borough and about... , Widnes Widnes Widnes is an industrial town within the borough of Halton, in Cheshire, England, with an urban area population of 57,663 in 2004. It is located on the northern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form the Runcorn Gap. Directly to the south across the Mersey is the town of Runcorn... (M57 M57 motorway The M57 motorway, also known as the Liverpool Outer Ring Road, is a road in England. Designed as a bypass road for Liverpool, it is long and links various towns east of the city, as well as the M62 and M58 motorways.-Route:... ) |
Note: There is no Junction 2.