M60 motorway
Encyclopedia
The M60 motorway, or Manchester Orbital, is an orbital motorway circling Greater Manchester
, a metropolitan county
in North West England
. It passes through all Greater Manchester's metropolitan borough
s except for Wigan
and Bolton
. Most of the City of Manchester is encompassed within the motorway, except for the southern-most part of the city (primarily the Wythenshawe
area and Manchester Airport). The road forms part of the unsigned Euroroutes
E20
and E22
. During 2008, the M60 was proposed as a cordon for congestion charging in Greater Manchester
, although this was rejected in a referendum relating to the Greater Manchester Transport Innovation Fund.
, 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 of that year.
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
, however, 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, although usually, the western side of the M25 motorway
holds that honour. The M25's figures were lower than normal due to roadworks starting.
In 2006 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.
The Greater Manchester congestion charge which would affect drivers only during peak times coming off the M60 towards Manchester was rejected by a referendum on 12 December 2008.
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 M60.
are used to provide distance and carriageway identifier information.
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...
, a metropolitan county
Metropolitan county
The metropolitan counties are a type of county-level administrative division of England. There are six metropolitan counties, which each cover large urban areas, typically with populations of 1.2 to 2.8 million...
in North West England
North West England
North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...
. It passes through all Greater Manchester's metropolitan borough
Metropolitan borough
A metropolitan borough is a type of local government district in England, and is a subdivision of a metropolitan county. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, metropolitan boroughs are defined in English law as metropolitan districts, however all of them have been granted or regranted...
s except for 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...
and Bolton
Metropolitan Borough of Bolton
The Metropolitan Borough of Bolton is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Bolton, but covers a far larger area which includes Blackrod, Farnworth, Horwich, Kearsley and Westhoughton, and a suburban and rural element from the West Pennine...
. Most of the City of Manchester is encompassed within the motorway, except for the southern-most part of the city (primarily the Wythenshawe
Wythenshawe
Wythenshawe is a district in the south of the city of Manchester, England.Formerly part of the administrative county of Cheshire, in 1931 Wythenshawe was transferred to the City of Manchester, which had begun building a massive housing estate there in the 1920s to resolve the problem of its inner...
area and Manchester Airport). The road forms part of the unsigned Euroroutes
International E-road network
The international E-road network is a numbering system for roads in Europe developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe . The network is numbered from E 1 up and its roads cross national borders...
E20
European route E20
The European route E 20 is part of the United Nations International E-road network.It runs roughly west-east through Ireland, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Sweden, Estonia and finally Russia. The length is . The road is not continuous, at three points, a sea crossing is required. ...
and E22
European route E22
The European route E 22 is one of the longest European routes. It has a length of about . Many of the E-roads have been extended into Asia since the year 2000; the E 22 was extended on 24 June 2002.-United Kingdom:...
. During 2008, the M60 was proposed as a cordon for congestion charging in Greater Manchester
Congestion charging in Greater Manchester
The Greater Manchester congestion charge was part of a bid to the Government's Transport Innovation Fund for a £3-billion package of transport funding and the introduction of a road congestion charge for Greater Manchester, a metropolitan county in North West England...
, although this was rejected in a referendum relating to the Greater Manchester Transport Innovation Fund.
History
The M60 was developed by connecting and consolidating the existing motorway sections of the M63M63 motorway
The M63 motorway was a major road in the United Kingdom. It was completely renumbered as part of the M60 motorway in 1999.- Formation of the M63 :The earliest section of the M63 opened in 1960 as part of the M62 motorway...
, M62
M62 motorway
The M62 motorway is a west–east trans-Pennine motorway in Northern England, connecting the cities of Liverpool and Hull via Manchester and Leeds. The road also forms part of the unsigned Euroroutes E20 and E22...
, and an extended M66
M66 motorway
The M66 is a motorway in Lancashire and Greater Manchester, England. It is long and provides part of the route between the M62 and M60 motorways and the M65, with the rest being provided by the A56.-Route:...
. It came into existence as the M60 in 2000, with the completion of the eastern side (Junctions 19-24) opening in October of that year.
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.
M25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
, however, unlike the M25, the M60 forms a complete loop. In 2004, a section of the northern M60 was the UK's
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
busiest stretch of road, with an average of 181,000 vehicles per day using the stretch between junctions 16 and 17, although usually, the western side of the M25 motorway
M25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
holds that honour. The M25's figures were lower than normal due to roadworks starting.
A6144(M) motorway
The A6144 was a motorway in Carrington, Greater Manchester, England. It was rare among motorways in that it was entirely single carriageway, the only motorway of its kind in the UK. The others are dual carriageway for at least some of their length....
, which connected to the M60 at junction 8, was downgraded and lost its motorway status.
The Greater Manchester congestion charge which would affect drivers only during peak times coming off the M60 towards Manchester was rejected by a referendum on 12 December 2008.
M60 Genealogy
| M60 Motorway Genealogy | |
| Sector | Original Road |
| J1 – J12 | M63 motorway M63 motorway The M63 motorway was a major road in the United Kingdom. It was completely renumbered as part of the M60 motorway in 1999.- Formation of the M63 :The earliest section of the M63 opened in 1960 as part of the M62 motorway... |
| J12 – J18 | M62 motorway M62 motorway The M62 motorway is a west–east trans-Pennine motorway in Northern England, connecting the cities of Liverpool and Hull via Manchester and Leeds. The road also forms part of the unsigned Euroroutes E20 and E22... |
| J18 – J19 | M66 motorway M66 motorway The M66 is a motorway in Lancashire and Greater Manchester, England. It is long and provides part of the route between the M62 and M60 motorways and the M65, with the rest being provided by the A56.-Route:... |
| J19 – J23 | Always part of the M60 |
| J23 – J25 | M66 motorway M66 motorway The M66 is a motorway in Lancashire and Greater Manchester, England. It is long and provides part of the route between the M62 and M60 motorways and the M65, with the rest being provided by the A56.-Route:... |
| J25 – J1 | M63 motorway M63 motorway The M63 motorway was a major road in the United Kingdom. It was completely renumbered as part of the M60 motorway in 1999.- Formation of the M63 :The earliest section of the M63 opened in 1960 as part of the M62 motorway... |
Legislation
Each motorway in England requires that a Statutory InstrumentStatutory Instrument
A Statutory Instrument is the principal form in which delegated or secondary legislation is made in Great Britain.Statutory Instruments are governed by the Statutory Instruments Act 1946. They replaced Statutory Rules and Orders, made under the Rules Publication Act 1893, in 1948.Most delegated...
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 M60.
- Statutory Instrument 1988 No. 1708: M66 Motorway (Manchester Ring Road, Denton to Middleton Section) and Connecting Roads Scheme 1988 S.I. 1988/1708
- Statutory Instrument 1988 No. 1728: M66 Motorway (Middleton to the Lancashire/Yorkshire Motorway (M62) Section) and Connecting Roads Scheme 1988 S.I. 1988/1728
- Statutory Instrument 1993 No. 363: M66 Motorway (Manchester Outer Ring Road, Denton to Middleton Section) A663 Broadway All-Purpose Connecting Road Order 1993 S.I. 1993/363
- Statutory Instrument 1993 No. 364: M66 Motorway (Manchester Outer Ring Road, Denton to Middleton Section) and Connecting Roads Scheme 1988 Amendment Scheme 1993 S.I. 1993/364
- Statutory Instrument 1999 No. 2724: The M60 Motorway (Improvement Between Junctions 5 and 8) Connecting Roads Scheme 1999 S.I. 1999/2724
- Statutory Instrument 2002 No. 2403: The M60 Motorway (Junction 25) (Speed Limit) Regulations 2002 S.I. 2002/2403
Junctions
Data from driver location signsDriver 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 and carriageway identifier information.
| M60 Motorway | |||
| km | Anti-Clockwise exits - "B" Carriageway | Junction | Clockwise exits - "A" Carriageway |
| 0.0 | Stockport Stockport Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name... A5145 |
J1 | Stockport A5145 |
| 2.4 | Cheadle Cheadle, Greater Manchester Cheadle is a suburb in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport in Greater Manchester, England. It borders the districts of Cheadle Hulme, Gatley, Heald Green and Cheadle Heath in Stockport, and the East Didsbury area of Manchester. As of 2001 it had a population of 14,261.-Early history:There has... A560 A560 road The A560 is a primary route that runs from the A56 in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, to Hattersley, Tameside following a complex route that involves Primary Route, non-primary route, single and dual carriage way, some complex motorway junctions and, at one point, carriageways running on both... |
J2 | No access |
| Cheadle, Wilmslow Wilmslow -Economy:Wilmslow is well known, like Alderley Edge, for having many famous residents, notably footballers, stars of Coronation Street and rich North West businessmen. The town is part of the so-called Golden Triangle in the north west together with Alderley Edge and Prestbury... A34 |
J3 | Cheadle, Wilmslow A34 | |
| Cheadle, Wilmslow A34 | J4 | Chester Chester Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the... , Warrington, Manchester Airport M56 M56 motorway The M56 Motorway, also known as the North Cheshire motorway, is in Cheshire and Greater Manchester, England. It runs from Junction 4 of the M60 to Dunkirk, Cheshire and is in length. It is often busy with long-distance commuter traffic towards North Wales... , Birmingham (M6) |
|
| 7.3 | Wythenshawe Wythenshawe Wythenshawe is a district in the south of the city of Manchester, England.Formerly part of the administrative county of Cheshire, in 1931 Wythenshawe was transferred to the City of Manchester, which had begun building a massive housing estate there in the 1920s to resolve the problem of its inner... A5103 A5103 road The A5103 is a major road in England. It runs from Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester city centre to junction 3 of the M56 motorway and is one of Manchester's principal radial routes.- A6 to the A57 motorway :... Manchester, Knutsford Knutsford Knutsford is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, in North West England... (A556), Chester (M56) |
J5 | Manchester, Didsbury Didsbury Didsbury is a suburban area of the City of Manchester, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Mersey, south of Manchester city centre, in the southern half of the Greater Manchester Urban Area... A5103 |
| 9.7 | Sale A6144 | J6 | Sale A6144 |
| 10.9 | Altrincham Altrincham Altrincham is a market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on flat ground south of the River Mersey about southwest of Manchester city centre, south-southwest of Sale and east of Warrington... A56 A56 road The A56 is a road in England which extends between the city of Chester in Cheshire and the village of Broughton in North Yorkshire. The road contains a mixture of single and dual carriageway sections, and traverses environments as diverse as the dense urban sprawl of inner city Manchester and the... |
J7 | Altrincham Altrincham Altrincham is a market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on flat ground south of the River Mersey about southwest of Manchester city centre, south-southwest of Sale and east of Warrington... , Stretford A56 |
| 12.0 | Carrington A6144 | J8 | Carrington A6144 |
| 15.0 | Trafford Park Trafford Park Trafford Park is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. Located opposite Salford Quays, on the southern side of the Manchester Ship Canal, it is west-southwest of Manchester city centre, and north of Stretford. Until the late 19th century it was the... , Trafford Centre Trafford Centre The Trafford Centre is a large indoor shopping centre and leisure complex situated in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, close to the Trafford Park industrial estate and approximately 5 miles from Manchester city centre. It is the highest valued shopping centre in the... A5081 |
J9 | Trafford Park, Trafford Centre, Urmston Urmston Urmston is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England, with a population of around 41,000. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies about six miles to the southwest of Manchester city centre. The southern boundary is marked by the River Mersey and the... A5081 |
| 16.5 | Trafford Park B5214 | J10 | Trafford Park B5214 |
| 18.4 | Irlam Irlam Irlam is a suburban town and unparished area within the City of Salford in Greater Manchester, England. At the 2001 census it had a population of 18,504. The town lies on flat ground on the south side of the M62 motorway and the north bank of the Manchester Ship Canal, and is west-southwest of... , Eccles Eccles, Greater Manchester Eccles is a town in the City of Salford, a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England, west of Salford and west of Manchester city centre... A57 A57 road The A57 is a major road in England. It runs east from Liverpool to Lincoln, via Warrington, Cadishead, Irlam, Patricroft, Eccles, Salford and Manchester, then through the Pennines over the Snake Pass , around the Ladybower Reservoir, through Sheffield and past Worksop... |
J11 | Irlam, Eccles A57 |
| 19.7 | 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... , 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... M62 M62 motorway The M62 motorway is a west–east trans-Pennine motorway in Northern England, connecting the cities of Liverpool and Hull via Manchester and Leeds. The road also forms part of the unsigned Euroroutes E20 and E22... Salford M602 M602 motorway The M602 motorway is a relatively short motorway, leading traffic into Manchester and Salford by-passing the suburban town of Eccles.The motorway itself was meant to be a part of a bigger scheme, the South Lancashire Motorway... |
J12 | Warrington, Liverpool M62 Salford M602 |
| 21.0 | Swinton Swinton, Greater Manchester Swinton is a town within the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. Located on the A6 road it stands on gently sloping ground on the southwest side of the River Irwell, and within the bounds of the orbital M60 motorway. It is west-northwest of Salford, and west-northwest of Manchester... A572 A572 road The A572 is a main road serving the Greater Manchester and Merseyside areas, running from Swinton to St Helens via Leigh and Newton-le-Willows.- Route:... Worsley Worsley Worsley is a town in the metropolitan borough of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies along the course of Worsley Brook, west of Manchester. The M60 motorway bisects the area.... , Leigh Leigh, Greater Manchester Leigh is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It is southeast of Wigan, and west of Manchester. Leigh is situated on low lying land to the north west of Chat Moss.... A575 A575 road The A575 is an A road in Greater Manchester which connects Worsley and Farnworth.- Route :The road begins in Worsley village near junction 13 of the M60 at the A572, where this road goes beneath the M60. It crosses the East Lancashire Road - A580. It then goes through Walkden past the railway... |
J13 | Swinton A572 |
| 22.7 | 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... , Leigh A580 A580 road The A580 is a primary A road in England that connects Walton, near Liverpool and Salford, near Manchester and known officially as Liverpool-East Lancashire Road. Locally, the road is shortened to the "East Lancs". The road was designed and built to provide better access to the Port of Liverpool for... |
J14 | No access |
| 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... , Wigan Wigan 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... , Preston M61 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.... |
J15 | Bolton, Wigan, Preston M61 | |
| 26.2 | Salford, Pendlebury, Kearsley A666 A666 road The A666 is a major road in Greater Manchester and Lancashire, England. Known as Manchester Road, Bolton Road, or Blackburn Road, depending on which area it is in, it runs from its junction with A6 and A580 at the Irlams o' th' Height boundary with Pendlebury near Manchester, through Pendlebury,... |
J16 | No access |
| 29.7 | Whitefield, Manchester, Prestwich Prestwich Prestwich is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies close to the River Irwell, north of Manchester city centre, north of Salford and south of Bury.... A56 |
J17 | Prestwich, Whitefield A56 |
| 31.8 | Leeds Leeds Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial... , Bolton, Preston, Liverpool M62 Bury Bury Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester... , Burnley Burnley Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun.... M66 M66 motorway The M66 is a motorway in Lancashire and Greater Manchester, England. It is long and provides part of the route between the M62 and M60 motorways and the M65, with the rest being provided by the A56.-Route:... |
J18 | Leeds M62 |
| 33.8 | Middleton Middleton, Greater Manchester Middleton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Irk, south-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester... , Manchester A576 |
J19 | Middleton, Manchester A576 |
| 36.4 | No access | J20 | Blackley Blackley Blackley is an area of the city of Manchester, in Greater Manchester, England. It is north of Manchester city centre, by a meander of the River Irk. Further north is Middleton... , Moston A664 |
| 39.8 | Oldham Oldham Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester... , Failsworth A663 |
J21 | Oldham, Failsworth A663 |
| 42.3 | Oldham, Failsworth A62 A62 road The A62 is a major road in Northern England that runs between the two major cities of Manchester and Leeds.The road is approximately 40 miles long. It runs north east from Manchester through Failsworth and Oldham then Saddleworth before crossing the Pennines at Standedge into West Yorkshire... |
J22 | Oldham, Failsworth A62 |
| 46.0 | Ashton-under-Lyne A635 | J23 | Ashton-under-Lyne A635 |
| 49.3 | Manchester A57 Sheffield Sheffield Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely... M67 M67 motorway The M67 is a urban motorway in Greater Manchester, England which heads east from the M60 motorway passing through Denton and Hyde before ending near Mottram. It had originally conceived as the first part of a trans-Pennine motorway between Manchester and Sheffield connecting the A57 motorway to... |
J24 | Manchester A57 Sheffield M67 Denton Island |
| Bredbury A560 | J25 | Bredbury A560 | |
| No access | J26 | Stockport A560 | |
| Stockport East (Multiple Roads) | J27 | No access | |
| 58.1 | Road continues to J1 | ||