From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Coordinates: 53°24′32″N 2°10′28″W / 53.40902°N 2.174349°W / 53.40902; -2.174349

M60 motorway
Maintained by Highways Agency
Length:	35 mi (56 km) 7 miles (11 km) are part of the M62 motorway
Formed:	1960-2000 (opened in sections as M62, M63 and M66, renumbered M60 in 2000)
Circular; Clockwise end:	Stockport
Major junctions:	J4 → M56 motorway J12 → M62 motorway J12 → M602 motorway J15 → M61 motorway J18 → M62 motorway J18 → M66 motorway J24 → M67 motorway E 20 E 22
East end:	Stockport
Counties:	Greater Manchester
Major cities:	Manchester Trafford Salford Bury Rochdale Oldham Tameside

The M60 motorway is an orbital motorway circling Greater Manchester, a metropolitan county in North West England. It passes through all Greater Manchester's metropolitan boroughs 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 the 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.

History

The M60 was developed by connecting and consolidating the existing motorway sections of the M63, 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.^[1]

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.

The M60 at Cutler Hill, Failsworth.

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.^[2]

The M60 motorway as it passes beneath Stockport viaduct

In 2006^[3] the section between junctions 5 and 6 and was widened from dual three to dual four lanes and the section between junctions 6 and 8 was widened from dual two to dual three lanes 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 would affect drivers only during peak times coming off the M60 towards Manchester were rejected by a referendum on 12 December 2008.

M60 Genealogy

Legislation

Each motorway in England requires that 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 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 ^[4] from driver location signs are used to provide distance and carriageway identifier information.

See also

• List of motorways in the United Kingdom.

References

1. ^ "M60". Highways Agency. http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/23612.aspx. Retrieved 2009-10-30.  
2. ^ http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_transstats/documents/downloadable/dft_transstats_038887.pdf dft.gov.uk
3. ^ "Speech by Minister of State for Transport, Dr Stephen Ladyman, delivered at the opening ceremony of the widened M60 junction 5-8". Department For Transport. 2006-06-26. https://www.dft.gov.uk/press/speechesstatements/speeches/m60widening. Retrieved 2008-01-28.  
4. ^ "Traffic England Live Traffic Condiiton Map". Locations extracted from Traffic Camera Popup identifier text. Highways Agency. pp. 1. http://www.trafficengland.com/map.aspx. Retrieved 2009-10-30.  

External links

• CBRD Motorway Database - M60
• Highways Agency - M60 Jct 5 to 8 (formerly M63 Jct 6 to 9) widening

Motorways in the United Kingdom England, Scotland and Wales M1 · M2 · M3 · M4 · M5 · M6 · M6 Toll · M8 · M9 · M11 · M18 · M20 · M23 · M25 · M26 · M27 · M32 · M40 · M42 · M45 · M48 · M49 M50 · M53 · M54 · M55 · M56 · M57 · M58 · M60 · M61 · M62 · M65 · M66 · M67 · M69 · M73 · M74 · M77 · M80 · M90 M180 · M181 · M271 · M275 · M602 · M606 · M621 · M876 · M898 A1(M) · A3(M) · A38(M) · A48(M) · A57(M) · A58(M) · A64(M) · A66(M) · A74(M) · A167(M) · A194(M) A308(M) · A329(M) · A404(M) · A601(M) · A627(M) · A823(M) Northern Ireland M1 · M2 · M3 · M5 · M12 · M22 · A8(M) former M10 · M41 · M63 · A18(M) · A40(M) · A41(M) · A102(M) · A6144(M) unbuilt New M4  · M12 · M13 · M15 · M16 · M31 · M64