M6 motorway
The M6 motorway is the longest motorway in England, United Kingdom. It runs from a junction with the M1 near Rugby in central England to 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.
| Table of contents |
|
2 Future Developments 3 The A50 link 4 A556(M) 5 M74 6 Junctions |
The first section of the motorway, and indeed the first motorway in the country, near Preston, was opened by 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 long. On the elevated ground between Shap and Tebay, the north and south-bound carriages split apart. Uniquely, at this point a local road runs between the two carriageways without a junction to the motorway.
Near completion (February 2003) is the M6 Toll, Britain's first toll- paying motorway, which will run around the east and northern sides of Birmingham in addition to the current M6, intended to alleviate congestion at the latter's busiest point.
An alternative method of by passing the congestion round Birmingham (if travelling North) is to stay on the M1 then take the A50.
The A556(M) link road, providing a route to the M56 eastbound towards Manchester for motorists coming from the south on the M6 has been the subject of a public inquiry for many years.
The M74 upgrade near Gretna Green will extend the motorway to the Scottish border, connecting the M6 to the M74. On completion it is expected that the M74 will be renamed the M6, creating a motorway running more than 350 miles from Rugby to Glasgow.History and Curiosities
Future Developments
The A50 link
A556(M)
M74
| No. | Exits to : Northbound | Exits to : Southbound |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rugby, Lutterworth, A426 | Rugby, A426 |
| 2 | Coventry, Leicester, A46, M69, (M1) | Coventry(E), Leicester, A46, M69 |
| 3 | Bedworth, Coventry(N), Nuneaton, A444 | Bedworth, Coventry(N), Nuneaton, A444 |
| 4 | Coventry(S&W), NEC, Birmingham Airport, A446 | The SOUTH WEST, Birmingham(S), Solihull, Birmingham Airport, NEC, Lichfield, M42, A446 |
| 4a | The NORTH, The SOUTH, M42, (M1), (M40) | No exit |
| 5 | No exit | Birmingham(E), Solihull, A452 |
| 6 | Birmingham(E,Cen & NE), Lichfield, A38 | Birmingham(Cen&NE), A38 |
| 7 | Birmingham(N), A34 | Birmingham(N), Walsall, A34 |
| 8 | The SOUTH WEST, Birmingham(S&W), West Bromwich, M5 | The SOUTH WEST, Birmingham(S&W), West Bromwich, M5 |
| 9 | Wednesbury A461 | Wednesbury A461 |
| 10 | Walsall A454 | Walsall, Wolverhampton(Cen&E) A454 |
| 10a | No exit | NORTH & MID WALES, Wolverhampton, Telford, M54 |
| 11 | Wolverhampton A460 | Cannock, A460 |
| 12 | Cannock, Telford, Wolverhampton NORTH WALES, A5, (M54) | Telford, A5 |
| 13 | Stafford(S), A449 | Stafford |
| 14 | Stafford(N), A34 | Stafford(N), Stone, Eccleshall, A34 |
| 15 | Stoke-on-Trent, Stone, Eccleshall, A500 | Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme, A500 |
| 16 | Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stoke-on-Trent(N), Crewe, Nantwich, A500 | Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stoke-on-Trent, Crewe, Nantwich, A500 |
| 17 | Congleton, Sandbach, A534 | Congleton, Sandbach, A534 |
| 18 | Holmes Chapel, Middlewich, A54 | Holmes Chapel, Middlewich, Chester, Northwich, A54 |
| 19 | Northwich, Knutsford, Macclesfield, A556 | Manchester & airport, Stockport, A556, (M56(E)) |
| 20 | NORTH WALES, Runcorn, Chester, Stockport, Manchester, Lymm, Macclesfield, M56, A50 | NORTH WALES, Runcorn, Birkenhead, Lymm, Warrington, M56, A50 |
| 21 | Warrington, Irlam, A57 | Warrington, Irlam, A57 |
| 21a | Manchester, Bolton, Leeds, Liverpool, M62 | Manchester, Bolton, Leeds, Liverpool, Southport, M62 |
| 22 | Warrington, A49 | Newton, Leigh, A49, A579 |
| 23 | Manchester, Liverpool, Newton, A580 | St. Helens, Liverpool, Southport, A580 |
| 24 | St. Helens, Ashton, A58 | No Exit |
| 25 | No Exit | Wigan, A49 |
| 26 | Skelmersdale, Liverpool, Southport, M58 | Skelmersdale, Liverpool, Southport, M58 |
| 27 | Wigan, Parbold, A5209 | Parbold, Standish, Chorley, A5209 |
| 28 | Leyland (A49) | Leyland (A49) |
| 29 | Burnley, Blackburn, M65 | Burnley, Blackburn, Preston(S), M65 |
| 30 | Manchester, Bolton, Leeds, Blackburn, M61, (M62), (M65) | No exit |
| 31 | Preston, Clitheroe, A59 | Preston, Blackburn, Clitheroe, A59 |
| 31a | No Exit | Preston(E), Longridge, B6242 |
| 32 | Blackpool, Preston, M55, (A6) | Blackpool, Fleetwood, Preston(N), Garstang, M55 |
| 33 | Garstang, Fleetwood, A6 | Lancaster(S), A6 |
| 34 | Lancaster, A683 | Lancaster, Kirkby Lonsdale, Morecambe, Heysham, A683 |
| 35 | Carnforth, Morecambe, A601(M) (A6) | Carnforth, Morecambe, A601(M) (A6) |
| 36 | Kirkby Lonsdale, Skipton, Barrow, A65, A590 | South Lakes, Kendal, Barrow, Kirkby Lonsdale, Skipton, A590, A65, (A591) |
| 37 | Kendal, Sedbergh, A684 | Kendal, Sedbergh, A684 |
| 38 | Kendal, Brough, A685 | Brough, Appleby, A685, B6260 |
| 39 | Shap, Kendal, (A6) | Shap, (A6) |
| 40 | Penrith, Keswick, Brough, Scotch Corner, A66 | North Lakes, Penrith, Keswick, A66 |
| 41 | Wigton, B5305 | Wigton, B5305 |
| 42 | Carlisle, A6 | Carlisle, A6 |
| 43 | Carlisle, Hexham, Newcastle upon Tyne, A69 | Carlisle, Hexham, Newcastle upon Tyne, A69 |
| 44 | End of motorway | Galashiels, Hawick, Carlisle(N), Glasgow, Edinburgh, A7, A74
|
