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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, 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 the industrial North of England to its financial and governmental heart in the South East.

From the M1 to the M6 Toll split near Birmingham, the M6 is part of the unsigned E-road . 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.

Contents

History and curiosities

The first section of the motorway, and indeed the first motorway in the country, near Preston, 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.

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.

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. The West Coast main railway line runs alongside the M6 for most of its length.

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, and runs around the east and northern sides of Birmingham and Walsall in addition to the current M6, intended to alleviate congestion at the latter's busiest point near to Wolverhampton between the M54 and M5 motorways. This stretch of motorway, at least prior to the opening of the toll, carried 180,000 vehicles per day. It was designed to carry only 72,000 vehicles.

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

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.

M74

The M74 upgrade near Gretna Green will extend the motorway to the Scottish border, connecting the M6 to the M74 and A74(M). On completion it is widely believed that the M74 will be renamed M6, creating a motorway running more than 350 miles (563 km) from Rugby to Glasgow. However the Scottish Executive has been very reticent in confirming the rename.

Junctions

The towns, cities and roads listed are those given on road signs on the motorway as the junction is approached. Throughout we use northbound and southbound although the motorway is closer to running east-west at its beginning.

Junctions on the M6 motorway
No. Exits to : Northbound Exits to : Southbound
No exit Felixstowe, Corby, Kettering, A14, M1(N)
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 M6 Toll, 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
11a No exit M6 Toll
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-le-Willows, Leigh , A49, A579
23 Manchester, Liverpool, Newton-le-Willows, 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-in-Furness, A65, A590 South Lakes, Kendal, Barrow-in-Furness, 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

See also: List of motorways in the United Kingdom

External links

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