M60 motorway

M60 motorway. The M60 motorway is a 36-mile (58 km) orbital motorway encircling the conurbation of Greater Manchester in North West England. It is one of the United Kingdom's two major orbital motorways, the other being the M25 motorway around London, and forms a critical component of the region's strategic road network. The motorway connects major towns and cities including Manchester, Salford, and Stockport, facilitating the movement of freight and passengers while relieving congestion in the urban core.

Route description

The motorway forms a near-complete ring, beginning at its westernmost point near Eccles at a junction with the M62 motorway. It travels eastwards, skirting the southern boundaries of Salford and Trafford, before curving north near Stockport to pass through the Tameside and Oldham boroughs. The northern arc runs westwards through Rochdale and Bury, finally completing the circuit at the M61 motorway and M62 motorway interchange near Eccles. Key crossings include the high-level Barton Bridge over the Manchester Ship Canal and the complex Stockport Viaduct. The route intersects with several other major roads, including the M56 motorway near Wythenshawe and the M66 motorway near Middleton.

History

The motorway's origins lie in the 1960s and 1970s with the construction of three separate motorway sections: the M63 motorway in the south, the M66 motorway in the east, and the northern M62 motorway bypass of Manchester. These sections were progressively built, with the final segment, the eastern section between Stockport and the M62 motorway, opening in 1985. Following a government review in the 1990s, these disparate routes were redesignated and connected to form a continuous orbital route, which was officially renamed and renumbered as the M60 in 2000. This reconfiguration involved significant upgrades at key interchanges, such as the complex Simister Island near Bury.

Junctions

The motorway features 28 numbered junctions, connecting it to a dense network of A roads and local routes. Major interchanges include Junction 8 with the M61 motorway and M62 motorway, Junction 12 with the M602 motorway serving Salford and Manchester, and Junction 25 with the M67 motorway towards Hyde. Other significant junctions provide access to Manchester Airport via the A555, the Trafford Centre retail complex, and the town centres of Ashton-under-Lyne, Oldham, and Rochdale. The junction numbering runs clockwise from the northwestern point.

Traffic and usage

It is one of the busiest motorways in the United Kingdom outside the South East, with annual average daily traffic flows exceeding 100,000 vehicles on its southern sections between the M56 motorway and M62 motorway. The motorway is a vital corridor for freight movement, linking the Port of Liverpool and the national motorway network to the major distribution centres in Trafford Park. Congestion is a persistent issue, particularly during peak hours at major interchanges like Simister Island and through the Stockport corridor, leading to significant economic and environmental impacts. Traffic is monitored and managed by National Highways using a comprehensive system of variable message signs and CCTV.

Future developments

Proposed improvements focus on increasing capacity and managing congestion through smart motorway technology, although the rollout of all-lane running schemes has been paused nationally. A major long-term proposal involves the construction of the Manchester Outer Ring Road, which would provide a complementary outer orbital route to alleviate pressure. Other considerations include enhancements at junction 8 (M61 motorway/M62 motorway) and junction 18 (M66 motorway) to improve traffic flow. These plans are subject to the priorities and funding of National Highways and the Department for Transport, as outlined in the Road Investment Strategy.

Category:Motorways in England Category:Transport in Greater Manchester Category:Roads in the United Kingdom