A56 road

A56 road The A56 is a major primary road linking Chorley in Lancashire to Broughton near Preston, passing through urban centres including Manchester, Bolton, Bury and suburban districts such as Farnworth, Kearsley and Whitefield. The corridor serves interchanges with motorways like the M6 motorway, M61 motorway, M60 motorway and M65 motorway and connects to rail hubs including Manchester Victoria station and Preston railway station. Managed by local authorities including Lancashire County Council and Greater Manchester Combined Authority, the route interfaces with transport policies from entities such as Transport for Greater Manchester and historical programs influenced by planners from the era of the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive.

Route

The road begins at a junction with the A674 road near Chorley and proceeds northeast through Euxton and Adlington towards Manchester Road intersections, joining suburban arterials that serve Bolton town centre and cross the River Croal. It continues through Farnworth and Kearsley before entering Bury borough, where it meets radial routes including the A58 road and A665 road close to Bury Interchange. The alignment passes under sections of the West Coast Main Line and skirts the Irwell Valley before approaching the City of Manchester, running adjacent to districts such as Cheetham Hill and providing access to Manchester Royal Infirmary and Manchester Metropolitan University precincts. Northbound stretches link to the M61 motorway at the Bolton Spur and to the M60 motorway at the Simister Island junction, while western termini approach Broughton where it connects with the A6 road and the M6 motorway corridor near Preston.

History

The corridor follows older turnpike and coaching routes established during the 18th and 19th centuries linking market towns such as Chorley and Bolton to the industrial hubs of Manchester and the textile districts around Bury. Development in the Victorian era paralleled railway expansion by companies like the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway and the London and North Western Railway, shaping alignments near stations such as Bolton station and Bury Bolton Street railway station. Mid-20th century road improvements were influenced by postwar planning exercises tied to the 1947 Town and Country Planning Act and the subsequent motorway program epitomised by construction of the M61 motorway and the M6 motorway. Urban sections were modified during regeneration projects connected with the Manchester Central development and the redevelopment of former industrial sites in schemes related to bodies like English Partnerships.

Junctions and Interchanges

Key junctions include the interchange with the M61 motorway near Horwich, the crossing with the M66 motorway/M60 motorway complex at Simister Island, and links to the M6 motorway close to Preston and Broughton interchanges. Urban junctions provide access to major arterial routes such as the A56 road (Stockport–Chester), the A580 road arterial to Liverpool, and the A6 road leading towards Stockport and Leigh. The road interfaces with public transport nodes including Manchester Victoria station and bus hubs administered by operators like Stagecoach Group and Arriva Buses Wales subsidiaries, and connects to park-and-ride facilities coordinated with Transport for Greater Manchester strategies.

Traffic and Safety

Traffic volumes reflect commuter flows between suburban boroughs such as Bolton and central Manchester, with peak congestion near junctions serving Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester Metropolitan University and regional shopping centres. Safety initiatives have been implemented in cooperation with organisations including National Highways and local police forces like Greater Manchester Police, addressing collision hotspots through measures inspired by campaigns from groups such as Road Safety GB and standards from the Department for Transport (United Kingdom). Accident reduction schemes have targeted junctions with high pedestrian activity close to stations like Bury Bolton Street railway station and community facilities in Farnworth.

Future Developments

Planned upgrades and corridor studies have been promoted by bodies including Lancashire County Council, Greater Manchester Combined Authority and national transport programmes within the remit of the Department for Transport (United Kingdom). Proposals under consideration involve junction remodelling at interchanges with the M61 motorway and capacity improvements near Bolton to integrate with active travel schemes advocated by organisations such as Sustrans and regional cycling and walking strategies. Longer-term options reference resilience planning against climate objectives set by the UK Climate Change Act 2008 and connectivity ambitions linked to initiatives around Northern Powerhouse investment and rail enhancements coordinated with Network Rail.

Category:Roads in Greater Manchester Category:Roads in Lancashire