M56 motorway

M56 motorway
Road of the United Kingdom
Length	35 miles (56.3 km)
Direction	East - West
Start	Cheadle
Primary destinations	Manchester Airport Warrington Runcorn Ellesmere Port Chester
End	Mollington
Construction dates	1971 - 1981
Motorways joined	J1 → M60 motorway J9 → M6 motorway J15 → M53 motorway
Euroroute(s)	E 22

Near Chester Services

The M56 is a motorway, also known as the North Cheshire motorway, in Cheshire and Greater Manchester, England. It runs from Junction 4 of the M60 to Dunkirk, Cheshire and is 35 miles (56 km) in length. The motorway is often busy with long-distance commuter traffic towards North Wales as well as providing access to Manchester Airport from the national motorway network, as well as commuters heading to Manchester particularly those from the wider Cheshire area.[1]

The road forms part of the unsigned Euroroute E22.

Route

Although the mainline of the motorway starts as a continuation of the A5103 Princess Parkway, the M56 actually begins on the Sharston Spur. After passing through junctions 1 and 2, the spur joins the mainline at junction 3, going up from two lanes to four, to accommodate Manchester Airport traffic.

The road now heads south to the west of Wythenshawe and Manchester Airport until it reaches junction 6, where it turns west. It then runs to the south of Hale, going down to three lanes. It passes junctions 7 and 8 which are part of the same complex. Junction 8 was planned to be used by the proposed A556(M)^[1]). The current proposals are to upgrade the A556 to a dual carriageway^[2]. Traffic for the southbound M6 leaves here and this junction can suffer from congestion. The motorway then enters a more rural setting, continuing between Broomedge and High Legh.

After meeting the M6 motorway it passes south of Appleton Thorn. After reaching junction 11, it runs through the outskirts of Runcorn and Frodsham. Between junctions 12 and 14, and the missing junction 13, it runs parallel to the River Mersey and Manchester Ship Canal. After meeting the M53 motorway, the road finally returns to two lanes, it proceeds between Chester to the south and Ellesmere Port to its termination at Dunkirk, Cheshire where it becomes the A494.

Traffic for North Wales can take either the M53 or A494 to reach the A55.

History

The first proposal for a road along this route was agreed in 1958 and it entered the Trunk Road Programme for 1967/1968^[3]. Construction began in 1968^[4] and the motorway opened in stages between 1971 and 1981^[5]:

• Junctions 1 to 3 opened in 1975.
• Junctions 3 to 7 opened in 1972.
• Junctions 7 to 9 opened in 1974.
• Junctions 9 to 11 opened in 1975.
• Junctions 11 to 14 opened in 1971.
• Junctions 14 to 16 opened in 1981.

Proposals did exist for an extension into North Wales across the proposed Dee Barrage ^[6], but these have not happened^[7].

Prior to 2008, the M56 terminated at a roundabout at the western end, work started in 2006[2] to grade-separate this junction (and others) to allow free-flowing traffic to North Wales, with the project being completed in 2008.

Junctions

Data^[8] from driver location signs are used to provide distance information.

At Junction 7, the slip road letting traffic come in southbound along the M56 and turn onto the A556 southbound, is closed while a bridge is replaced, and is scheduled to reopen in September 2010.

M56 Corridor

The M56 Corridor is a term used by estate agents and social geographers to describe what is considered to be a relatively affluent area of north west England, within easy reach of the M56. The area includes the cities of Manchester and Chester, together with commuter towns and villages in rural Cheshire. It also includes Warrington and St Helens where the chemical and pharmaceutical industries are prominent.^[9]

See also

• List of motorways in the United Kingdom

References

External links

• CBRD Motorway Database - M56
• The Motorway Archive - M56

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