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2 M6 Toll 3 Future developments 4 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.
An alternative method of by passing the congestion round the West Midlands (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 widely believed that the M74 will be renamed the M6, creating a motorway running more than 350 miles from Rugby to Glasgow. However the Scottish Executive has been very reticent in confirming the rename.History and curiosities
M6 Toll
The M6 Toll, Britain's first toll- paying 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 the toll, carried 180,000 vehicles per day. It was designed to carry only 72,000 vehicles. Future developments
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 | 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, 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
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