M58 motorway

UK motorway routebox
motorway= M58
length-mi= 12
length-km= 19
direction= West - East
start= Netherton
Switch Island
destinations= Skelmersdale
end= Orrell
opening-date= 1977
completion-date= 1980
junctions= 1 -

The M58 is a motorway in Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside, England. It is 12 miles (19km) long and provides a link between Wigan and northern Liverpool.

Route

Apart from the approaches to its terminal roundabouts, the motorway is three lanes throughout. It starts at Switch Island in Merseyside and passes directly underneath the Merseyrail Northern Line. before striking out across open countryside and into Lancashire south of Maghull and Bickerstaffe. It then curves south westerly south of Skelmersdale before reaching the M6.

History

Since 1949 an upgrade of the Wigan to Ormskirk route had been proposed to improve traffic flows, yet with the decision in 1961 to develop Skelmersdale as a new town, the proposals were revised to provide a link to the M6 at one end and Liverpool at the other [http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/environment/historichighways/mam58.asp Lancashire County Council - Historic Highways - M58] ] .

The first part of the road was opened in March 1968 [http://www.iht.org/motorway/m58aintreem6.htm The Motorway Archive - M58] ] as the "Skelmersdale Regional Road" between what is now junctions 4 & 5. It was originally a two lane single carriageway road that was upgraded to 2 lane plus with hard shoulders in 1973.

The next stage was to connect this road to the M6 and construction on this part began in 1968 and it was opened to traffic in October 1970 as all purpose dual carriageway. Now junctions 5 to 6, this road was upgraded to dual 3 lanes with a hard shoulder in 1977. These roads were upgraded to motorway status in 1977 [http://www.iht.org/motorway/m58am6stat.htm The Motorway Archive - M58 Dates] ] .

Construction on the Switch Island to junction 4 section began in 1978 with the road opening between April and September 1980.

Unfulfilled plans

Junction 2 was not built, and was the end of a proposed motorway to Preston [ [http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/environment/historichighways/MAM58_files/image007.gifLancashire County Council - Historic Highways - M58 Map] ] .

At Switch Island, the junction has been built to allow an extension of the M57 and the end of M58 has provision for slip roads to the extension to be constructed.

Lancashire County Council had in 1949 also proposed a Wigan to Bolton road. In fact bridges had been built on the M61 motorway to allow for this eventual continuation. Later plans saw the road downgraded to an A road and would have reached the M61 between junctions 5 and 6. These plans have also been dropped and currently Wigan Borough Council has plans for a part dual and part single carriageway route to the A579 near Hindley [ [http://www.wigan.gov.uk/pub/beng/ec/a5225/index.htm Wigan Borough Council - Major Highway Schemes - A5225 Wigan Gateway] ] .

Junctions

Note: There is no Junction 2.

ee also

*List of motorways in the United Kingdom

References

External links

*CBRD
** [http://www.cbrd.co.uk/motorway/m58/ Motorway Database - M58]
**Bad Junctions
*** [http://www.cbrd.co.uk/badjunctions/6-58.shtml M6/M58]
*** [http://www.cbrd.co.uk/badjunctions/58-577.shtml M58/A577]
*** [http://www.cbrd.co.uk/badjunctions/57-58-59.shtml M57/M58/A59 [Switch Island)]
* [http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/environment/historichighways/mam58.asp Lancashire County Council - Historic Highways - M58]
* [http://www.iht.org/motorway/m58aintreem6.htm The Motorway Archive - M58]