M66 motorway

UK motorway routebox
motorway= M66
length-mi= 8
length-km= 13
direction= North - South
start= Edenfield
destinations= Bury
end= Whitefield
opening-date= 1975
completion-date= 1978
junctions=

The M66 is a motorway in Lancashire and Greater Manchester, England. It is 8 miles (13km) long and provides part of the route between the M62 and M60 motorways and the M65, with the rest being provided by the A56.

Route

It starts at the Simister Island, from where it heads north as a continuation of the M60. As a 3 lane dual carriageway it passes the eastern edge of Whitefield, through junction 3 and underneath the East Lancashire Railway. Continuing North it enters the suburbs of Bury and reduces to 2 lanes at junction 2. Shortly afterwards it climbs onto an elevated section to pass through a post war housing estate [http://www.cbrd.co.uk/motorway/m66/ CBRD Motorway Database - M66] ] . At the end of the elevated road, a third climbing lane is gained for the rest of the hill. This ends at the summit. The road now runs to the east of Ramsbottom and the East Lancashire Railway and ends near Edenfield.

History

In 1949 a report, the Road Plan for Lancashire, proposed the construction of "Route 9" which would link north east Manchester with Burnley and Blackburn via "Route 8" [ [http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/environment/historichighways/roadplan/express.gifLancashire County Council Historic Highways - Road Plan for Lancashire 1949 Map] ] . Originally planned to be an all purpose road. the route was redesignated as a motorway prior to construction. The first section (the so called "Middleton Link") was opened in 1971 [ [http://www.iht.org/motorway/m60middlink.htm The Motorway Archive - M66 Middleton Link] ] . Construction then began on the southern section of the Bury bypass (Junctions 4 to 3) in February 1973 with this opening in August 1975. Immediately after construction began on the northern section (junctions 3 to terminus) with this opening in 1978 [ [http://www.iht.org/motorway/m66bustat.htm The Motorway Archive - M66 Dates] ] .

The motorway was planned to run down to Stockport where it would meet the M63 and the proposed A6(M) motorway [http://www.iht.org/motorway/m66portden.htm The Motorway Archive - M66 (now M60) Portwood to Denton] ] . The first part of this built was the section from the M67 to the M63 (now junctions 24 to 27 of the M60) with construction beginning in 1986 and it opening to traffic in 1989 [http://www.iht.org/motorway/m66pdstat.htm The Motorway Archive - M66 (now M60) Portwood to Denton Dates] ] .

The final section of the motorway was to be between the M67 and the Middleton Link. Construction began on this in 1995. In 1998 it was decided to rename various sections of motorway (parts of the M62 and M66 and the whole of the M63) around Manchester to the M60 to form the "Manchester Outer Ring Road". All sections of the M66 south of the M62 were therefore redesignated as the M60. This final section subsequently opened in 2000.

North of the M66, the road was built as the A56, an all purpose A road which connects with the M65 at junction 8.

Legislation

Each motorway in England requires that a Statutory Instrument be published, detailing the route of the road, before it can be built. The dates given on these Statutory Instruments relate to when the document was published, and not when the road was built. Provided below is an incomplete list of the Statutory Instruments relating to the route of the M66.

* Statutory Instrument 1973 No. 1142: M66 Motorway (Bury Easterly Bypass Northern Section) And Connecting Roads Scheme 1973 S.I. 1973/1142
* Statutory Instrument 1996 No. 2158: M66 Motorway (Bury Easterly Bypass Northern Section) (Junction 2 Southbound Off-Slip) (Detrunking) Order 1996 [http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1996/Uksi_19962158_en_1.htm S.I. 1996/2158]
* Statutory Instrument 1996 No. 2159: M66 Motorway (Bury Easterly Bypass Northern Section) And Connecting Roads Scheme 1973 (Variation) Scheme 1996 [http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1996/Uksi_19962159_en_1.htm S.I. 1996/2159]

Junctions

ee also

*List of motorways in the United Kingdom
*M60 motorway

References

External links

* [http://www.cbrd.co.uk/motorway/m66/ CBRD Motorway Database - M66]
* [http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/environment/historichighways/roadplan.asp Lancashire County Council Historic Highways - Road Plan for Lancashire 1949]
* [http://www.iht.org/motorway/m66buryebp.htm The Motorway Archive - M66]