A538 road
Encyclopedia
The A538 is a road linking Macclesfield, Cheshire to Altrincham in Greater Manchester, through Prestbury
, Wilmslow
and Hale
and providing access to Manchester Airport and the M56 motorway
. The road is a Primary route between the A34 Junction in Wilmslow and Manchester Airport / M56 motorway.
, becoming Manchester Road.
A short distance after leaving Tytherington, the A538 turns left into Heybridge Lane. The road then proceeds into Prestbury at a 30mph speed limit, crossing over the Stoke-on-Trent
to Manchester Piccadilly railway line. Into Prestbury village the speed limit drops to 20mph. In Prestbury village, the road veers right at a roundabout and climbs towards Wilmslow, reverting to a 30mph speed limit. This is now Wilmslow Road, becoming Prestbury Road close to Mottram Hall
.
On the outskirts of Wilmslow, there is a roundabout with the A5102, then a half mile straight road to the A34
. The A538 joins the A34 here by turning right at a roundabout, running down to a roundabout where it turns left; here the road gains Primary Status. It goes under the Wilmslow railway viaduct holding the Crewe
to Manchester Piccadilly railway line, turns right at a roundabout where the B5166 joins, and runs past Wilmslow town centre to a set of traffic lights where it turns right and becomes Manchester Road. Between the roundabout and the traffic lights it is part of what was the A34 before the A34 Wilmslow bypass was built in the mid 1990s.
From the traffic lights, the road heads out toward Manchester Airport, being initially Water Lane, then shortly after, Altrincham Road. After leaving Wilmslow, the road is speed restricted to 40mph or 50mph through to the junction with the M56 motorway
.
The road goes down a steep hill to the Oversleyford
Bridge over the river Bollin
, up afterwards, and through two tunnels under Manchester Airport's runways; since 1960 it has been diverted twice here. (Its original route survives partly as 'Old Wilmslow Road' through the minor crossroads by the Ringway chapel.) After the tunnels, the road runs to a complex traffic light controlled roundabout junction with the M56 motorway Westbound and Runger Lane (which serves as an access road to Manchester Airport; it then goes under the M56 motorway to a roundabout junction with the M56 northbound. After this roundabout, the road loses its Primary Status.
The road from here on has a 30mph speed restriction as the rest of the route is through built-up areas. The A538 goes through Hale Barns
and Hale
until a mini roundabout where it is turns right; this is now Altrincham Town Centre. It goes through three set of traffic lights and passes the combined bus / train station, and veers left and runs though to a traffic light controlled cross roads, the junction with the A560 / B5164, where the A538 ends.
Prestbury
Prestbury may refer to:* Prestbury, Cheshire* Prestbury, Gloucestershire* Prestbury, a subdivision of Aurora, Illinois...
, Wilmslow
Wilmslow
-Economy:Wilmslow is well known, like Alderley Edge, for having many famous residents, notably footballers, stars of Coronation Street and rich North West businessmen. The town is part of the so-called Golden Triangle in the north west together with Alderley Edge and Prestbury...
and Hale
Hale, Greater Manchester
Hale is a village and electoral ward within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It is contiguous with the southeast of Altrincham, approximately southwest of the city of Manchester....
and providing access to Manchester Airport and the M56 motorway
M56 motorway
The M56 Motorway, also known as the North Cheshire motorway, is in Cheshire and Greater Manchester, England. It runs from Junction 4 of the M60 to Dunkirk, Cheshire and is in length. It is often busy with long-distance commuter traffic towards North Wales...
. The road is a Primary route between the A34 Junction in Wilmslow and Manchester Airport / M56 motorway.
Route
The A538 starts in Macclesfield at the traffic light controlled junction on Hibel Road. Here the road in known as Beech Lane and continues north through TytheringtonTytherington
Places in the United Kingdom known as Tytherington.*Tytherington, Cheshire*Tytherington, Gloucestershire*Tytherington, Wiltshire, a settlement on the boundary of the parishes of Heytesbury and Sutton VenyTytherington , Somerset, Near Frome...
, becoming Manchester Road.
A short distance after leaving Tytherington, the A538 turns left into Heybridge Lane. The road then proceeds into Prestbury at a 30mph speed limit, crossing over the Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
to Manchester Piccadilly railway line. Into Prestbury village the speed limit drops to 20mph. In Prestbury village, the road veers right at a roundabout and climbs towards Wilmslow, reverting to a 30mph speed limit. This is now Wilmslow Road, becoming Prestbury Road close to Mottram Hall
Mottram Hall
Mottram Hall is a former country house to the northeast of the village of Mottram St. Andrew, Cheshire, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building....
.
On the outskirts of Wilmslow, there is a roundabout with the A5102, then a half mile straight road to the A34
A34 road
The A34 is a major road in England. It runs from the A6042 in Salford to Winchester in Hampshire. It forms a large part of the major trunk route from Southampton, via Oxford, to Birmingham, The Potteries and Manchester...
. The A538 joins the A34 here by turning right at a roundabout, running down to a roundabout where it turns left; here the road gains Primary Status. It goes under the Wilmslow railway viaduct holding the Crewe
Crewe
Crewe is a railway town within the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. According to the 2001 census the urban area had a population of 67,683...
to Manchester Piccadilly railway line, turns right at a roundabout where the B5166 joins, and runs past Wilmslow town centre to a set of traffic lights where it turns right and becomes Manchester Road. Between the roundabout and the traffic lights it is part of what was the A34 before the A34 Wilmslow bypass was built in the mid 1990s.
From the traffic lights, the road heads out toward Manchester Airport, being initially Water Lane, then shortly after, Altrincham Road. After leaving Wilmslow, the road is speed restricted to 40mph or 50mph through to the junction with the M56 motorway
M56 motorway
The M56 Motorway, also known as the North Cheshire motorway, is in Cheshire and Greater Manchester, England. It runs from Junction 4 of the M60 to Dunkirk, Cheshire and is in length. It is often busy with long-distance commuter traffic towards North Wales...
.
The road goes down a steep hill to the Oversleyford
Oversleyford
Oversley and Oversleyford is a name used for some places in an area near Manchester Airport.* Oversleyford Bridge, where the A538 road from Altrincham to Wilmslow crosses the River Bollin...
Bridge over the river Bollin
River Bollin
The River Bollin is a major tributary of the River Mersey in the north-west of England.It rises in Macclesfield Forest at the western end of the Peak District, and can be seen in spring form, from the Buxton to Macclesfield road. The stream then descends the through Macclesfield and Wilmslow where...
, up afterwards, and through two tunnels under Manchester Airport's runways; since 1960 it has been diverted twice here. (Its original route survives partly as 'Old Wilmslow Road' through the minor crossroads by the Ringway chapel.) After the tunnels, the road runs to a complex traffic light controlled roundabout junction with the M56 motorway Westbound and Runger Lane (which serves as an access road to Manchester Airport; it then goes under the M56 motorway to a roundabout junction with the M56 northbound. After this roundabout, the road loses its Primary Status.
The road from here on has a 30mph speed restriction as the rest of the route is through built-up areas. The A538 goes through Hale Barns
Hale Barns
Hale Barns is an affluent village in Altrincham in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. Historically part of Cheshire, Hale Barns lies about south of Manchester city centre, 2 miles west of Manchester Airport and close to the River Bollin...
and Hale
Hale, Greater Manchester
Hale is a village and electoral ward within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It is contiguous with the southeast of Altrincham, approximately southwest of the city of Manchester....
until a mini roundabout where it is turns right; this is now Altrincham Town Centre. It goes through three set of traffic lights and passes the combined bus / train station, and veers left and runs though to a traffic light controlled cross roads, the junction with the A560 / B5164, where the A538 ends.