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A6144(M) motorway
Encyclopedia
The A6144 was a motorway in Carrington, Greater Manchester
, England
. It was rare among motorways in that it was entirely single carriageway, the only motorway of its kind in the UK. The others are dual carriageway for at least some of their length.
About 1 mile (2 km) long, the road connected the A6144 road to the M60
at junction 8. It was the highest numbered A-road(M) motorway and was also one of only two four-digit, Axxxx(M) motorways, the other being the A6127(M) (now A167(M)
). Also relatively rare was that the motorway was not a trunk road and therefore not the responsibility of the Highways Agency
.
The road also had no hard shoulder; instead, two emergency lay-bys with SOS phones and lights were provided midway along the length of the road. Also, it was possible to go from the A6144 to the A56 without going on the mainline of the M60 or any other motorway. One of the main reasons for its needing motorway status was that the junction with the M60 used to have two small roundabouts. It would be very difficult physically for a driver of a long vehicle prohibited from motorways to perform a U-turn due to the small size of the roundabouts. They might be forced to drive onto the M60 slip roads.
The unusual status of the A6144(M) had led to its gaining a number of fans, particularly within organisations such as the Society for All British And Irish Road Enthusiasts (SABRE).
Trafford Borough Council
confirmed that it was their intention to remove special road
status from the A6144(M) when the M60 widening works were nearing completion.
The A6144(M) ceased being a special road
on 25 May 2006, thereby losing its motorway status. It is now subject to a 50 mph (80 km/h) speed limit
and is now classified as the A6144, whilst the existing road through Sale
will also retain the A6144 number, meaning that there are two branches (and two junctions with the M60 motorway
) with the same road number. Despite losing motorway status, the road still prohibits pedestrians, cyclists, and horse riders.
Carrington, Greater Manchester
Carrington is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Cheshire, the village is west of Greater Manchester Urban Area, and is the site of a large gas and chemical works, which produce gases by fractional distillation of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It was rare among motorways in that it was entirely single carriageway, the only motorway of its kind in the UK. The others are dual carriageway for at least some of their length.
About 1 mile (2 km) long, the road connected the A6144 road to the M60
M60 motorway
The M60 motorway, or Manchester Orbital, is an orbital motorway circling Greater Manchester, a metropolitan county in North West England. It passes through all Greater Manchester's metropolitan boroughs except for Wigan and Bolton...
at junction 8. It was the highest numbered A-road(M) motorway and was also one of only two four-digit, Axxxx(M) motorways, the other being the A6127(M) (now A167(M)
A167 road
The A167 is a road in North East England. Most of its route was formerly the A1 as most of it is the original route of the Great North Road until the A1 was re-routed with the opening of the A1 in the 1960s....
). Also relatively rare was that the motorway was not a trunk road and therefore not the responsibility of the Highways Agency
Highways Agency
The Highways Agency is an executive agency, part of the Department for Transport in England. It has responsibility for managing the core road network in England...
.
The road also had no hard shoulder; instead, two emergency lay-bys with SOS phones and lights were provided midway along the length of the road. Also, it was possible to go from the A6144 to the A56 without going on the mainline of the M60 or any other motorway. One of the main reasons for its needing motorway status was that the junction with the M60 used to have two small roundabouts. It would be very difficult physically for a driver of a long vehicle prohibited from motorways to perform a U-turn due to the small size of the roundabouts. They might be forced to drive onto the M60 slip roads.
The unusual status of the A6144(M) had led to its gaining a number of fans, particularly within organisations such as the Society for All British And Irish Road Enthusiasts (SABRE).
Revocation of special road status
In 2004, work began on widening the M60 motorway. As part of the works, the junction with the A6144(M) was changed from two small roundabouts into a single large roundabout. This then allowed the possibility that all motorway-prohibited traffic would be able to turn around and not join the M60.Trafford Borough Council
Trafford
The Metropolitan Borough of Trafford is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It has a population of 211,800, covers , and includes the towns of Altrincham, Partington, Sale, Stretford, and Urmston...
confirmed that it was their intention to remove special road
Special road
A special road is a classification of road in the United Kingdom. For a road to become a special road, it must have a Statutory Instrument sanctioned under the Highways Act 1980. A road which is not a special road is termed an all-purpose road...
status from the A6144(M) when the M60 widening works were nearing completion.
The A6144(M) ceased being a special road
Special road
A special road is a classification of road in the United Kingdom. For a road to become a special road, it must have a Statutory Instrument sanctioned under the Highways Act 1980. A road which is not a special road is termed an all-purpose road...
on 25 May 2006, thereby losing its motorway status. It is now subject to a 50 mph (80 km/h) speed limit
Speed limit
Road speed limits are used in most countries to regulate the speed of road vehicles. Speed limits may define maximum , minimum or no speed limit and are normally indicated using a traffic sign...
and is now classified as the A6144, whilst the existing road through Sale
Sale, Greater Manchester
Sale is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. Historically part of Cheshire, the town lies on flat ground on the south bank of the River Mersey, south of Stretford, northeast of Altrincham, and southwest of the city of Manchester...
will also retain the A6144 number, meaning that there are two branches (and two junctions with the M60 motorway
M60 motorway
The M60 motorway, or Manchester Orbital, is an orbital motorway circling Greater Manchester, a metropolitan county in North West England. It passes through all Greater Manchester's metropolitan boroughs except for Wigan and Bolton...
) with the same road number. Despite losing motorway status, the road still prohibits pedestrians, cyclists, and horse riders.