Transport | Manchester's Roads and Motorways

[crush2000]

can't believe that video, that is really bad!!! glad I don't drive through that section of Manchester!!!

just a note about the M60, I think it is great, i especially like the widened bit they have just completed, it reminds me a little of the 401 in Toronto.

[Metrolink]

glad I don't drive through that section of Manchester!!!

Why? Are you incapable of understanding simply no entry signs?

[The Longford]

All you guys are just amateurs.
You want to get proper nerdy about motorways like i am.
First off buy this book

http://www.phillimore.co.uk/acatalog...860773524.html

In the mean time check out these websites

http://www.iht.org/motorway/page1.htm
http://www.cbrd.co.uk/
http://www.pathetic.org.uk/index.shtml

especially this link
http://www.pathetic.org.uk/motorways/m67-2.shtml
which shows an idea of what the M67 Mcr to Sheffield motorway could have looked like. The now demolished Fort Ardwick flats were set back from the road to accomadate the projected motorway but it never happened.

[Isaac Newell]

By calling the M60 the Manchester Orbital you define Manchester as anywhere inside the motorway's orbit. What then is outside the orbit ? It cannot be Manchester because that's already orbited.

[Sir Miles Platting]

Originally Posted by frozenmusic

That's just too good, give the man a comment of the day award.

I'm here all week! Try the veal......

[Sir Miles Platting]

Originally Posted by Isaac Newell

By calling the M60 the Manchester Orbital you define Manchester as anywhere inside the motorway's orbit. What then is outside the orbit ? It cannot be Manchester because that's already orbited.

Leave it Isaac.....it's Manchester that's 'in orbit'.....

[macc]

Originally Posted by LeedsLad

http://www.biertijd.com/mediaplayer/...t=true&fs=true Just need some decent drivers now!

Christ! Why is it when the Americans get hold of a video the always have to get out the Planet's funniest Animals CD to give it a sound track?

I'm surprised there isn't some fake commentry from a non-existent traffic warden, speaking in that 'English' accent that Americans all do. The one that nobody actually sounds like; except other Americans talking in an 'English' accent.

Originally Posted by The Longford

http://www.pathetic.org.uk/index.shtml

There's a bloke at work that looks at this site. Everytime I walk past in a hurry to get somewhere he's always vying for my attention saying:
Here, look at this: A road that was never made. And this one: Its the smallest motorway in the land...oh and check out this roundabout....

Its like being on the wrong end of a verbal battering from M60 machine gun (or battered by cars of the M60 motorway, whichever you prefer).

Anyway I'll stay away from this thread before I wreck it. I'll go sit in a corner and wank over some chimneys that double as slum houses for the urchins.

[Norb]

Manchester Evening News version with commentary...

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co....popup/519.html

[macc]

Originally Posted by Norb

Manchester Evening News version with commentary...

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co....popup/519.html

ha ha. It may be real local commentry but he's still got the Planet's Funniest Animals reporting style:
---
"The message to other drivers is: Always mind the bollards"

*silent pause*

SMASH!

*canned laughter*
cue the Planet's Funniest Animals CD track 3:
trumpet: #dodo do do dodo do#....

[Sir Miles Platting]

FYI macc, the sound-track on the yank version is the mid-60's instrumental hit Taxi by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass.
I don't give a rats arse whether the Planets Funniest Animals use it or not. But I'm safe in saying that many a singer/songwriter/performing artist is glad you are not in charge of royalty dispursements...

[Martin G]

Originally Posted by The Longford

All you guys are just amateurs.
You want to get proper nerdy about motorways like i am.
First off buy this book

http://www.phillimore.co.uk/acatalog...860773524.html

In the mean time check out these websites

http://www.iht.org/motorway/page1.htm
http://www.cbrd.co.uk/
http://www.pathetic.org.uk/index.shtml

especially this link
http://www.pathetic.org.uk/motorways/m67-2.shtml
which shows an idea of what the M67 Mcr to Sheffield motorway could have looked like. The now demolished Fort Ardwick flats were set back from the road to accomadate the projected motorway but it never happened.

God Longy - I thought I was the only one when it comes to be a sad "road spotter" - even though I've now been an ex-driver for over 15 years and have no intention of owning my own car, ever (due of course to the cost as well as many other obvious factors). I don't suppose you also have these two invaluable vintage books gracing your own home bookshelf [below] like I do, by any chance?





They are a truly rivetting read and are chock full of vintage black and white photographs and diagrams of selected junctions and how some of them were originally envisaged, etc etc.... That little M62 one is a real find for me - only £1 from a flea market stall a few years ago no less.

I also go on loads of those road sites you list up there - in fact I post on a couple of them from time to time with comments and a few of my own doctored OS map renderings of those infamous "what if?" motorway schemes that people so enjoy speculating about....

That comprehensive NorthWest Motorways book is also brilliant and extremely in-depth, but at £18.00 it's way beyond my affordability. I will obviously pick it up when it goes for under a fiver or summat.....whenever that will be!

[The Longford]

Central library has that Motorways book and much of it is repeated in the Motorway Achievement book but ive been tempted to pick up a copy for some of the lovely photos.
Ive seen that booklet before - my friend has all sorts of that stuff - including the opening brochure for the Preston By-pass.
In my heritage nazi role i'm in the process of proposing a few bridges on the North west's motorway network for listing, including the one over the River Lune that appears on the rear of the book above.
The others are Snow Hill and Scammoden btw.

[ScouseinManc]

I thort I was a bit geeky with my penchant for railway heritage (not trains - I am NOT a spotter..!). But you two..?!? Frightnin!!

[Jongeman]

The way I view it, they (as in the DoT) couldn't call the M60 an orbital motorway because it would've detracted from the only sanctioned 'orbital' and the only sanctioned city, big and important enough to have one. So they called it a fuckin ring road* instead...........it's far from being a mere road, but that's what we got.

Manchester Beltway would have been more appropriate, and in time recognised by everyone nationally for what it was.

* Edit - added to which, the inhabitants of provincial cities are probably officially deemed too stupid to be able to conceptualise any more than the words 'road' and 'motorway'.

Petit rant fini.

[Martin G]

But - hey! - why stop at just rings and belts? How about the Manchester Outer Necklaceway as well - just to appease the PC brigade (I'm sure there's a few female engine-earring consultants about too!)?

[Martin G]

Actually, to expand on the links Longford provided above, one he may have overlooked mentioning is this one....


http://www.iht.org/motorway/


...... it's probably the best one of the lot - filled with lots of reader-friendly summaries on the complete history of every notable m-way scheme in the country - from conception to rejected routes and the final approved alignments. There are some intriguing historical pictures of some of them in construction too - especially our very own "skyway highway" that is the Mancunian Way (which, let's not forget, wasn't even a motorway to begin with when it was originally opened - it just "became" one when it was given a "M" suffix at the beginning of the 1970s).

Take a look here:

http://www.iht.org/motorway/a57mancunian.htm

[Architecty]

I think if you guys really loved motorways you would have made a crazy 2007 prediction like this one……..

Originally Posted by Architecty

11. Government also wakes up to the need for the M67 to carry on to Sheffield, and realises that this is actually possible as A) its route follows an entirely man made landscape B) a country with the GDP of Chad could afford to build a longer tunnel and C) I said so !

I’m very impressed with the level of geek knowledge on this forum about pretty much everything that is good to be geeky about; keep up the spiffing good work!

[Farsight]

I get pissed off with the southern routes out of Manchester. You go down past the airport on the M56 then you're pissing about on the A556. Is the M56/M6 junction still crap?

http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.c...multimap.y=187

I think there ought to be slick smooth way of getting down to Stoke then onto the A50 across to the M1.

[The Longford]

Originally Posted by Farsight

I get pissed off with the southern routes out of Manchester. You go down past the airport on the M56 then you're pissing about on the A556. Is the M56/M6 junction still crap?


I think there ought to be slick smooth way of getting down to Stoke then onto the A50 across to the M1.

The M56- M6 link is a long time coming and IMO not environmentally insensitive.
I could never fathom why there is no southern access on to the M6 - although if i know the A556 is going to busy i just go up to the roadabout at J20 and come back on myself. I'm guessing they didnt want too much traffic getting on south bound at what is already a very busy stretch. I suppose you could argue the A556 provides its own traffic flow control.

A smooth way down to Stoke? That would mean a dirty great road through the posher parts of Cheshire running parallel to the M6 - that would be a tough one to sell for sure. An upgrade of the A34 and by passes for Alderley Edge and Congleton and you are almost there but even so you have to get through northern bit of Stoke aswell. Not worth it IMO.

[Salif]

The Manchester motorway network is very good, shows what can be achieved with constant development, political will and the right amount of investment. It still needs developing further though, for instance I think they need to extend the M602 along the south side of Manchester city centre to meet the M67 and then extend that across the Sheffield following the path of the former Woodhead railway line (which should be re-opened imo btw). Build a triangle junction onto the M1 and you've also got an alternative Manchester-Leeds motorway aswell.

Would also argue in favour of:

1. the link from the M56 (Manchester Airport) to the M6 (Knutsford)
2. upgrading the A580 to motorway status
3. extending the M66 to Accrington
4. extending the M65 across the pennines to Bradford/Leeds/York