Mancunian Way
A57(M) | ||
---|---|---|
Mancunian Way | ||
Route information | ||
Maintained by Manchester City Council | ||
Length | 2.0 mi (3.2 km) | |
Existed | 1967–present | |
History | Additional slip roads completed in 1992 | |
Major junctions | ||
southeast end | Downing Street/London Road (A6) | |
northwest end | Chester Road (A56) | |
Location | ||
Country | Primary destinations Manchester | |
Road network | ||
The Mancunian Way is a two mile long
Route
The road forms a major part of the
History
This section needs additional citations for verification. (January 2023) |
Design
The Mancunian Way was conceived to form part of the South East Lancashire and North East Cheshire (SELNEC) Highway Plan of 1962, although similar proposals were developed from 1959.
It would be the first elevated main road to be built outside London, and the UK's second aerial motorway after the Hammersmith flyover.[4] The road is 3,232 ft (985 m) long and has 28 spans of 105 ft (32 m), and two spans of 60 ft (18 m).
The spans are made out of
The designer of the bridges would go on to design the
Construction
The construction was carried out in two phases: the first stage involved the construction of a dual carriageway of 2,850 ft (870 m) to the east of the A6 road in November 1963 and was opened to traffic as part of the A635 road in November 1965.
The second stage was the construction, from December 1964, of a 0.6 mi (0.97 km) long elevated highway of a motorway standard which ran between the A6 and A56 roads. The second stage was open to traffic as part of the A57 road in March 1967. The previous day it was opened to pedestrians, who were allowed to walk the whole of the high-level route as a sight-seeing publicity exercise. Many people brought picnics which they ate in the centre of the carriageway.
At that time, the construction specifications had included cosmetic fairings to the tops of the support piers. These completely enclosed the roller bearings upon which the elevated roadway sits. However, the first time these bearings were serviced, the fairings were removed and never replaced. This leaves the poorer appearance seen today and also allows the ingress of dirt to the bearings.
Opening
The Mancunian Way was officially opened by
Extension as the A635(M)
In 1992, the westbound junction was rebuilt to replace a temporary flyover, whereby the A56 passed over a roundabout where the A57(M) originally ended. At the same time, a new flyover was built at the eastern end, over the A6, but was legally designated as the A635(M) in 1995.[1]
Oddities
Just before the junction with the A34 is an unfinished
The last 1⁄2 mile (0.80 km) of the Mancunian Way in the east is part of the
Part of the easternmost non-motorway section of Mancunian Way collapsed into a 40 ft (12 m) sinkhole on 14 August 2015,[2] after almost half a month's worth of rain fell in parts of Manchester in just six hours.[10] The closure caused significant congestion on the remaining part of Mancunian Way and other nearby roads.[2] It fully reopened on 15 June 2016 after 10 months of repair work.
Cultural references
- The 2006 Take That album Beautiful World includes a track entitled "Mancunian Way", which is about the city of Manchester and the local vicinity and notable events.[11] The group was formed in Manchester and three of the five original members are from the Greater Manchester area.[12]
Junctions
- Note: motorway has no junction numbers
A57(M) and A635(M) motorways | ||
Eastbound exits | Junction | Westbound exits |
Road continues as A635 to Ashton-under-Lyne, Mossley and Greenfield | (A57) | |
Manchester Piccadilly, Stockport, Hyde A6 Sheffield (A57) |
Start of motorway | |
, A34 | No exit | |
No exit | Didsbury, Birmingham, Moss Side, Hulme, Manchester Airport, Chester, A5103 | |
Didsbury, Birmingham, Moss Side, Hulme, Manchester Airport, Chester A5103 | No exit | |
Start of motorway | Stretford, Sale, Castlefield, Manchester Central Convention Complex A56 | |
Stretford, Sale, Castlefield, Manchester Central A56 | Road continues as A57 to Salford and M602
|
See also
References
- ^ a b Department for Transport (14 December 1995). "The City of Manchester (Mancunian Way A635(M) and A57(M) Mancunian Way Slip Roads) Special Road Scheme 1992 Confirmation Instrument 1995". UK Statutory Instruments. 1995 (3266). Retrieved 28 August 2009.
- ^ a b c "Mancunian Way could be closed for WEEKS after 40ft deep hole appears - Manchester Evening News". Manchester Evening News. 14 August 2015. Archived from the original on 11 September 2015. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
- ^ "A57(M)/A635(M) Mancunian Way". The Motorway Archive. Archived from the original on 20 September 2009. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
- ^ Concrete Quarterly Spring 1967 Archived 27 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Engineering Timelines
- ^ Rural Roads Old Maps Page – This page shows a selection of maps that show the road as A class when opened and later on as a motorway.
- ^ Manchester Evening News, Manchester Online Archived 27 September 2006 at the Wayback Machine – Eyewitness in Manchester Newsletter
- ^ Manchester Evening News, Manchester Online Archived 5 November 2006 at the Wayback Machine – Eyewitness in Manchester Newsletter Photo & Description
- ^ Statutory Instrument 1995 No. 3266
- ^ "Almost half of August's rain falls in just six hours in parts of Greater Manchester". 14 August 2015. Archived from the original on 11 September 2015. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
- ^ "10 things you never knew about the Mancunian Way". Manchester Evening News. 21 August 2015. Archived from the original on 12 April 2016.
- ^ "The Take That map". BBC. 3 December 2008.
Further reading
- "The Mancunian Way – Manchester's Prestressed Concrete Elevated Roadway". Concrete Quarterly (72) January–March 1967. (Detailed construction information).