M60 (formerly M66) Denton to Middleton

The Facts

The M60 (formerly M66) Motorway (Denton to Middleton Section) forms the final quadrant of the motorway ring round Manchester.

Need for the Road

The road is needed to ease heavy traffic congestion and provide a high quality north-south route on the eastern side of Greater Manchester.

Much of this congestion is caused because the existing, overloaded network was developed for the needs of an earlier generation of road users and can no longer adequately meet the demands of today's users.

The main problem is that there is no suitable north-south through route to the east of Manchester. This increases the road communications difficulties in a highly populated area which is seeking economic regeneration.

Inevitably, as traffic levels have grown, the problem has steadily worsened and without this new road it was likely to continue to do so. Action was therefore needed.

The new road will bring great benefit to travellers, residents and industry to the east of Great Manchester by:

• supplying good connections for long distance traffic to and from the east of Greater Manchester.
• completing the route linking together the outlying towns and suburbs of Greater Manchester
• completing an orbital route around Manchester
• removing a large amount of traffic, including many heavy vehicles, from urban roads
• making a major contribution to road safety

Traffic Effects

The motorway will reduce traffic on a number of orbital roads around Manchester by taking traffic onto routes which will provide access to the motorway, principally outside the ring road.

Traffic will be reduced by more than 30 per cent on three sections of roads on the A6017 (between M67 and A635), A627 (between A670 and A6014) and A6014 (between B6393, A664 and A576). There are more than 800 properties within 10 metres of the carriageway on these sections. Of these, over two thirds are within 5 metres of the carriageway edge.

Traffic will increase by more than 30 per cent on parts of three non-motorway roads, sections of the A62, A663 and B6373. Around 30 properties are within 10 metres of the carriageway edge of these sections.

The risk of accidents will fall because travel is much safer on motorways than on other roads where there is a mix of vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists in very congested conditions.

It is estimated that following the completion of the motorway annual road accident casualties will reduce by an average of:

• 5 to 6 fatally injured
• 70 to 90 seriously injured
• 290 to 340 slightly injured

Economic Benefits

The new road will link the area north and east of Manchester to the national motorway network. It has been warmly welcomed by local industrialists, the district councils of Tameside, Oldham, Rochdale, Manchester and Bury, the British Road Federation and the Freight Transport Association.

The motorway will result in improved communications which will benefit recent and proposed developments close to it in Audenshaw, Broadway and Middleton.

Environmental Measures

Wherever practical the motorway has been designed to run through cuttings - minimising the noise and visual impact of the road and its traffic. This also means that few existing roads are to be significantly raised to cross the motorway.

Residents on existing routes will enjoy lower noise levels because of reduced traffic levels when the motorway is complete. The Highways Agency is paying for over 1200 properties close to be fitted with secondary glazing and the work is completed on over 80% of them.

Landscape architects were consulted during the route selection and design process to ensure the road blends with the surrounding area as much as possible. This will be achieved by environmental works including extensive areas of mounding, planting and fencing to screen the road.

An ecological survey of the whole route was commissioned in 1985, and updated in 1991, and a three year programme of habitat rescue and creation has been carried out on behalf of the Highways Agency by the Greater Manchester Countryside Unit and, more recently, licensed ecological consultants Penny Anderson Associates.

Several voluntary organisations such as the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers and local schoolchildren have been involved in this work.

The construction of the road will result in the loss of relatively few trees because it passes through a largely urban landscape. There are no significant areas of woodland and the 2,500 trees which will be lost are scattered.

There will be new planting extending over 91 acres which will include over 30,000 trees and 150,000 shrubs - a planned mix of native species with ornamental species in urban areas. The plantings will quickly contribute shelter and food for many plants and animals.

Traditionally wildflower meadows will be prepared and seeded in selected areas and additional wildlife habitats will be provided by the creation of new ponds and enhanced river edge treatment.

Further planting will be carried out on private land adjacent to the scheme, if the landowners agree, to provide additional screening of the road.

The planting will harmonise with other proposals for the area as a result of liaison with the Red Rose Community Forest and adjacent landowners.

Historical Notes

The need for a high standard ring road around Manchester has been recognised for many years. The first stage was the present M63 between Worsley and Stretford to the west of Manchester which was constructed in the late 1950s.

Various sections have been added over the years, the last completed section being between Brinnington and Denton to the south east of Manchester which was opened in 1988.

In 1980 the Secretary of State for Transport published the route to complete the link between the ends of the M60 at Denton and Middleton.

Following the statutory consultation process, including a serious of public exhibitions along the line of the route and public inquiry last 26 weeks, the route of the new road was confirmed.

A further public inquiry, to consider the compulsory purchase order and various supplementary orders, was held between November 1991 and February 1992.

Press Enquiries: Clive Naish, Regional Information Officer, Telephone 0161 952 4517

Issued by COI North West