A6144(M) motorway

UK motorway routebox
motorway= A6144(M)
length-mi= 1.2
length-km= 1.9
direction= Northeast - Southwest
start= Urmston
destinations= None
end= Carrington
opening-date= 1987
completion-date=entire motorway
junctions= The A6144(M) 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.

Just over a mile 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 was therefore not the responsibility of the Highways Agency.

The motorway also had no hard shoulder, just a couple of emergency lay-bys with SOS phones and lights at the end of the west bound carriageway. In addition, 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 to have 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 sliproads.

The unusual status of the A6144(M) had led to its gaining a number of fans, particularly within organisations such as the [http://www.sabre-roads.org.uk Society for All British 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 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 special road on 25 May 2006, and hence lost 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 2 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.

External links

* [http://www.cbrd.co.uk/motorway/a6144m/ CBRD Motorway Database - A6144(M)]
* [http://www.pathetic.org.uk/former/a6144m/ Pathetic Motorways - A6144(M)]
* [http://www.road-to-nowhere.co.uk/features/A6144(M).html Road to Nowhere - A6144(M)]
* [http://www.pathetic.org.uk/unbuilt/m60/ Pathetic Motorways - M60]
* [http://www.iht.org/motorway/m63stretecc.htm The Motorway Archive - M63 (Now M60) Stretford Eccles By-pass and Carrington Spur (J13 to J7)]