Mancunian Way

Great excitement surrounded the construction of the bypass around the south of Manchester city centre. While the cranes and concrete mixers were at work, the Manchester Evening News coined the phrase "highway in the sky" to describe it, and a local schoolboy won their competition to name the road. He chose the name "Mancunian Way".

Today it's a defining part of the city — both physically, as a very clear boundary of the city centre, and also culturally. Manchester took the "Manky Way" to its heart from the beginning, and it seems to be one of the few elevated roads in the UK that is accepted and tolerated by the majority of locals.

This tour focusses on the spaces underneath and around the motorway more than the road on top, giving a different view of a Manchester landmark and a unique road that thousands pass over every day without much thought.

Map of the A57(M) Mancunian Way. Click to enlarge
Map of the A57(M) Mancunian Way. Click to enlarge
Routes

With thanks to Kirk Northrop for information on this page.

What's new

Silver bullet

The Silvertown Tunnel is finally open for business. One question remains: what’s it for?

Skid Risk, Accident, Fog

For the first time, we can share pictures of the pioneering experiment that lit up the Worcestershire countryside with enormous signs 61 years ago.

All change

In July 2024, a new Government entered office with a very different set of priorities. What does it mean for a faltering roads programme?

Share this page

Have you seen...

Mancunian Way

Manchester's highway in the sky, carrying traffic around the city centre and rapidly becoming an iconic part of the city's heritage.

About this page

Published

Last updated