For most of the north of England, the M62 is a lifeline. It is the nearest that Britain has to a coast-to-coast motorway, linking Liverpool with Hull, more or less, and it is the motorway that has evolved and shifted its route more than any other.
Improvement works to Lofthouse Interchange, the junction of the M1 and M62 in West Yorkshire. In its present form, free-flowing sliproads exist between the north and west, and left-turns in three other directions are segregated from the main roundabout, but three remaining right-turn movements pass around the signal-controlled roundabout. The junction is a cause of significant congestion and a limiting factor on the capacity of the motorway network in West Yorkshire.
Upgrade of the existing M62 between junction 20 (the A627(M) at Rochdale) and junction 25 (the A644 at Brighouse) to Smart Motorway standard.
The upgraded motorway will have improved communications and monitoring equipment, and will operate All Lane Running, meaning the hard shoulder will be converted to a fourth permanent running lane. The finished motorway will have no hard shoulder and emergency refuge areas will be installed at regular intervals.
Work to upgrade the M62 between junctions 10 (Croft Interchange at the M6) and junction 12 (Eccles Interchange at the M60) to Smart Motorway standard. This will include the introduction of new technology, with Variable Speed Limits, new traffic sensors and CCTV. Refuge areas will also be installed at regular intervals by the side of the motorway.
Installation of Smart Motorway technology to a substantial length of M60 and M62, stretching from M60 J8 (the Carrington Spur near Trafford) to M62 J20 (the A627(M) between Oldham and Rochdale).
The scheme will introduce variable speed limits, hard shoulder running and new emergency refuge areas in an attempt to increase capacity and improve traffic flows on this congested length of motorway.
Installation of Active Traffic Management (ATM) on this length of the M62 motorway, with J25-26 enabled to use hard shoulder running permanently and others dynamically during busy times only.
The scheme replaces a previous proposal to fully widen the M62 to dual four-lanes, which has now been scrapped.
Installation of a dynamic hard shoulder running scheme, in order to relieve congestion. The works may involve reconstruction of the hard shoulder to enable it to be used as a running lane.
This scheme was withdrawn in favour of a different scheme to upgrade a larger length of M60 and M62 to Smart Motorway.
Widening of the two "dumbbell" roundabouts; with direct cut-throughs of the northern (A62/A650) roundabout for A62 traffic; the southern roundabout will be converted to a "teardrop" form (like M4/M32 or Catthorpe east). Both roundabouts will be signalised. Some of the motorway slip roads are to be realigned. The speed limit for the entire junction complex will be reduced to 30mph.
Construction of new free-flow sliproads at the interchange of the M62 and M57 to alleviate congestion on the major turning movements, currently catered for by a roundabout. The new links will include a south-to-east link, requiring the realignment of a local road that currently uses the junction, and a 270-degree loop west-to-north, passing over and under existing sliproads.
Construction of a new roundabout interchange at Burtonwood, Lancashire, to allow access to the A574 and the development area in the north-west of Warrington. It coincides with the construction of a new link road to the Omega Employment Area. The scheme includes upgrade of the M62 between junctions 8 and 9 to dual four lane standard.
If you've ever been on the M62 across the Pennines, you'll know the one. It's the huge arched bridge 120ft above the road. And this is what it's like when you're standing on top of it!
There's almost no evidence of Liverpool's 1960's plans for an inner ring road on the ground - but the motorway that never materialised would have been astonishing. The full details on the route, and the missing part the M62, are here.
Histories
