The A6144(M) was a
motorway
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway, and expressway. Other similar terms ...
in
Carrington, Greater Manchester, England. It was known in official documentation as the ''Carrington Spur Road'' and built to facilitate the transport of hazardous goods from
Shell Chemicals'
ethylene oxide
Ethylene oxide is an organic compound with the chemical formula, formula . It is a cyclic ether and the simplest epoxide: a three-membered ring (chemistry), ring consisting of one oxygen atom and two carbon atoms. Ethylene oxide is a colorless ...
plant in Carrington and other industrial estates in Carrington and
Broadheath. It was extremely unusual in that it was entirely single carriageway, the only motorway of its kind in the UK as others were dual carriageway for at least some of their length.
About 1 mile (2 km) long, the road connected the A6144 road to the
M60 at junction 8. It was the highest numbered A-road(M) motorway and one of only three four-digit, Axxxx(M) motorways, the others being the A6127(M) (now
A167(M)) and the temporary
A1077(M). The motorway was not a trunk road and not the responsibility of the
Highways Agency
National Highways (NH), formerly Highways England and before that the Highways Agency, is a government-owned company charged with operating, maintaining and improving motorways and major A roads in England.
It also sets highways standards u ...
.
The road had no hard shoulder but two emergency
lay-bys with SOS phones and lights were provided midway along its length. A reason for its motorway status was that the junction with the M60 had two small roundabouts that were difficult for a driver of a long vehicle prohibited from motorways to perform a U-turn because of their size.
The unusual status of the A6144(M) led to it gaining a number of fans, particularly within organisations such as the Society for All British And Irish Road Enthusiasts (SABRE).
Revocation of special road status
In 2004, work to widen the M60 motorway altered the junction with the A6144(M), which was changed into a single roundabout allowing all motorway-prohibited traffic to turn and not join the M60.
Trafford Borough Council confirmed its intention to remove
special road status from the A6144(M) when the M60 widening works were completed.
The A6144(M) ceased to be a special road on 25 May 2006, losing its motorway status. It is now subject to a 50 mph (80 km/h)
speed limit
Speed limits on road traffic, as used in most countries, set the legal maximum speed at which vehicles may travel on a given stretch of road. Speed limits are generally indicated on a traffic sign reflecting the maximum permitted speed, express ...
and is classified as the
A6144. The road through
Sale retained the A6144 number, meaning that there are two branches (and two junctions with the
M60 motorway
The M60 motorway, Manchester Ring Motorway or Manchester Outer Ring Road is an orbital motorway in North West England. Built over a 40-year period, it passes through all of Greater Manchester's metropolitan boroughs except for Wigan and Bolt ...
) with the same road number. Despite losing motorway status, pedestrians, cyclists, and horse riders are still prohibited on the road.
Preservation
Following the change of signage on 25 May 2006, two marker posts, the A6144(M) confirmation sign and a lay-by warning sign are privately preserved.
References
External links
CBRD Motorway Database – A6144(M)Pathetic Motorways – A6144(M)Pathetic Motorways – M60
* ttp://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/index.php?title=A6144%28M%29 SABRE Wiki – A6144(M)
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Former motorways of the United Kingdom
Roads in Greater Manchester
Two-lane expressways