A576

Route

The A576 is an urban A-road mostly within the northern section of the M60.

Trafford Park – Middleton

The road begins in Trafford Park at Parkway Circle, the junction with the A5081. It heads north along a series of short dual-carriageway sections until it reaches the Manchester Ship Canal. These roads were originally unclassified prior to the road's southern extension.

The A576 then heads over the Ship Canal by way of Centenary Bridge, an elevating bridge that was built in 1994. It was this bridge that allowed the road to take its new course. Once it has crossed the canal, it continues to zig-zag its way into Eccles, where it meets the A57 outside the West One retail park.

Eccles Old Road at Salford Royal Hospital

After a very short multiplex with the A57 (created as a result of the redevelopment of Eccles town centre), the road crosses the M602 at Junction 2, before swinging eastwards and reducing down to a single-carriageway road. The road heads past Salford Royal Hospital (formerly Hope Hospital), the largest teaching hospital in Europe, and proceeds through the Seedley area of Salford.

After a couple of miles, the A576 crosses the A5186 before splitting to briefly run either side of the A6 up to Pendleton roundabout. Here, the road TOTSOs north-eastwards, gaining primary status as it does so. It passes Castle Irwell (the Salford University student village) just before crossing the River Irwell and then heads through Lower Broughton to the A56 at Higher Broughton.

Shortly after crossing the A56, Bury New Road, the road makes a sharp TOTSO at the junction with the A6010. Here the road loses primary status, but heads northwards through the very diverse neighbourhoods of Manley Park, Cheetham Hill and Crumpsall. The next major road crossed is the A665, Bury Old Road, at the Half Way House junction, where primary status is regained. Here, the road continues its trek northwards, dipping under the Metrolink line at Bowker Vale station.

Shortly after, the A576 meets with the A6044, Sheepfoot Lane, where it becomes dual carriageway once again. Here, the road follows the eastern edge of Heaton Park, one of Europe's largest municipal parks, where it junctions with the A6104, Victoria Avenue, before meeting the M60 at Junction 19.

After crossing the M60 by way of a roundabout interchange, the A576 loses its primary status once more, and turns eastwards and, after a junction with the A6045 to Heywood, heads into the centre of Middleton, where it terminates at a roundabout (one of Middleton's four roundabouts) with the A664 outside Middleton's very expensively refurbished bus station.

History

The A576 originally ran from the A57 at Eccles to the A664 at Middleton, only running through to Trafford Park in 1994. It used to form part of the Manchester – York stagecoach route.