M61 M6 RTA with tanker hgv

[nearM65]

Can anyone give me some information about the terrible accident involving a coach and hgv oil tanker before the m61 m6 junction was upgraded.. I've only lived up north from few years and can't find any information about it.

[IAN]

Happened in Oct 1987 - Reference to it in this article.

http://archive.commercialmotor.com/arti ... ack-spot-p

Ian (M5 Driver)

[Bryn666]

It occurred just around the original J9 for Walton Summit. As was typical in the 1980s, the M61 reduction to a single lane before joining the M6 caused queues to extend back quite some distance.

One of the outcomes following it was that the MS1s, normally situated at approx 1 mile intervals, are now every 600 yards or so between J8 and J9. The curvature of the motorway can mean you find a queue in front of you very suddenly.

Quite why the M61 still has not got MS4s, given even the M65 has them, is a mystery.

[lefthandedspanner]

Quite why the M61 still has not got MS4s, given even the M65 has them, is a mystery.

Last time I drove on it, it looked like a carefully-preserved heritage motorway from the early 1970s, complete with a red hard shoulder. The MS1s reinforced this impression.

[Bryn666]

Quite why the M61 still has not got MS4s, given even the M65 has them, is a mystery.

Last time I drove on it, it looked like a carefully-preserved heritage motorway from the early 1970s, complete with a red hard shoulder. The MS1s reinforced this impression.

I never thought of it like that but today it did strike me... it looks more modern south of J5 where concrete barriers and newer signs are used.

[nearM65]

So the m61 from m61 jct is all newe Id never have thought that it must of been a horrible jct the way ito was going to one Lane as it's bad now days.

[Bryn666]

The M61 was realigned at the top end when the M6 was widened, yes.

The bridge railing over the M6 curves away sharper than the road does which gives away the alignment - it used to merge before the Cottage Lane bridge whereas now it merges after it.

[nearM65]

Cheers for that I've always wondered why the road didn't fit the bridge.

[Craig Evans]

Another reason for the sloppy, tight and 3 down to 1 lane original layout of M6 J30 was to reserve space for the extra sliproads which would have been required for the complete 4 level partial freeflow full movements interchange at Prospect Hill.

This interchange would have been a hybrid of freeflow forks, a braid and a 3 level stacked roundabout interchange and would have connected the M6, M61, Preston Southern Bypass, Cottage Lane and either M65 or Belmont Link all together. Until the M61 sliproads at M6 J30 were realigned in 1993-1995, stub versions of at least 2 of those extra sliproads were already in place on the M61 sliproads.