A560

The A560 was once an important East–West link but with the advent of the M56/M60/M67 it is now reduced to catering for local traffic plus a considerable number of motorway link roads.

Route

Altrincham – Mottram in Longdendale

The A560 leaves the A56 in Altrincham as a Primary route. It bypasses Timperley then travels through the Manchester suburb of Baguley to reach the M56 at Sharston. Junctions with the motorway are at separate roundabouts: the first roundabout is J3A providing access to the westbound motorway (and the A5103 into central Manchester); the road then continues east alongside the motorway to reach J2 for eastbound traffic. At this point primary status is lost and the road turns right then TOTSOs left to continue its easterly route.

Roscoe's Roundabout, Cheadle

The road runs through Gatley where it goes under the railway line to Manchester Airport before crossing the A34 at traffic lights to enter Cheadle. The A5149 comes in from the right; this is the original line of the A34 which was once the dominant number in the multiplex ahead along the High Street (although prior to 1935 the road crossing was the A526 and the A560 had priority). A roundabout is then met at Cheadle Heath, from where a motorway spur provides access to the clockwise M60 at J2.

Continuing east the road enters Stockport. On the western side of town traffic lights are reached from where the A5145 links to junction 1 of the M60. This is of course nominally the start (and finish) of this circular motorway. The actual junction is called the Pyramid due to a large edifice of this design having been built here, now used by the Co-op Insurance Society.

Most traffic needing to pass through Stockport uses the M60 from here to the next junction to the east (no. 27!!) but the A560 itself takes a traffic-light-plagued route between the same points, along much the same route. The original route ran through town along Chestergate and Warren Street and then continued through Lower Bredbury but this section has now been renumbered B6104. A new road (Crookilly Way) running parallel to the M60 as far as junction 25 was built when the motorway was extended and numbered A560.

We interchange with the M60 at J26 and J25, where the too-large roundabout shows something larger (the A6(M) Stockport bypass) was planned but never built. We then dogleg right at the next roundabout then TOTSO left at traffic lights to rejoin our original route.

Gee Cross Junction, Hyde

Now, in much more straightforward manner, we pass through Bredbury and Woodley. Tameside is entered and we TOTSO right (ahead is the A627 for Hyde) and pass through Gee Cross before entering open countryside for the first time since Altrincham. A 50mph limit applies for about one mile. Don't get excited though - this soon falls to 40 as the road passes through Hattersley Estate. Soon we reach the end of the road: a large roundabout junction with the M67 andA57. Take the third exit for Sheffield/M1 via the Snake or Woodhead passes: take your choice. There will probably be a queue here for traffic heading in that direction.

Original Author(s): Bob Henshaw

History

Stockport Town Centre Bypass - The 0.3 mile Great Egerton Street western extension dual carriageway from Heaton Lane (then traffic lights) to Port Street was opened on 13 September 1965. Cost was £250,000. It has since been downgraded to single carriageway.