A665

The A665 has lost its purpose somewhat in the 21st century having been largely superseded by other routes, in particular the motorway network. However, some sections remain as critical parts of the Greater Manchester road network.

Route

Starting on the A6 to the east of Manchester city centre, the road heads north and feels somewhat neglected, crossing the A57 before going under a bridge carrying the railway lines into Piccadilly station. This area has been subject to planning blight prior to the cancellation of the northern phases of High Speed 2, and has been best described as an industrial wasteland since the 1950s. The next turn on the right is signposted A635 towards Ashton-under-Lyne; this is a spur (of either of the two roads) and the mainline of the A635 is met at traffic lights soon afterwards, after which the road becomes dual-carriageway dating back to 1989. At the next set of lights the Mancunian Way (here an all-purpose road) is met and the A665 becomes the eastern side of the Manchester & Salford Inner Relief Route. It curves around Pin Mill Brow, launching the A662 as it passes across the Metrolink line and crossing the Ashton and then Rochdale Canals before meeting the A62 at traffic lights at the north end of Great Ancoats Street. A lengthy one-way system commences past the NOMA development at Angel Meadow before a lengthy viaduct takes the road over the approach lines into Manchester Victoria railway station. The ring road branches west as the A6042 here, in an area that is undergoing massive redevelopment as the city expands outwards (and notably upwards as most new buildings are quite tall).

Cheetham Hill Road

Continuing north through Cheetham Hill, which is a congestion hot-spot, the road eventually reaches the A576 which is the signposted route out of the city and towards the M60, M66, and M62. Accordingly, primary status ends here and the remainder of the A665 becomes a somewhat local route for commuters rather than a strategic link.

After crossing the A6044, again at lights, the road skirts Heaton Park to its right then bears left to become wholly urban once more. The road then passes over the M60 and under the Metrolink line to Bury at exactly the same spot under what must rank as one of the most imposing structures on any part of the UK motorway system before a short one-way section leads to the A56. This splitting out of carriageways is purely to handle the high volumes of traffic crossing here, but the layout can be somewhat convoluted for those unfamiliar.

Now in the leafy suburbs, the road passes a golf course and passes to the west of the centre of Whitefield. It goes over the Metrolink again to reach a mini-roundabout. The A665 originally ended here on the A668. However, it was extended in the 1960s, taking over half the A668 (and removing it from the map in the process) to do so. As such the road turns left to cross the Metrolink once more before a brief dualled section marks the start of the Radcliffe bypass. After narrowing again, this crosses the River Irwell then bends round to the right to rejoin the old road. The road then crosses the derelict Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal then heads westwards, turning northwards at a mini-roundabout where the A6053 bears off to the left. Now on the edge of the urban area, the road zigzags, eventually reaching open fields and ending at an unassuming give way line at a T-junction on the A58.

Original Author(s): Bob Sykes