Broughton Roundabout (Preston)

This article is about junction 1 of the M55, near Preston.
For junctions in other locations called Broughton, see Broughton.

Broughton Roundabout is the northern end of the Preston Bypass. It was junction 32a on the M6 until the M55 was built, with this becoming junction 1 of that motorway. Surprisingly the start of motorway sign at the start of the M55 eastbound entry sliproad at this junction has always said "M6" without brackets as it has done ever since 1958, when this sliproad was first built to feed directly onto the southbound M6 Preston Bypass. This is despite the mainline M6 having been diverted north away from Broughton Roundabout in 1965 and the M55 completion in 1975.

At least in Britain, Broughton Roundabout is also the first and the oldest surviving roundabout that is part of a motorway junction, regardless of whether or not it has motorway regulations. The roundabouts for M6 junction 31 and the northern roundabout for M6 junction 29/M65 junction 1 were also initially built at the same time as Broughton Roundabout in 1958, however, the M6 junction 31 roundabouts were rebuilt in 1993 and tear-dropped in 2009 whilst the M6 junction 29/M65 junction 1 northern roundabout was rebuilt in 1962.

Due to the unusually low headroom between the M55 overbridge and the original Broughton Roundabout, an extra north-south cut-through lane was built through the roundabout in 1975 and at a lower level than the roundabout so that High Goods Vehicles can pass safely under the M55 although the HGVs must do so with a police escort.

Routes

Route	To	Notes
M55	Blackpool, Fleetwood
M55	Lancaster, Birmingham M6, (M61, M65, M58) Motorway M6, Manchester (M61), Liverpool (M58)	Top line sign on roundabout, bottom line sign on M55 at junction M55 not on signs
A6	Preston
A6	Garstang
M6	Preston South	This was the M6 northern terminus