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Churchbridge

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Churchbridge
Location Map ( geo)
Churchbridge Gyratory.png
Cameraicon.png View gallery (1)
Location
Cannock
County
Staffordshire
Highway Authority
National Highways • Staffordshire • Midland Expressway
Junction Type
Magic Gyratory variant
Roads Joined
M6 Toll, A5, A34, A460
Junctions related to the A460
Junctions related to the M6 Toll

Churchbridge is junction T7 of the M6 Toll.

Churchbridge is a Magic Gyratory variant to the southeast of the former mining town of Cannock, Staffordshire. The present junction was built as part of the M6 Toll construction, and replaced a string of three roundabouts.

It is a combination of a three-roundabout Magic Gyratory, and a dumbbell, with one of the roundabouts being part of both junctions.

It is located at the junction of four major routes:

It is slightly unusual in that the junction is managed by three different bodies:

  • National Highways manage the through route along A5 and so manage the three roundabouts directly along the A5 route, as well as the links between
  • Staffordshire Council manage the northernmost roundabout, and the links from this roundabout to the remainder of the junction
  • Midland Expressway manage the slip roads to and from M6 Toll

History

Cannock area in 1920, including Churchbridge

The junction was originally a relatively simple staggered junction between A5 and A34, though extra complexity was added by the presence of a railway line and a canal within the junction area. The canal and the associated Churchbridge Locks was filled in during the 1960s, though the railway line is still in use today.

During the 1980s, the Cannock Eastern Bypass was constructed, and the A460 was brought into the junction layout to the north, with the former route through Cannock Town Centre becoming A4601, and a multiplex with A5 through Bridgetown created. At this point, the junction was redesigned with three small roundabouts:

This junction layout was known locally as "The Silly Isles", as the majority of traffic needed to pass through the central roundabout in the system, causing long traffic delays.

The layout was then altered to the present form in 2002-3, with the addition of M6 Toll and the A460 for traffic towards Wolverhampton. Whilst much improved over its previous form, there are still large tailbacks at busy times, but as there is no single dominant flow of traffic, any further improvements are unlikely to be easily attained.

In 2015 traffic signals were added to three of the roundabouts, some of the approaches were widened and the northernmost M6 Toll roundabout was converted into a teardrop; whilst in late 2018 work started on widening the links between the northern roundabout and the remainder of the junction to dual carriageway.

Original BNRR proposals

1987-1988 planned layout

Before the Birmingham Northern Relief Road was planned as a toll road the junction was to be a roundabout interchange with slip roads in both directions. The railway prevents one large centrally located roundabout with all the main roads feeding directly onto it so there are two smaller roundabouts in the same locations as what currently exists. The presence of the west facing slips means there is no need for the A460 running parallel to the motorway. It also means there is no space for a link between the main roundabout and the bottom left roundabout. With only three arms and filter lanes for two of the left turns this roundabout could well cope better with the demands that currently overwhelm it.

When it was decided to promote the scheme as a toll road the initial proposal from Midland Expressway retained the existing proposed junction and added toll booths to the west facing slips. The design soon changed and the westbound slips were omitted and replaced with the A460 running parallel to the M6 Toll towards M6 J11. Large roundabout interchanges tend to be unfavourable with toll roads due to the extra toll booths required and in the case of Churchbridge the predicted level of traffic using the west facing slips was thought to be low.

Routes

Route To Notes

M6 Toll

The SOUTH, Burntwood

A5

Telford

A5

Brownhills

A34

Cannock town centre

A34

Walsall

A460

Wolverhampton

A460

Rugeley

A455

Walsall now part of A34

A455

Cannock now part of A34

M600

The SOUTH, Burntwood administrative number for M6 Toll

A446(M)

The SOUTH, Burntwood provisional number for M6 Toll




Churchbridge
Related Pictures
View gallery (1)
Churchbridge BNRR 1988.png
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Cannock
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Telford-OswestryHollinswood • Forge • Cluddley • Preston Island • Emstrey Island • Bayston Hill Rdbt • Edgebold Rdbt • Woodcote Rdbt • Churncote Rdbt • Felton Butler Rdbt • Wolfshead Rdbt • Queens Head Junction
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Junctions on the A34
Winchester - WendleburyWinnall • Kings Worthy • Three Maids Hill • Bullington Cross • Tufton • Litchfield • Beacon Hill • Tot Hill • Andover Road • Speen • Donnington • Chieveley Interchange • Beedon • East Ilsley • West Ilsley • Chilton • Milton • Marcham • Lodge Hill • Hinksey Hill • South Hinksey • Botley • Peartree • Kidlington • Islip • Weston-on-the-Green • Wendlebury
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