M6 crossing the Ribble The Preston bypass section of the M6 is the oldest motorway in Britain. Seen from the underside, this bridge displays elegant engineering. The bypass opened in 1958 but was widened in 1996 <a title='http://www.gandljdean.co.uk/ribble/pt13.html' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.gandljdean.co.uk/ribble/pt13.html'>Link</a><img style='padding-left:2px;' alt='External link' title='External link - shift click to open in new window' src='http://s0.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png' width='10' height='10'/> This bridge presumably dates from then.