West Didsbury Junction
West Didsbury Junction | |||
Location Map ( geo) | |||
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Location | |||
West Didsbury, Manchester | |||
County | |||
Lancashire | |||
Highway Authority | |||
Manchester | |||
Junction Type | |||
Controlled Junction | |||
Roads Joined | |||
A5103, A5145 | |||
Junctions related to the A5103 | |||
Junctions related to the A5145 | |||
The junction at West Didsbury, in southern Manchester was created with the opening of Princess Road in the 1920s and its southern extension, Princess Parkway, in 1932. The earliest known junction layout is a roundabout which is known to exist by the 1950s.
During the 1960s the route was planned to be upgraded to become the Princess Parkway Motorway. The roundabout would have been enlarged with the motorway passing beneath and the long north facing slips would serve Nell Lane to the north of the junction.
By 1970 it was discovered that issues with drainage would cause difficulties with placing the road below ground level so a revised junction was planned with the motorway running above. The layout was changed to a signal controlled diamond which would improve capacity over the earlier roundabout proposal. Two loops would be provided to remove both right turns from the A5145 onto the motorway. This would reduce the number of signal phases required. A modification of this junction without the two loops has the A5103 bypassing the existing road to the east between West Didsbury and Princess Parkway Interchange rather than an online upgrade.
In addition there were plans for a tidal flow system between Princess Parkway Interchange and the Inner Ring Road. This would have consisted of an extra carriageway in the centre with access only available at either end so there would be no access to and from West Didsbury for tidal flow traffic. Both junction designs shown here have provision for tidal flow. The earlier layout had the option of wider bridges to provide the additional width whereas the later layout has a wide central reservation to allow the tidal flow carriageway to be added in due course.
The motorway and tidal flows plans never materialised but the junction was later improved although to a much lower standard. A separate carriageway was added to cater for South to West movements which allows this traffic to avoid the main junction.
Routes
Route | To | Notes |
City centre, Moss Side, Universities | ||
Birmingham (M6), Chester (M56), Stockport (M60), Manchester Airport | ||
Didsbury | ||
Stretford, Chorlton |