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Worsley Braided Interchange

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Worsley Braided Interchange
Location Map ( geo)
Linneyshaw Moss, Worsley Braided Interchange - Coppermine - 21456.jpg
Cameraicon.png View gallery (24)
Location
between Bolton and Salford
County
Lancashire
Highway Authority
National Highways
Junction Type
Unique
Roads Joined
M60, M61, A580, A666(M)
Junctions related to the A580
Junctions related to the A666

Worsley Braided Interchange is junction 14 and junction 15 of the M60, junction 1, junction 2 and junction 3 of both the M61 and A666(M), and was junction 14 and junction 14A of the M62.

One of the most complex interchanges in the country, it opened in 1970 to connect the then M62 (now M60) and M61 with the A580 and A666. It spans over 2.5 miles and featured the first lengths of dual four lane motorway in the UK. The M61 officially starts on the A580 with the links to the M60 forming part of the secretive A666(M). The distinctive pseudo-tunnels are an engineering solution to allow severely skewed carriageways to cross the mainline without the need for extensive support structures spanning the motorway.

The southbound M61 suffers from severe congestion as traffic squeezes into a single lane to join the relatively empty three lanes from Bolton. It is not yet known if the proposals to add a fourth lane anti-clockwise on the M60 will also change this merge.

The junction is also notable in that, where the M60 clockwise splits off a slip road for the M61, you can draw a line roughly East–West and count eighteen lanes of motorway running in parallel.

The M62 (now M60) mainline opened on 14 October 1970, along with the slip roads with the A580 to and from the west. The remainder of the junction, including the connections with the M61, A666 and the A580 to and from the east, soon followed on 17 December.

The junction is fully lit, and from 1970-98 featured two of the few sections of catenary lighting on the UK motorway system. This was swept away as part of the general maintenance the M60 changeover required.

Eighteen parallel lanes at Worsley

Routes

Route To Notes

M60

Ring Road (W & S), Trafford Park, M'cr Airport, L'pool (M62), B'ham (M6 South)

M60

Ring Road (N & E), Oldham, Bury (M66), Leeds (M62)

M61

(M6 North), Preston, Wigan

A666(M)

Bolton (A666) A666(M) doesn't appear on signs.
Signed "A6053 Farnworth, A666 Kearsley" at M61 J3

A580

St Helens, Leigh access only from M60 East

A580

Salford, M'cr City Centre accessed by M61, access from A666(M) as well

M62

L'pool, Stretford, M'cr Airport (M63), B'ham (M6 South) formerly junctions 14 and 14a

M62

Leeds, Oldham, Bury (M66) formerly junctions 14 and 14a

M62

L'pool, Warrington, B'ham (M6 South) no access to/from M60 or A580

M62

Leeds, Huddersfield, Bury (M66) no access to/from A666(M), M60 or A580

Other Maps

Photographs




Worsley Braided Interchange
Related Pictures
View gallery (24)
Worsley Braided.pngWorsley Braided 1.jpgManchester Road (A6) - Flickr - 10514725934.jpgLeaving the M61 for the A580 to Manchester - Coppermine - 6747.jpgMerging with the A666(M) - notice the sign shows one lane merging, yet the road has two... - Coppermine - 1220.jpg
Junctions on the M60
PresentPyramid • 2 Roscoe's • 3 & 4 Kingsway • 5  Princess Parkway • 6 Sale • 7 Chester Road • 8 Carrington • 9 Lostock • 10 Redcyliffe • 11 Peel Green • 12 Eccles • 13 Worsley • 14 & 15 Worsley Braided • 16 Clifton • 17 Whitefield • 18 Simister • 19 Rhodes • 20 Alkrington • 21 Junction 21 • 22 Hollinwood • 23 Snipe • 24 Denton • 25 Bredbury • 26 Bredbury Scissors • 27 Portwood
Former or ProposedM62 J16 • M63 J5
Junctions on the M61
1Worsley Braided  • 2 Worsley Braided  • 3 Worsley Braided  • 4 Junction 4  • 5 Junction 5  • 6 Horwich Link  • 8 Chorley North Link  • 9 Clayton Brook  • M6 (30) Blacow Bridge
Junctions on the M62
The Rocket • 5 Bowring Park • 6 Tarbock Roundabout • 7 Rainhill Stoops • 8 Burtonwood • 9 Stump Cross • 10 Croft • 11 Birchwood • 12 Eccles
Former section: 13 Worsley • 14 & 14A Worsley Braided Interchange • 15 Clifton • 16 Junction 16 • 17 Whitefield
18 Simister Island  • 19 Heywood • 20 Thornham • 21 Milnrow • 22 Rockingstone Moss • 23 Outlane • 24 Ainley Top • 25 Clifton • 26 Chain Bar • 27 Gildersome • 28 Tingley • 29 Lofthouse • 30 Rothwell  • 31 Normanton • 32 Castleford • 32A Holmfield • 33 Ferrybridge • 34 Whitley Bridge • 35 Langham • 36 Goole • 37 Howden Spur • 38 North Cave


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