Worsley Braided Interchange

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

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  An Open Street Map version.

Photographs

• Click on photograph to enlarge
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  The Linnyshaw Moss section, looking Eastwards.

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  The Linnyshaw Moss section, looking Westwards.