M6 motorway

The M6 is the longest motorway in the United Kingdom. It is also one of the busiest motorways in the country.Roads Summary of the M6 It is often referred to as "The Backbone of Britain".
The M6 is part of the unsigned E-road E24 from the M1 to the M6 Toll near Birmingham. The E5 joins the M6 Toll from the M42 and then uses the M6 to its north end at Carlisle. Then it continues to become the M74. The motorway is 230 miles (370km) long. This is 37 miles longer than the M1 motorway.

History and curiosities
The first section of the motorway was the Preston by-pass, opened on 5 December 1958. It was built by a company called Tarmac Construction. It was the first motorway in the United Kingdom. It was opened by Prime Minister Harold Macmillan. The motorway was later extended in both directions.

Junction 6 in Birmingham has the name Spaghetti Junction. This is because it looks very complex from the sky.

On the high ground between Shap and Tebay, the north and south-bound carriages split apart. Strangely, at this point a local road runs between the two carriageways without a link to the motorway.

The section of the M6 which runs over Shap Fell in Cumbria is 1050 ft (320 m) above sea level. This is one of the highest points on any motorway in the UK. The West Coast Main Line railway follows the same course. It runs alongside the M6 for much of its length.

 Route 

The motorway starts at the M1 in Rugby. It passes through Birmingham and Spaghetti Junction. The motorway continues to the north, passing Liverpool and Manchester. It goes around Preston and up to Lancaster. It then follows through a valley past the Lake District and Penrith. It finishes at Carlisle.

 Cumberland Gap 

At the end of the M6 motorway at Carlisle, there is a 6-mile stretch of the A74 which links England to Scotland. This is called the Cumberland Gap. This was caused by an argument between the British Parliament and the Scottish Parliament, which left neither the M6 or the A74(M) being built. After a lot of controversy, building started on the remaining six miles. When it is completed, there will be a complete motorway going from London to Glasgow.BBC News Report on the Cumberland Gap

M6 Toll
The M6 Toll is a toll road which was opened in 2003. It starts at Junction 11A and runs around Birmingham to Junction 3A. It is the first toll motorway to be built in the United Kingdom. It was opened on 9 December 2003. It is reported to save 45 minutes from the average journey.BBC News Article

Junctions
 M6 motorway junctions mile km Northbound exits (A carriageway) Junction Southbound exits (B carriageway) CoordinatesMotorway continues as A74(M) on Scottish Border before becoming M74 and then joining M8 and M77) in Glasgow, ScotlandStart of motorway 313.2 504.3 Gretna B7076, Longtown A6071 J45  No access (on-slip only)  River Esk 309.6309.2498.2497.5Todhills Rest Area Services Todhills Rest Area 307.6307.3495.1  494.6 Carlisle (North), Galashiels A7 J44 Carlisle A7, Workington A689  River Eden 303.8303.5488.9  488.4 Carlisle, Hexham, Newcastle A69 J43 Carlisle, Hexham, Newcastle A69 301.1300.7484.6  484.0 Carlisle (South) A6 J42 Carlisle A6  Southwaite services Services Southwaite services 288.7288.4464.6  464.1 Wigton B5305 J41 Wigton B5305 285.5  285.2459.5  459.0 Penrith, Workington, Brough A66 J40 Penrith, Keswick, Brough A66 274.4274.0441.6  441.0 Shap (A6) J39 Shap, Kendal (A6)  Tebay services Services Tebay services  River Lune 268.9268.5432.7  432.1 Brough A685, Appleby B6260 J38 Kendal, Brough A685 260.3260.0 418.9  418.4 Kendal, Sedbergh A684 J37 Kendal, Sedbergh A684   No access Services Killington Lake services 252.7252.3 406.7  406.0 Barrow, Kendal A590 (A591), Kirkby Lonsdale A65 J36 Skipton, Kirkby Lonsdale A65, Barrow A590  Burton-in-Kendal services Services  No access  Entering Cumbria Entering Lancashire 245.1244.6 394.4  393.6 Carnforth, Morecambe A601(M) (A6) J35 Carnforth, Morecambe A601(M) (A6) 240.8240.6 387.6  387.2 Kirkby Lonsdale, Heysham, Morecambe, Heysham x12px A683, Lancaster A589 J34 Lancaster, Morecambe, Heysham A683 234.6234.3 377.6  377.1 Lancaster (South) A6 J33 Garstang, Fleetwood A6  Lancaster (Forton) services Services Lancaster (Forton) services  River Wyre 221.5221.0 356.5  355.7 Blackpool, Fleetwood M55Preston (N) (A6) J32 Blackpool, Preston (N) (A6) M55 219.5219.3353.2  352.9 Preston (E), Longridge B6242 J31A  No access (on-slip only)  River Ribble J31 Preston, Clitheroe A59  Preston (C), Blackburn (N), Clitheroe A59 River Ribble215.4214.9346.6  345.9  No access (on-slip only) J30 Manchester, Bolton M61, Leeds (M62), Blackburn (M65) 213.9213.5344.3  343.6 Burnley, Blackburn, Preston (S) M65 J29 Burnley, Blackburn M65 212.3211.9341.6  341.0 Leyland B5256 (A49) J28 Leyland B5256  Charnock Richard services Services Charnock Richard services 204.8 329.6 Entering Lancashire J27 Wigan, Parbold A5209 204.4 329.0 Parbold, Standish, Chorley A5209 Entering Greater Manchester Gathurst Viaduct 200.8200.5323.1  322.6 Skelmersdale, Liverpool, Southport M58 J26 Skelmersdale, Liverpool, Southport M58 198.0197.8318.7  318.3 Wigan A49 J25  No access (on-slip only) 196.9196.5316.9  316.3  No access (on-slip only) J24 St Helens, Ashton A58  Entering Greater Manchester Entering Merseyside 195.6195.2314.8  314.1 St Helens, Liverpool, Southport A580 J23 Manchester, Liverpool, Newton A580 192.4309.6 Entering Merseyside J22 Warrington (North) A49 192.1309.1 Newton A49, Leigh A579 Entering Cheshire 191.0190.5 307.4  306.5 Leeds, Bolton, Manchester (N) M62 J21A Manchester, Bolton, Leeds M62  Liverpool, Warrington (N), Southport (M57) M62 Liverpool M62188.3188.0 303.0  302.5 Warrington (Ctr & East), Irlam A57 J21 Warrington (Central), Irlam A57  Thelwall Viaduct 185.6 298.7 NORTH WALES, Chester, Runcorn M56Warrington (South), Lymm A50Lymm Truck StopJ20Services Macclesfield, Warrington (S) A50, Lymm B5158Lymm Truck Stop 185.3184.5 298.2  296.9 NORTH WALES, Chester, Runcorn, Manchester (S & ) M56  End of variable speed limit x15px J19 Start of variable speed limit x15px 180.3179.9290.2  289.5 Manchester, Manchester  (M56) A556 Northwich, Macclesfield, Knutsford A556 Knutsford services Services Knutsford services 172.2171.9277.2  276.7 Chester, Northwich, Middlewich A54 J18 Chester, Northwich, Middlewich A54 168.9168.3271.3  270.8 Congleton, Sandbach A534 J17 Congleton, Sandbach A534  Sandbach services Services Sandbach services 162.6 261.7 Entering Cheshire J16 Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stoke-on-Trent (North), Crewe, Nantwich A500   Start of variable speed limit x15px End of variable speed limit x15px162.3 261.2 Nantwich, Crewe A500 Entering Staffordshire Keele services Services Keele services 153.1152.9 246.4  246.1 Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme A500 J15 Stoke-on-Trent, Stone A500, Derby (A50)  Stafford services (northbound) Services  No access   No access Stafford services (southbound) 142.0141.8 228.6  228.2 Stone, Stafford (N) A34  J14 Stafford (N) A34   End of variable speed limit x15px J13 Start of variable speed limit x15px 136.8136.5 220.1  219.6 Stafford (S & C) A449  Stafford (S) A449 131.6131.2211.8  211.1 Telford (M54) A5  J12 NORTH WALES, Telford (M54), Wolverhampton, Cannock A5    No access (on-slip only) J11A( SB) The SOUTH M6 Toll 128.7128.4207.2  206.7 (M6 Toll), Cannock A460 J11 Wolverhampton, Cannock A460  Hilton Park services Services Hilton Park services 127.0126.7204.4 203.9 NORTH & MID WALES, Telford, Wolverhampton, Shrewsbury (A5) M54 J10A  No access (on-slip only)  Entering West Midlands  Entering Staffordshire 123.3122.9198.4  197.8 Walsall, Wolverhampton (C & E) A454 J10 Wolverhampton (C & E), Walsall A454 121.7121.5195.8  195.6 Wednesbury A461 J9 Wednesbury A461 119.9 193.0 The SOUTH WEST, Birmingham (W & S), West Bromwich M5 J8 The SOUTH WEST, Birmingham (W & S), West Bromwich M5 118.4118.1 190.6  190.1 Birmingham (N), Walsall A34 J7 Birmingham (N) A34 114.2113.9 183.8  183.3 Birmingham (C) A38(M) Birmingham (NE) A38 J6 Birmingham (NE), Lichfield A38Birmingham (E & C) A38(M)   Bromford Viaduct 110.9110.8178.5  178.3 Birmingham (E), Sutton Coldfield A452 J5  No access (on-slip only)  Entering Warwickshire 108.8108.6175.1  174.8  No access (on-slip only) J4A The NORTH EAST (M1), The NORTH WEST (M6 Toll), Tamworth M42(N)The SOUTH WEST (M5), London (S & W) (M40), Birmingham (S), Birmingham International x15px, Birmingham , N.E.C. M42(S)  Entering West Midlands 106.0170.6 Start of variable speed limit x15px J4 Coventry (S & W), Birmingham (E), N.E.C., Birmingham International x15px, Birmingham  A446 105.7170.1 Coleshill A446The SOUTH WEST (M5), Birmingham (S), Solihull, N.E.C., Birmingham  M42 End of variable speed limit x15px The NORTH WEST M6 Toll, Tamworth M42(N) J3A( NB)  No access (on-slip only)  Corley services Services Corley services 96.996.4155.9  155.2 Coventry (North), Nuneaton, Bedworth A444 J3 Coventry (N), Nuneaton A444, Bedworth B4113  Entering Warwickshire Entering West Midlands  Entering West Midlands Entering Warwickshire 93.793.3150.8  150.1 Coventry, Warwick A46 Leicester, Hinckley M69 J2 (M1(N)), Leicester M69, Coventry (E) A46 85.685.2137.8  137.1 Rugby A426 J1 Rugby, Lutterworth A426  Entering Warwickshire Entering Leicestershire 85.2137.1 Start of motorway x20pxM1 J19 The SOUTH, London, Northampton M1   The NORTH, Leicester M1(N) End of motorway x20pxRoad continues as A14 before becoming M11 and then joining A406 in South Woodford, Greater London
Notes

 References 

 Other websites 

 CBRD Motorway Database - M6

Category:Motorways in England