Highways Agency

Warrington to the scottish border

Warrington to the Scottish Border

Final Strategy Summary Brochure, January 2004

What is the M6 Route Management Strategy?

The M6 Route Management Strategy (RMS) is an action plan for the operation and maintenance of the highway for the next ten years. It is based upon a systematic analysis of the characteristics, functions and problems of the route and enables considered investment decisions throughout the network. In developing this RMS, the views of key stakeholders such as local councils, regional planning authorities, freight operators, the police and other relevant organisations have been considered.

This leaflet outlines the functions and objectives for this length of the M6/A74 and lists proposed actions for the future management and improvement of the route.

Route Description

The Route includes the M6 motorway from the M56 Junction near Warrington (Junction 20) to the north of Carlisle (Junction 44), and the A74 trunk road from the end of the M6 Motorway north of Carlisle to the Scottish Border. The route passes through a wide range of environments from the urban areas of the North West of England to the rural landscape of the Lake District. The route is 208km (129 miles) long. Most of this is of dual three-lane motorway standard.

Problems Identified

• Problems identified along the route include:
• Accident clusters at particular locations
• High severity of accidents at some locations
• Regular congestion at certain locations
• Congestion due to delays in clearing incidents
• Poor lane discipline on the approach to some junctions
• Low standard of some motorway slip roads
• Difficult access at certain junctions in peak hours

Detailed map of "Actions Between Junctions" and "Junction Actions" (660KB PDF)

Route Wide Actions

The following actions are recommended for the whole length of the route:

Safety

• Undertake safety and accident investigations and implement remedial measures if necessary.
• Consider the provision of safety fencing where necessary.
• Review standards of motorway service areas, parking provision and misuse of accesses by local traffic.
• Carry out a study into the need for improved provision of emergency telephones and the effect of discontinuities in the hard shoulder.
• Introduce Incident Support Units.

Economy

• Improve journey time reliability.
• In partnership with relevant stakeholders, develop and implement land use and development guidelines to encourage sustainable development at appropriate locations.
• Review of strategic signing to ports and airports, to towns and cities and major interchanges.

Environment

• Use low-noise surfacing materials for all new resurfacing works.
• Implementation of the Route Landscape & Biodiversity Action Plan.

Integration

• Investigate the potential for improved car sharing and/or park and ride facilities along the route and the need for relevant driver information.

Accessibility

• Improve pedestrian, cyclist and equestrian crossing facilities at the appropriate locations.

Route Functions

The functions of the route have been classified as follows:

National

• The route is part of the Trans-European network.
• It provides a major transport link through the North West of England, to Wales, Scotland, Ireland, the rest of England and to mainland Europe.
• It helps to provide a transport link from the Irish Sea ports, East Coast ports, inland waterways and airports in the North West of England to other major routes.
• It is a major part of the national motorway network.
• It provides a link to important inter-regional east-west road and transport corridors (A75/A69, A66, M62, M56)
• It is an integral part of the main north-south transport spine in the North West of England alongside the West Coast Main Line.

Regional

• It is a principal road link between the North West conurbations and national parks, recreational and rural areas.
• It provides a major transport link between regional centres of population, education and major regional employment
• It is of vital importance to the economic performance of the North West region.
• It provides an all-weather road crossing over major waterways (Mersey, Ribble, Lune, Eden, Esk and the Manchester Ship Canal) and the Cumbrian Fells.
• It is an important link to regional east-west corridors such as the M55, M65, A580 and M58.

Local

• The route provides a bypass around urban areas.
• It provides local accesses for employment, emergency services, health, education, social, retail and leisure purposes and passenger transport.
• It should act as a future public transport corridor.
• provides access to inter-modal facilities, such as park and ride schemes, freight terminals and coach interchanges.

Route Objectives

Route objectives have been derived for each of the Government's five investment criteria for transport as follows:

Environment

To minimise the impact of the trunk road network on both the natural and built environment.

Safety

To improve safety for all road users and contribute to the Government's new safety strategy and targets for 2010.

Economy

To take action to reduce congestion and increase the reliability of journey times. To give priority to the maintenance of trunk roads and bridges with the broad objective of minimising whole costs.

Accessibility

To implement traffic management, network control and other measures aimed at at making best use of the existing infrastructure, to facilitate integration with other transport modes and to improve facilities fornon-motorised users.

Integration

To contribute to sustainable development by maintaining, operating and improving the trunk road network in support of the Government's integrated transport and land use planning policies.

Public Consultation

The Public Consultation phase of the M6 RMS took place from 6th May 2003 until 31st July 2003.

There were 13 exhibitions at 11 different venues with 747 visitors in total. 103 questionnaires and 24 letters were received.

The majority of respondents agreed that the main problems had been identified and 80% of those who submitted a questionnaire were in favour of the RMS. Safety, congestion and development control issues on the route were identified as being of the greatest concern. Several comments were also received about the environmental and park and ride/park and share issues.

What Happens Next?

The implementation of the 10-Year Route Management Plan has already begun. Some actions contained within the strategy are currently underway.

The 3-Year Route Action Plan will be reviewed annually to take account of progress and any changes to the Regional Transport Strategy. The 10-Year Route Management Plan will be re-assessed every three years.

Specific improvement schemes identified in the RMS over the next few years will be developed. There will be further opportunities for users of the route to influence the detail of these proposals in due course.

Where is Additional Information Available?

Additional information about the Highways Agency's plans for managing the M6 is included in the M6 RMS Final Strategy Document.

For general information about the Highways Agency, please visit the website or contact the Highways Agency Information Line: 08457 50 40 30

If you have any further questions or comments, please contact

By post:

Dave Clark,
Network Manager,
Network Strategy North West,
Highways Agency,
Room 908,
Sunley Tower,
Piccadilly Plaza,
Manchester M1 4BE.

By phone: 0161 930 5695

By Fax: 0161 930 5638

E-mail: Dave.Clark@highways.gsi.gov.uk