M6 Timeline

The Preston Bypass opened as Britain's first motorway on 5th December 1958, it ran off the A6 just north of Fulwood round the east of Preston to a junction with the A59, before turning slightly westward to rejoin the A6 near to the A49 junction near Bamber Bridge. What of other parts of the M6?

1st April 1960 the Lancaster Bypass opened as the second part of the M6, leaving the A6 just north of Carnforth going south to a junction with the A683, then continuing east of Lancaster to rejoin the A6 at Hampson Green. The Lancaster and Preston Bypasses where originally two lane with the provision to make a 3rd lane out of a very wide central reservation, the rest of the M6 opened as a 3 lane motorway.

4th August 1962 the Stafford Bypass opened, this must have seemed very unusual as the A6 went no where near Stafford whilst the other parts of theM6 where about 80 miles north. It left the A513 near to its junction to the A34, went west of Stafford then joined the A34 just south of Stafford.

5th November 1962 the Newcastle under Lyme/Stoke on Trent Bypass, again another piece of the M6 that had little to do with the A6 it started from a new road the A500 near Audley going west of Newcastle to join the A519 near Hanchurch.

2nd July 1963 saw the extending of the Preston Bypass to Warrington going south past Wigan and finishing at the A57 just east of Warrington.

3rd November 1963 saw the above from Warrington joined with the Newcastle Bypass at Audley including the massive Thelwall Viaduct, thus from the original start of the M6 at Fulwood the motorway now extended about 80 miles to Stafford.

1st January 1965 saw the joining of the two oldest sections of the M6 as the southern end of the Lancaster Bypass was joined with the northern end of the Preston Bypass, this section of road included a non skid surface, new designs of bridges and the unusual Forton Services

2nd March 1966 the M6 head south from the southern end of the Stafford bypass to finish at the A462 just south of Cannock, this piece of new motorway was significant as it crossed the A5 meaning that London bound traffic now had just to negotiate the A5 between the M6 and the M1.

7th November 1968 saw a return to isolated bypasses as the Penrith Bypass opened 35 miles north of the end of the M6 at Carnforth. It left the B5305 just north of Penrith travelers from the A6 had to go 1/2 mile on an improved B5305 from the A6 to reach the M6. It continued west of Penrith to join the A6 at a temporary junction between Hackthorpe and Shap, a traveler now going between Carlisle and Birmingham had just one town to negotiate Kendal.

8th November 1968 saw the M6 head a little nearer to Birmingham with the opening of a short stretch west of Walsall to now terminate on the A34 between Walsall and Birmingham

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9th July 1970 saw a further extension into Birmingham to a temporary junction on the A453.

11th October 1970 the Penrith Bypass's isolation was ended as the gap was closed from Hackthorpe to Carnforth with the closure of the temporary junction on the A6 just north of Shap, this section on of the most scenic parts of the motorway network included the shap summit then the highest peak on a British motorway.

14th December 1970 saw a return to isolated bypasses as the Carlisle bypass opened from the A74/A7 junction just north of Carlisle to the A6 just south of Carleton.

1st February 1971 saw an isolated stretch open up north of Birmingham between the A453 at Castle Bromich and the A446 just south of Coleshill.

7th July 1971 saw the above section first extended east of Birmingham from the A446 up to the A46 just north of Coventry bypassing Coventry to the north.

8th July 1971 saw the gap closed between Penrith and Carlisle bypasses it now meant that the traveler could use the M6 from just north of Carlisle to within 2 miles of Birmingham city centre.

10th November 1971 saw the gap at Birmingham closed a little further as the eastern section was extended west from the A453 at Castle Bromich to the A38 at Gravelly Hill terminating at what has become to be known as spaghetti junction.

11th November 1971 saw the M6 reach the M1 with the opening of the section from the A46 near Coventry to the M1 near Catthorpe just north east of Rugby.

May 1972 saw the final link in the M6 chain as the tiny gap was closed just north of Birmingham between the A453 and the A38, it was now possible to travel from Carlisle to London entirely by Motorway.