Highways Agency

50 years of Motorways: special birthday celebrated with opening of £174 million M6 extension

DEPARTMENT FOR TRANSPORT News Release (191) issued by COI News Distribution Service. 5 December 2008

Priority: High

British motorways turned 50 in style today as Transport Minister Andrew Adonis looked to the future by opening the newest stretch of motorway - bridging the 'missing link' between London and Glasgow.

British motorways turned 50 in style today as Transport Minister Andrew Adonis looked to the future by opening the newest stretch of motorway - bridging the 'missing link' between London and Glasgow.

Half a century to the day after the nation's first motorway standard road - the Preston Bypass - was opened by then Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, the Highways Agency's £174 million M6 Extension from north of Carlisle to the Scottish Border was today being officially opened to motorists.

Andrew Adonis said:
"I am delighted to mark the 50th birthday of motorways in the UK by opening this vital section of new motorway which completes the motorway link between London and Glasgow.

"In half a century motorways have become the backbone of the UK's road network. They are the lifelines of the country, making an invaluable contribution to our business and economic needs and they help keep friends and family connected. That is why we are investing in a safe, reliable and sustainable motorway network for the 21st Century - expanding the network where necessary and making smarter use of the motorways by opening the hard shoulder to traffic to cut congestion.

"It is a fitting tribute to the pioneers whose foresight began the motorway era exactly 50 years ago that the very same motorway is today being extended between Carlisle and Guards Mill. This will ease a notorious bottleneck and improve safety."

Graham Dalton, Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, which is responsible for England's major A roads and motorways, said:

"On the 50th anniversary of the motorway, I'm delighted to be able to commend my team from the Highways Agency and our contractors who have delivered the M6 Extension scheme to budget and on time.

"And we're giving everyone a safer and more reliable journey, whether they are long-distance or local road users."

The new 5.8 mile section M6 Extension has been upgraded from the old A74 dual carriageway between Carlisle and Guards Mill providing safer and less congested journeys for long-distance traffic between the North West of England and Scotland.

Engineers faced several major challenges including building a new bridge to take the motorway over the River Esk and building a new Mossband Viaduct over the West Coast railway line. Demolition of the old Mossband Viaduct will continue until Christmas, when the section directly over the West Coast main railway line is due to be demolished.

In line with the Highways Agency's commitment to protect the environment, great care has been taken to protect animals and the landscape. Lizards and snakes have been relocated while badger setts have been protected from disturbance by the work. Construction of the new Esk bridge was carried out to ensure there was no river pollution.
Andrew Adonis later visited Preston, Lancashire, where a plaque - commissioned by the Institution of Highways and Transportation, the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and Lancashire County Council - was being unveiled close to the site of the original Preston Bypass to commemorate the motorway's 50th birthday.

Notes to Editors:
1. The Highways Agency is an executive agency of the Department for Transport. It manages, maintain and improves England's motorways and major A roads on behalf of the Secretary of State.

2. The scheme is part of the Trans European Network - Ten-T and is part funded by the European Union.

3. The work started in July 2006 with the official opening of the M6 Extension on 5 December 2008 and completion of the contract with the landscape planting and demolition of the old Mossband viaduct due by March 2009.

4. The scheme has seen the upgrading of the existing A74 to a three-lane motorway between Junction 44 of the M6 and the start of the A74(M) at Guards Mill. This section, between long lengths of motorway to the north and south, is known locally as the 'Cumberland Gap' or 'missing link' in the motorway network. It was a bottleneck and the scene of major accidents, occasionally leading to diversions and considerable delay on this vital and very busy route.

5. The upgrade of this section to motorway standard will bring considerable road safety and travel time benefits. The scheme includes a new all purpose road being built alongside the new motorway to cater for non-motorway traffic, making local journeys and local community access considerably easier and safer. Safety will be improved with no farm vehicles, local buses, walkers or cyclists having to mix with high speed longer distance traffic.

6. Demolition of the old Mossband Viaduct will continue until Christmas when the section directly over the West Coast main railway line will take place. The Highways Agency and its contractor, Carillion, have been working closely with Network Rail to minimise disruption to rail travellers.

7. Andrew Adonis later visited Preston, Lancashire, where a plaque - commissioned by the Institution of Highways and Transportation, the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and Lancashire County Council - was being unveiled close to the site of the original Preston Bypass (which later became the M6) to commemorate the motorway's 50th birthday.

8. The plaque is in tribute to Sir James Drake CBE (1907-1989), County Surveyor and Bridgemaster of Lancashire, who was a pioneer in the development of the national motorway network.

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