M65 motorway

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M65 motorway
Length	30 miles 48 km
Direction	West - East
Start	Farington
Primary destinations	Preston Blackburn Burnley
End	Colne
Construction dates	1981 - 1997
Motorways joined	1 - M6 motorway 2 - M61 motorway

Looking east along the newest section.

The M65 is a motorway in Lancashire, England. It runs from just south of Preston through the major junction of the M6 and M61 motorways, east past Blackburn, Accrington and Burnley, to end at Colne.

1 History
2 Walton Summit motorway
3 Operators
4 Legislation
5 Junctions
6 See also
7 External links

[edit] History

The M65 was opened in the following sections:

Junctions 1a to 6 in 1997
Junctions 6 to 7 in 1984
Junctions 7 to 10 in 1983
Junctions 10 to 12 in 1981
Junctions 12 to 13 in 1983
Junctions 13 to 14 in 1988

The first section of the motorway was opened in 1981, connecting Burnley to Brierfield. Over the years, several extensions were made, the largest being the link from Whitebirk to the M6 and M61 motorways in 1997. This particular extension was the scene of a lengthy stand-off between construction workers and police, versus protestors often known as 'eco-warriors'.

A large section of the 1997 extension was relaid a short while after opening. The amount of road noise was so great that it prevented birds of prey (mainly owls) from foraging effectively. A new, quieter tarmac was then laid.

Originally, the M65 was planned to go via the town centre of Blackburn, but local council opposition effectively killed this plan off. It was cancelled by the Thatcher government in 1980, and not re-entered into the roads programme until the 1990s. There were six planned routes, four of which avoided the town centre completely. In the end the only route to go around the south of the town was selected.

[edit] Walton Summit motorway

The Walton Summit motorway is an unofficial name given to a slip road connecting the roundabout linking Junction 9 of the M61 and Junction 2 of the M65, to the south-east of Preston. It is a single carriageway road, with two lanes towards the junction (uphill), and one away (downhill). It is around 500 m long.

The road is officially classified as a 'special link road to connect the [M65/M61 roundabout] with the all-purpose road known as Tramway Lane'. [1]. However, the road has no other named designation to state whether it is a part of the M61 or M65. As signage claims it is actually part of both, it is difficult to ascertain what the true designation is.

There are many roads in the United Kingdom that are classified and numbered by local authorities, but not mentioned on street signs or maps. All sides agree that the name Walton Summit is not an official name of the road, but it does not appear to have been given an official Motorway or A-road number. The road replaced an A-road spur of the A6 which was built in the 1980s, due to the M65 being built on top of the original spur.

[edit] Operators

The M65 is one of the few motorways in England that is not operated and maintained exclusively by the Highways Agency (the British Government body responsible for the motorways and main trunk roads in England).

The Highways Agency is only responsible for the section from Junction 1a at Farington to Junction 10 at Burnley.

The section from Junction 10, Burnley, to the M65's eastern terminus at Junction 14, Colne, is operated and maintained by Lancashire County Council.

[edit] Legislation

Each motorway in England requires that a Statutory Instrument be published, detailing the route of the road, before it can be built. The dates given on these Statutory Instruments relate to when the document was published, and not when the road was built. Provided below is an incomplete list of the Statutory Instruments relating to the route of the M65.

Statutory Instrument 1991 No. 722: The M65 Motorway (Bamber Bridge to Whitebirk Section, Blackburn Southern Bypass) and Connecting Roads Scheme 1991. S.I. 1991/722
Statutory Instrument 1992 No. 2651: The M65 Motorway (Bamber Bridge to Whitebirk Section, Blackburn Southern Bypass) and Connecting Roads Scheme 1991 Variation Scheme 1992. S.I. 1992/2651

[edit] Junctions

Between junctions 7 & 8.

M65 Motorway
Eastbound exits	Junction	Westbound exits
Skipton, Keighley Nelson, Colne A6068	J14 Terminus	Start of motorway
Nelson, Kendal A682	J13	Nelson A682
Nelson, Brierfield A682	J12	Brierfield A682
No exit	J11	Burnley, Nelson (A682)
Burnley (Central), Padiham A671	J10	Burnley (Central), Padiham A671
Burnley (West) A679	J9	No exit
Bury, Manchester A56 Clitheroe A6068	J8	Bury, Manchester A56 Clitheroe A6068
Accrington, Clitheroe A6185	J7	Accrington A6185
Blackburn (North & East) A678	J6	Blackburn (North & East) A678
Haslingden, Shadsworth A6177	J5	Haslingden, Shadsworth A6177
Blackburn (South), Bolton, Darwen A666 Blackburn with Darwen services	J4	Blackburn (South), Bolton, Darwen A666 Blackburn with Darwen services
Blackburn (West) A674 Bolton A675	J3	Blackburn (West) A674
Manchester The NORTH WEST, Lancaster M61	J2	Manchester The NORTH WEST, Lancaster M61
The SOUTH, Birmingham The NORTH WEST, Lancaster M6	J1	The SOUTH, Birmingham The NORTH WEST, Lancaster M6
Start of Motorway	J1A Terminus	Preston, Bamber Bridge A6

[edit] See also

List of motorways in the United Kingdom
Mancunian Way, another motorway with a secret number

[edit] External links

	Motorways in the United Kingdom
Great Britain: M1 • M2 • M3 • M4 • M5 • M6 • M6 Toll • M8 • M9 • M10 • M11 • M18 • M20 • M23 • M25 • M26 • M27 • M32 • M40 • M42 • M45 • M48 • M49 • M50 • M53 • M54 • M55 • M56 • M57 • M58 • M60 • M61 • M62 • M65 • M66 • M67 • M69 • M73 • M74 • M77 • M80 • M90 • M180 • M181 • M271 • M275 • M602 • M606 • M621 • M876 • M898
A1(M) • A3(M) • A38(M) • A48(M) • A57(M) • A58(M) • A64(M) • A66(M) • A74(M) • A167(M) • A194(M) • A308(M) • A329(M) • A404(M) • A601(M) • A627(M) • A823(M)

	Northern Ireland: M1 • M2 • M3 • M5 • M12 • M22 • A8(M)	edit

Past: M16 • M41 • M63 • A18(M) • A40(M) • A41(M) • A102(M) • A6144(M) Unbuilt: M12 • M13 • M15 • M31 • M64 Future: M4 Toll