M60
Manchester Outer Ring Road
M60 highlighted in blue
Looking south at Cutler Hill nearFailsworth, 2007
Route information
Part ofE20 andE22
Maintained byNational Highways
Length	36.1 mi (58.1 km) 7 miles (11 km) are concurrent with theM62 motorway
Existed	1998–present
History	Opened: 1960 (asM62), 1971 (Middleton Link), 1974 (asM63) Renumbered: 1998 Completed: 2000
Major junctions
Orbital aroundManchester
Anti-clockwise end	Stockport
Major intersections	J4 →M56 motorway / J12 →M62 motorway/M602 motorway J15 →M61 motorway / J18 →M62 motorway/M66 motorway J24 →M67 motorway
Clockwise end	Bredbury &Stockport
Location
Country	United Kingdom
Counties	Greater Manchester
Primary destinations	Manchester,Stockport,Trafford Park,Ashton-under-Lyne,Oldham
Road network
Roads in the United Kingdom Motorways A and B road zones
←M58 →M61

TheM60 motorway,Manchester Ring Motorway orManchester Outer Ring Road is anorbitalmotorway inNorth West England. Built over a 40-year period, it passes through all ofGreater Manchester'smetropolitan boroughs except forWigan andBolton. Most ofManchester is encompassed within the motorway, except for the southernmost part of the city (Wythenshawe andManchester Airport) which is served by theM56.

The M60 is 36.1 miles (58.1 km) long and was renamed the M60 in 1998, with parts of theM62,M66 and all of theM63 being amalgamated into the new route, and the circle completed in 2000.^[1] The road forms part of the unsignedEuroroutesE20 andE22 from junctions 12 to 18.

In 2008, the M60 was proposed as a cordon forcongestion charging in Greater Manchester, although this was rejected in a referendum relating to theGreater Manchester Transport Innovation Fund.

The M60 was developed by connecting and consolidating the existing motorway sections of theM63,M62, and an extendedM66. It came into existence as the M60 in 1998, followed by the completion of the eastern side (junctions 19–23) opening in October 2000.^[2]

The original plan called for a completely new motorway, but policy change led to the plan which created the current motorway. As soon as it opened, the motorway came close to its projected maximum volume on significant sections.

It is an orbital motorway, and in 2004, a section of the northern M60 was the UK's busiest stretch of road, with an average of 181,000 vehicles per day using the stretch between junctions 16 and 17. Usually, the western side of theM25 motorway holds that distinction, but the M25's figures at the time were lower than normal due to roadworks starting.^[3]

In 2006,^[4] the section between junctions 5 and 6 was widened from three to four lanes each way and the section between junctions 6 and 8 was widened from two to three lanes each way with an additional two-lanecollector/distributor road on either side of the main carriageways. Access for junctions 6 to 8 is only from the collector/distributor road. Some of the junctions were extensively re-modelled. As part of the project, theA6144(M) motorway, which connected to the M60 at junction 8, was downgraded and lost its motorway status.

TheGreater Manchester congestion charge which would have affected drivers only during peak times coming off the M60 towards Manchester was rejected by a referendum on 12 December 2008.

Work to upgrade two sections of the M60 to amanaged motorway system had been planned to commence in 2013. This would have included a new lane from junction 12 to 15 and a new lane from junction 8 to 12 near theTrafford Centre.^[5][6] Both these projects were subsequently cancelled in favour of a new project that includes speed cameras on this section but no additional lane or hard-shoulder running. An 'environmental assessment' was cited as the reason an additional lane was not provided. A combined approach was initiated in 2014, comprising managed motorway system and lane gain scheme. Work commenced in July 2014, and the full stretch of smart motorway became fully operational on 31 July 2018.^[7]

There are nomotorway service areas on the M60. The closest service area is atBirch Services on the M62 heading eastwards.

Eachmotorway in England requires that astatutory 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 statutory instruments relating to the route of the M60.

• Statutory Instrument 1988 No. 1708: M66 Motorway (Manchester Ring Road, Denton to Middleton Section) and Connecting Roads Scheme 1988S.I. 1988/1708
• Statutory Instrument 1988 No. 1728: M66 Motorway (Middleton to the Lancashire/Yorkshire Motorway (M62) Section) and Connecting Roads Scheme 1988S.I. 1988/1728
• Statutory Instrument 1993 No. 363: M66 Motorway (Manchester Outer Ring Road, Denton to Middleton Section) A663 Broadway All-Purpose Connecting Road Order 1993S.I. 1993/363
• Statutory Instrument 1993 No. 364: M66 Motorway (Manchester Outer Ring Road, Denton to Middleton Section) and Connecting Roads Scheme 1988 Amendment Scheme 1993S.I. 1993/364
• Statutory Instrument 1999 No. 2724: The M60 Motorway (Improvement Between Junctions 5 and 8) Connecting Roads Scheme 1999S.I. 1999/2724
• Statutory Instrument 2002 No. 2403: The M60 Motorway (Junction 25) (Speed Limit) Regulations 2002S.I. 2002/2403

The junctions on the M60 are very closely spaced together, with an average distance of 1.3 miles (2.1 km) between junctions. The recommended junction spacing for motorways is every 10 to 12 miles (16 to 19 km).^{[citation needed]} By comparison, theM6 motorway has an average distance of 5.3 miles (8.5 km) between junctions.

The entire length of the M60 lies within the ceremonial county of Greater Manchester.

Location	mi	km	Junction	Destinations	Notes
Stockport	0	0	1[coord 1]	A5145 -Stockport
Cheadle	1.5	2.4	2[coord 2]	A560 -Cheadle	No Eastbound entrance or Westbound exit
			3[coord 3]	A34 -Cheadle,Wilmslow	No exits going Northbound or entrances from North
Gatley			4[coord 4]	M56 -Chester,Warrington,Manchester Airport	No exit Eastbound or entrance Westbound
Wythenshawe	4.5	7.3	5[coord 5]	A5103 -Central Manchester,Didsbury,Chester,Warrington,Manchester Airport	No exits North or entrances from South going East No exits South or entrances from North going West
Sale	6.0	9.7	6[coord 6]	A6144 -Sale
	6.8	10.9	7[coord 7]	A56 -Central Manchester,Stretford,Altrincham
	7.5	12.0	8[coord 8]	A6144 -Carrington
Urmston	9.3	15.0	9[coord 9]	A6144 -Trafford Park,Trafford Centre B5158 -Urmston
	10.3	16.5	10[coord 10]	B5158 -Trafford Park,Urmston
Eccles	11.4	18.4	11[coord 11]	A57 -Eccles,Irlam
	12.2	19.7	12[coord 12]	M62 -Liverpool,Warrington M602 -Central Manchester,Salford
Worsley	13.0	21.0	13[coord 13]	A572 -Swinton A575 -Worsley, LeighA580
	14.1	22.7	14[coord 14]	A580 -St. Helens,Leigh	Northbound entrance from East and Southbound exit going West only
			15[coord 15]	M61 -Preston,Wigan,Bolton
Clifton	16.3	26.2	16[coord 16]	A666 -Salford,Kearsley	No entrance Eastbound or exit Westbound
Whitefield	18.5	29.7	17[coord 17]	A56 -Central Manchester,Prestwich,Whitefield
	19.8	31.8	18[coord 18]	(Simister Island) M62 -Leeds,Huddersfield M66 -Bury,Burnley,Blackburn
Middleton	21.0	33.8	19[coord 19]	A576 -Central Manchester,Middleton
	22.6	36.4	20[coord 20]	A664 -Middleton,Blackley	No Westbound exit or Eastbound entrance
Whitegate	24.7	39.8	21[coord 21]	A663 -Central Manchester,Rochdale,Chadderton
Failsworth	26.3	42.3	22[coord 22]	A62 -Central Manchester,Oldham	No entrance North-Eastbound
Ashton under Lyne	28.6	46.0	23[coord 23]	A635 -Ashton under Lyne A6140 -Ashton under Lyne
Denton	30.6	49.3	24[coord 24]	M67 - Hyde, Sheffield A57 -Central Manchester,Denton
Stockport			25[coord 25]	A560 -Bredbury	no entrances to M60 South-Westbound
			26[coord 26]	A560 -Stockport	No entrances or exits going East No exits to A560 going east or exits from A560 going west
			27[coord 27]	A560 -Stockport	No South-Westbound exit or North-Eastbound entrance
	36.1	58.1	Motorway continues to junction 1
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Incomplete access

Coordinate list

M60 motorway junctions
mile	km	Anti-clockwise exits (B Carriageway)	Junction	Clockwise exits (A Carriageway)
0.0	0.0	Stockport (West & Centre)A5145	J1	Stockport (West)A5145
1.5	2.4	CheadleA560	J2	No access (on-slip only)
		Cheadle,WilmslowA34	J3	Cheadle,WilmslowA34
		No access (on-slip only)	J4	Chester,Warrington,Manchester,Birmingham(M6)M56
4.5	7.3	Chester,Manchester,Birmingham(M6)A5103(M56)	J5	Manchester (C),DidsburyA5103
6.0	9.7	SaleA6144	J6	SaleA6144
6.8	10.9	Manchester (C),Stretford,AltrinchamA56	J7	Altrincham,Manchester (C),StretfordA56
7.5	12.0	End ofvariable speed limit	J8	CarringtonA6144
		CarringtonA6144		Start ofvariable speed limit
9.3	15.0	Trafford Park,Trafford CentreA5081	J9	UrmstonB5158,Trafford ParkA5081
10.3	16.5	Trafford Park,UrmstonB5214	J10	Trafford ParkB5214
11.4	18.4	Eccles,IrlamA57	J11	Irlam,EcclesA57
12.2	19.7	Manchester (C),SalfordM602 (M6),LiverpoolM62	J12	Liverpool,WarringtonM62 Manchester (C),SalfordM602
13.0	21.0	SwintonA572,WorsleyA575	J13	Worsley,LeighA575,SwintonA572
14.1	22.7	St. Helens,LeighA580	J14	No access (on-slip only)
		(M6 North),Preston,Wigan,BoltonM61	J15	Preston,Wigan,BoltonM61
16.3	26.2	Salford,KearsleyA666	J16	No access (on-slip only)
18.5	29.7	Manchester City Centre,Prestwich,WhitefieldA56	J17	Whitefield,PrestwichA56
19.8	31.8	Start ofvariable speed limit	J18 TOTSO	Burnley,BuryM66 Leeds,HuddersfieldM62
		LeedsM62 Bury,Burnley,BlackburnM66		End ofvariable speed limit
21.0	33.8	MiddletonA576	J19	Manchester City Centre,MiddletonA576
22.6	36.4	No access (on-slip only)	J20	Middleton,BlackleyA664
24.7	39.8	Rochdale,(A627(M)),Chadderton(A663)	J21	Manchester City Centre,Chadderton(A663)
26.3	42.3	Manchester City Centre,OldhamA62	J22	OldhamA62
28.6	46.0	Ashton-under-LyneA6140	J23	Ashton-under-LyneA635
30.6	49.3	Manchester City Centre,DentonA57,Hyde,Sheffield(M67)	J24	DentonA57,Hyde,Sheffield(M67) Manchester City CentreA57
		BredburyA560	J25	BredburyA560
		No access	J26	Stockport (E&C)A560
		Stockport (East)A560	J27	No access (on-slip only)
36.1	58.1	Motorway continues to J1
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Incomplete access

Data fromdriver location signs is used to provide distance and carriageway identifier information.^[8]

• On 27 May 2021 a car being chased byGreater Manchester Police deliberately drove the wrong direction on the motorway, colliding head-on with another car. Both drivers died. The accident triggered an investigation by theIndependent Office of Police Conduct.^[9]

• List of motorways in the United Kingdom

Wikimedia Commons has media related toM60 motorway (England).

• Highways Agency - M60 Jct 5 to 8 (formerly M63 Jct 6 to 9) widening
• Guide to the M60 Smart Motorway Construction

• Hyde, M., O'Rourke, A. and Portland, P.Around the M60: Manchester's Orbital Motorway. Altrincham: AMCD Publishers, 2004.

• Motorways in England
• Ring roads in the United Kingdom
• Roads in Greater Manchester

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