M56 motorway

road in Cheshire and Greater Manchester, England

The M56, or North Cheshire Motorway, is a motorway in North West England. It links Chester with Manchester. It also links to the A55, which links drivers to North Wales. The motorway also passes Manchester Airport. The motorway also crosses the M6, linking it to Chester and Manchester. The motorway is about 33 miles (53 km) long.[1]

M56 shield
M56
North Cheshire Motorway
M56 motorway from A5117.JPG
Looking east from Junction 14
Route information
Part of E22
Maintained by Highways England
Length33.3 mi (53.6 km)
Existed1971–present
HistoryOpened: 1971
Completed: 1981
Major junctions
East endCheadle
Major intersections
J1 → M60 motorway

J9 → M6 motorway

J15 → M53 motorway
West endMollington
Location
CountryUnited Kingdom
CountiesGreater Manchester, Cheshire
Primary
destinations
Manchester
Manchester Airport
Warrington
Runcorn
Ellesmere Port
Road network
M55M57

Junctions change

M56 motorway junctions
mile km Eastbound exits (B Carriageway) Junction Westbound exits (A Carriageway)
Motorway merges onto M60 continuing towards Stockport M60 J4 Start of motorway
(Sharston Spur)
Manchester City Centre, Didsbury A34 J1 No access (on-slip only)
No access (on-slip only) J2 Altrincham, Wythenshawe A560, Liverpool (M62), Bolton (M61) (M60)
End of motorway  
Road continues as
A5103 towards Manchester
J3A Sharston, Altrincham, Baguley A560
Altrincham, Wythenshawe, Wythenshawe  , Cheadle A560 Start of motorway
(Princess Parkway Spur)
 
Manchester City Centre, (M60(N&W)), (M62(W)), (M61) (A5103) J3
(TOTSO EB)
No access (on-slip only)
7.2 11.6 No access (on-slip only) J4 Wythenshawe
End of motorway  
Wilmslow, Wythenshawe A555 (B5166), Business Park, Terminal 3
Terminal 1,
  Start of motorway
(Airport Spur)
 
Terminal 2 No access (on-slip only)
7.8 12.6 Manchester   J5 Manchester  , Quarry Bank Mill
8.9 14.3 Hale, Wilmslow, Macclesfield A538 J6 Wilmslow, Hale, Macclesfield, Manchester Airport Freight Terminal A538
Entering Greater Manchester River Bollin
River Bollin Entering Cheshire
12.4 19.9 Northwich A556, Altrincham A56 J7 Birmingham (M6(S)), Northwich A556,

Lymm A56

No access J8 No access (on-slip only)
17.6 28.3 Preston, Birmingham M6, Leeds, Manchester (N) (M62), Lymm (A50)
Lymm Truck Stop
J9
Services
Preston M6, Liverpool (M62), Warrington, Lymm (A50)
Lymm Truck Stop
20.8 33.4 Warrington, Northwich A49 J10 Northwich, Warrington A49
23.8 38.3 Runcorn (East), Warrington A56 J11 Preston Brook, Daresbury A56
A533 J11A A533
26.8 43.1 Liverpool  , Runcorn, Widnes A557 J12 Liverpool  , Frodsham, Runcorn, Widnes A557
Weaver Viaduct
31.9 51.4 Stanlow, Helsby A5117
Chester services
J14
Services
Helsby, Stanlow, Chester Zoo A5117
Chester services
34.5 55.6 No access (on-slip only) J15 Chester, Wrexham M53
No access (on-slip only) Ellesmere Port, Birkenhead M53
Start of motorway   J16 End of motorway  
Road continues as
A494 towards North Wales
Ellesmere Port A5117, Whitchurch (A41)
Non-motorway traffic
Hoylake, Chester A540, Birkenhead (A550)
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi


References change

  1. "Motorway Database » M56". CBRD. Retrieved 1 January 2012.