Mancunian Way (A57M) and London Road (A6) junction reconstruction, Manchester

Abstract

The Paper outlines the justification for the remodelling of an important intersection between the A6, a radial route into Manchester, and the Mancunian Way (A57/A57M), part of the city's Inner Relief Route. It also deals with basic design considerations and describes some of the more important features of the scheme. The existing junction straddles the River Medlock which flows through the site in culvert and is surrounded by housing, commercial property and the UMIST campus. Its layout takes the form of a large four-sided roundabout incorporating a pedestrian subway system. Traffic signal control operates during peak periods. The objectives of the scheme are those common to the overall policy of improvements to the Inner Relief Route. These are the relief of traffic congestion, the reduction of city centre traffic and the provision of improved facilities for pedestrians and cyclists. The adopted solution is a grade separated junction incorporating an overpass on the Mancunian Way axis. It meets the desired objectives but only with the degree of compromise common to most major urban highway schemes.