Heysham to M6 link road, Lancaster

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Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   Text © Copyright January 2015, Ian Taylor; licensed for re-use under a Creative Commons Licence.
Images also under a similar Creative Commons Licence.


Location Maps

This article covers the construction of the A683 Heysham to M6 link road (Bay Gateway) between 2013 and 2016.

The 1:50000 maps below pre-date the road construction.
1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright

The road runs from the A589/A683 junction at SD457632 (SW map square) heading NE, passing over the B5321 and the West Coast Main Line.
The road continues ENE passing over the Lancaster Canal to a junction with the A6.
The road passes under Kellet Lane to a new roundabout, north of the River Lune, crossing the river to a re-modelled M6 Junction 34 (SD496642).

Click on Map link below to display a current map square, which can be zoomed and scrolled, in a selection of formats.
Click on the gridsquare reference (e.g. SD4563) to display the standard Geograph page for that 1km square.
Map link SD4664 linkMap link SD4764 linkMap link SD4864 linkMap link SD4964 link
Map link SD4563 linkMap link SD4663 link Map link SD4763 link


History

M6 opening daySkerton BridgeGreyhound Bridge
SD4964 : M6 Lancaster By-pass, opening day 1960 by Jim BartonSD4762 : Skerton Bridge by Ian TaylorSD4762 : Greyhound Bridge, Lancaster by Humphrey Bolton

The requirement for a new link road to Morecambe and Heysham was originally identified in the 1948 Road Plan for Lancashire. The M6 Lancaster bypass opened in 1960 to the east of the city. At that time there was only one road bridge (Skerton Bridge) across the River Lune at Lancaster – a significant bottleneck.
Morecambe and Heysham continued to grow. In the 1970s, construction of Heysham Power Station began. This coincided with the conversion of Greyhound Bridge from rail to road, providing a second bridge across the Lune. The Trimpell industrial site at Middleton was running down, although most of its freight traffic had been carried by rail. Ferries to Ireland and the Isle of Man continued, but all freight and most passengers were now transported by road.
The first stage of the link road (the easy bit) was not completed until 1994. This was the Heysham bypass, between the approach to Heysham Harbour (SD414603) and A589 Morecambe Road (SD457632).
At this time, it had not been decided whether the new road would pass to the north or west of Lancaster. The western route would cross the river downstream of Lancaster to reach the M6 at Junction 33 (SD496542). This would improve access to the south and west of Lancaster, in particular to the Luneside West industrial estate (which has poor access to the M6 and is now being covered with new houses). This route would be much longer, and even as a single carriageway would require more land than the dual carriageway northern route. Also, it would pass several environmentally sensitive sites. A possible shorter western route to a new M6 junction near the university was rejected.
Lancashire County Council selected the northern route in 2004, following a public consultation (which favoured the western route) and environmental assessments. This enabled the sub-standard Junction 34 to be rebuilt at the same time. Funding approval (which necessitated revised plans) and vociferous local objectors delayed the start of work until late 2013. Costain was appointed as main contractor.
SD4562 : Heysham to M6 Link Road sign by Ian Taylor
It remains to be seen whether the new road cures congestion in Lancaster, or simply leads to more traffic growth and development along its length, as new roads usually do. The residents of Torrisholme will have to put up with noise, pollution and loss of views. They may also find their travel times do not actually improve.

Before Construction

1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright


The photos are arranged from west to east.

SD4563 : Roundabout on Morecambe Road by Ian Taylor SD4663 : B5321 Torrisholme Road by Ian Taylor SD4663 : B5321 Torrisholme Road by Ian Taylor SD4663 : Torrisholme Barrow from Barley Cop Lane by Ian Taylor SD4663 : Barley Cop Lane - Lancaster by Tom Howard SD4663 : Surveying for the Heysham-M6 link road by Ian Taylor SD4663 : Hay Time - Lancaster by Tom Howard
Morecambe Road ("McDonalds") roundabout to Barley Cop Lane

SD4764 : Lancaster Canal, near Beaumont by Ian Taylor SD4764 : The Lancaster Canal north of Lancaster by Bill Boaden SD4764 : Lancaster Canal, near Beaumont by Ian Taylor SD4763 : Milestone, Lancaster canal by Michael Graham SD4764 : Milestone, Lancaster Canal by Ian Taylor SD4763 : Lancaster Canal, near Beaumont by Ian Taylor SD4763 : Ducks on the Lancaster Canal by Hammerton Hall by Bill Boaden
Lancaster Canal

SD4764 : Farmland near Lancaster by David Medcalf SD4764 : Slyne Road (A6) by Ian Taylor SD4764 : Pony and trap under powerlines crossing the A6 by Anthony Parkes SD4764 : Milestone near Slyne by Maigheach-gheal SD4764 : Slyne, cattle grazing by Mike Faherty SD4764 : Slyne Road (A6) by Ian Taylor
Beaumont (A6)

SD4864 : Grazing land near Howgill Brook by Ian Taylor SD4864 : Undulating land south of Slyne by Ian Taylor SD4864 : Green Lane by Ian Taylor SD4864 : Maize crop by Ian Taylor SD4864 : Maize field by Rod SD4864 : Copse near Kellet Lane by Ian Taylor SD4864 : Kellet Lane by Ian Taylor
Green Lane and Kellet Lane

SD4964 : Halton Road by Ian Taylor SD4964 : M6 bridge over River Lune by Ian Taylor SD4964 : River Lune downstream of M6 bridge by Ian Taylor SD4964 : River Lune from M6 bridge by John Firth SD4964 : Cycle track heading east, Lune Valley by JThomas
Halton Road and River Lune

SD4964 : Cottam's Farm by Ian Taylor SD4964 : Caton Road west of the M6 by Alexander P Kapp SD4964 : Croskell's Farm by Ian Taylor SD4964 : M6 Junction 34 by Andy Farrington SD4965 : M6 at Halton by Michael Graham SD4965 : Foundry Lane Bridge over the M6 by David Dixon SD4964 : M6, Junction 34 by David Dixon SD4964 : A683 at M6 junction by Colin Pyle
M6 Junction 34

KML

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