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The North Cheshire East-West Motorway M56

Introduction
The need for a high standard modern road south of the River Mersey between the Merseyside and Manchester Conurbations was foreseen many years ago. Such a road was included in the Chapman Plan for Cheshire published in 1947, and the County Development Plan of 1958 defined a line agreed between the County Council and the Ministry Transport.

At its eastern end the proposed road was to be an extension of Princess Parkway, in the City of Manchester, and was included in the proposals of the South East Lancashire and North East Cheshire Conurbation (SELNEC) Authorities published in 1962. It would be part of the local motorway system and complementary to the network of national motorways of which the M6 is the principal north-south route west of the Pennines.

The main functions of the proposed road were to:-

1. Provide an improved means of communication between North Wales and the Wirral part of the Merseyside Connurbation, and the Manchester Conurbation.

2. Cater for the development of industry in North Cheshire.

3. Connect both conurbations to the M6.

The County Council was of the view that it should be independent of the existing road system and grade separated throughout.

In November, 1963, the Minister of Transport announced the inclusion of the Extension of Princes Parkway through to Bowdon in the Trunk Road Programme for 1967-1968. In the following year the Helsby-Frodsham By-pass Section at the western end of the route was also included in this programme, but a date was not specified.

The early work on route location and preliminary design was carried out by the County Council, and was fully described in 'The Blue Report' dated January 1965.

In locating a line of the proposed road, the following main issues were considered:-

1. Between Hapsford and Preston Brook, the alternatives of, a) a 'Marsh' crossing through deep peat deposits and, b) a 'Hill' route across attractive countryside necessitating steep gradients and rock excavation

2. The crossing of the River Weaver, and the Weaver navigation

3. The effect on the development of Runcorn New Town

4. The need for a connection to the Runcorn-Widnes Bridge

5. The interchange with the M6

6. The future connection to the proposed Sale By-pass

7. The provision of a link to Manchester Airport

In April 1967, the scheme became the responsibility of the North West Road Construction Unit, with the Cheshire Sub-Unit undertaking the design and supervision of construction.

A traffic study, undertaken by the County Council, had shown that, within four years, the A56 through Helsby and Frodsham would be carrying more than three times its capacity. Over 30% of the daily traffic flow between Hapsford and Daresbury consisted of medium and heavy goods vehicles.

There was strong support from local action groups for immediate progress being made on the scheme, On one occasion, the car in which the then Prime Minister, Sir Alec Douglas Home, was travelling on the A56, was stopped in Helsby. Irate residents demanded the early construction of a By-pass of Helsby and Frodsham.

The sketch plan below shows the sections described in the summaries of the M56, related to their current junction numbers.

Key Dates

The North Cheshire East-West Motorway M56
Statistics

Section	Construction started	Opened to traffic
Hapsford to Stoak	March 1978	March 1981
Stoak to A5117	September 1978	March 1981
Hapsford to Preston Brook - Advanced works	May 1968	December 1970
Weaver Viaduct	?	September 1970
Hapsford to Preston Brook - Main works	December 1968	February & September 1971
Preston Brook to M6	October 1972	July 1975
M6 to Bowdon	October 1972	December 1974
Bowdon to Wythenshawe	July 1969	January 1972

Archive Information

Vol 5. M56 Junction 3 Wytheshawe, Manchester

to Junction 16, Lea-by-Backford

The full archive information for this scheme is stored at the Cheshire CC Record Office. Click to see details of this record office, then delete the popup page to return.

Its Accession Number is 06115, ands its Class Reference is D6115.

1	Design
	1.1	Design philosophy by A.Rigby and N.D.Smith
	1.2	The North Cheshire East West Motorway Report Volume I Jan 1965
	1.3	The North Cheshire East West Motorway Report Volume II ( Plan Folio )
	1.4	Note by H Mansley
	1.5	Itinerary for Landscape Advisory Committee site visit
	1.6	Landscape Photographs Princess Parkway Extension
	1.7	Landscape Photographs Helsby Frodsham By-Pass Section
	1.8	Preliminary Report, Improvement West of Hapsford. November 1968
	1.9	Preston Brook to Bowdon. Firm Programme Report. October 1969
	1.10	Landscape Advisory Committee visit Preston Brook to Bowdon. January 1969
	1.11	Landscape Advisory Committee visit West of Hapsford. January 1967
	1.12	Inspectors Report Preston Brook to Bowdon. July 1970
	1.13	Prelrmmary Report, West of Hapsford. August 1971
	1.14	Landscape Advisory Committee visit West of Hapsford. April 1972
	1.15	Firm Programme Report. West of Hapsford. June 1973
	1.16	Part 1 Inspectors Report. Hapsford to Lea by Backford. August 1974
	1.17	Part 2 Inspectors Report. Hapsford to Lea by Backford. August 1974
	1.18	Wythenshawe-Bowdon Side Roads Order 1968
	1.19	M56 Centre Section Side Road Order. September 1971
	1.20	West of Hapsford Side Road Orders (Draft)
2	Construction
	2.1	Junction 3 Wythenshawe to Junction 9 Bowdon
		2.1.1	Booklet by Ministry of Transport "North Cheshire Motorway M56 Hapsford to Wythenshawe"
		2.1.2	6 No 1/2500 plans of the motorway
		2.1.3	Construction Commentary by D.B.Coates, Section Engineer
		2.1.4	List of Resident Engineers Staff
		2.1.5	Notes by M.A.Selfe, Resident Engineer
		2.1.6	Letter to M.A. Selfe with delegation Powers. 31 July 1969
		2.1.7	Letter to Residents re late night working
		2.1.8	Report on " Unstable Formation. Ashley Railway Bridge - Cow Lane"
		2.1.9	Letter from schoolchildren.
		2.1.10	Newspaper cutting. Guardian 16/12/1971
		2.1.11	Newspaper cutting. Daily Mirror 4/1/1972
		2.1.12	Newspaper cutting. Manchester Evening News 4/1/1972
		2.1.13	Newspaper cutting. Daily Mail 4/1/1972
		2.1.14	Newspaper cutting. Contract Journal 6/1/1972
		2.1.15	Paper on site testing by J.H.Bungey former member of the site staff
		2.1.16	42 Black and White Photographs during construction
	2.2	Junction 7, Bowdon to Junction 8 M6
		2.2.1	Department of the Environment Brochure M56 Preston Brook to Bowdon
		2.2.2	Site Plan
		2.2.3	Construction Commentary by M.J.Lloyd Chief Resident Engineer
		2.2.4	Construction Commentary and cv of J.Reynolds, Contracts Manager
		2.2.5	Introduction to the Countryside of the North Cheshire Motorway M56, Centre Section. Unknown Author
		2.2.6	Design and Construction details of both the M56 Junctions 7-8 and 8-11. Draft for Brochure?
		2.2.7	Proposed Resident Engineers staff establishment - M56 Centre Section.
		2.2.8	Resident Engineers Staff Working Hours. C.R.E.Notice 1/72
		2.2.9	County Surveyors Dept. Appointment of Resident Engineer
		2.2.10	County Surveyors Dept. Appointment of Section Engineer
		2.2.11	Agenda for Progress Meeting No 11 on 29th November 1973
		2.2.12	Names and Addresses of Resident Engineers staff
		2.2.13	Commentary Notes used for visit of members of a Professional Institution
		2.2.14	Memorial Service for the completion of bridge
		2.2.15	10 No Black and White Aerial photographs taken before work commenced
		2.2.16	10 No Black and White Aerial Photographs taken during construction
	2.3	Junction 8, M6 to Junction 11, Preston Brook
		2.3.1	Site Map
		2.3.2	Opening Brochure North Cheshire Preston Brook to Bowdon. July 16th 1975
		2.3.3	Construction Report by B.V.Tinsley,Resident Engineer
		2.3.4	Hand-written notes by B.J.Robinson on the design details for the drainage on embankments
		2.3.5	List of R.E. staff and plan of R.E.offices
		2.3.6	Staff notice 7/73
		2.3.7	Staff names and addresses
		2.3.8	Summary of principal correspondence prior to Public Inquiry. July 1970
		2.3.9	Report by N.Duncan Consulting Engineer
		2.3.10	Observations on the interim assessment of the use of unweathered Keuper Waterstone by B J Robinson 29th 1973
		2.3.11	Engineers Commentary of Marples Ridgway 4 Vol Claim. March 1978
		2.3.12	Engineers Commentary of the Financial Aspects of the Marples Ridgway Claim. March 1978
		2.3.13	Special Appraisal of the Contract. June 1978
		2.3.14	3 no Black and white Aerial Photographs
	2.4	Junction 11 Preston Brook to Junction 14 Hapsford including Advance Contracts
		2.4.1	Plan of Motorway from Preston Brook to Hapsford
		2.4.2	Booklet by Ministry of Transport North Cheshire Motorway M56 Hapsford to Wythenshawe
		2.4.3	Advance Preparation Contract Pre Tender discussions
		2.4.4	Ministry of Transport Cheshire Subunit, details of Advance and Main Contracts
		2.4.5	North Cheshire Motorway M56, Contract Works, Details of Contracts
		2.4.6	Construction Report of Advance Contract M 56/1 by M.J.Lloyd, Resident Engineer
		2.4.7	Construction Report of Main Contract M 56/5 by M.J.Lloyd, Resident Engineer
		2.4.8	Newspaper cutting. Construction News 2/10/1969
		2.4.9	Newspaper cutting. The Guardian ( Chester) Feb 1971
		2.4.10	Newspaper cutting. The Chronicle ( Chester) July 1971
		2.4.11	Newspaper cutting. The Guardian ( Chester) 1971.
		2.4.12	Newspaper photograph of Railway Bridge over Motorway near Frodsham. Advance Contract M56 /4
		2.4.13	Results of Plate Bearing Tests Bridge. 26 November 1969
		2.4.14	4 No Black and White Photographs of Railway Bridge over Motorway near Frodsham. Advance Contract M56/4
		2.4.15	180 No Coloured Slides
		2.4.16	12 No Black and White Aerial Photographs. Hapsford to the crossing of the River Weaver. April 1969
		2.4.17	Contract details of the Weaver Viaduct
		2.4.18	Letter from Dr Keith Best re Weaver Viaduct dated 26th August 1998
		2.4.19	Extracts from book "Best Endeavours" By Dr Keith Best pps 106,107,108,110, 111
		2.4.20	Letter from Dr. Keith Best dated 12th October 1998
		2.4.21	Motorway memories by John Gray, Senior Lands Officer
	2.5	Junction 14, Hapsford to Junction 15, Stoak Interchange
		2.5.1	Construction Report by M.J.Lloyd
		2.5.2	Report on Tenders
		2.5.3	Soils report
		2.5.4	Letter from the Department of Transport to Contractor dated I3th April 1978 re site staff
		2.5.5	Correspondence by Contractor relating to the opening of a quarry at Thornton- le- Moors
		2.5.6	Letter from Department of Transport to Contractor dated 30th May 1979 re Monthly Progress Meeting No 8
		2.5.7	Diagrammatic Representation of Volume of Peat excavated from the site of the Motorway
		2.5.8	Minutes of Meeting held 19th October 1981
		2.5.9	Accommodation Works Schedule
		2.5.10	Report on Progress relating to the settlement of the Final Account dated 30th November 1981
		2.5.11	Letter from Contractor to the Departments of the Environment and Transport, dated 7th January 1997, re settlement of the Final account
		2.5.12	Document for the Experimental work on Structures
		2.5.13	Experimental work on Structures. Final Account
		2.5.14	14 Coloured Photographs. March 2000
	2.6	Junction 15, Stoak Interchange
		2.6.1	Plan of Stoak Interchange
		2.6.2	Report on Tenders
		2.6.3	Accommodation Works Schedule
		2.6.4	Contract Details
		2.6.5	Construction Report by D.B.Coates. Resident Engineer
		2.6.6	8 No Coloured Aerial Photographs. 22 September I980
		2.6.7	10 No Coloured Photographs. March 1981
		2.6.8	Arbitration Documents. 4 Volumes
	2.7	2 .7 Junction 15, Stoak Interchange to Junction 16, Lea - By - Backford
		2.7.1	Construction Report by B.V.Tinsley
		2.7.2	Accommodation Works Schedule
		2.7.3	Meeting with the Concrete Advisory Unit. 21 September 1979
		2.7.4	Commentary for slides on the construction of the concrete carriageway
		2.7.5	Paper presented to N. W.ICE by Ian Rees. 26th February 1981
		2.7.6	Newspaper cutting "The £500,000 Monster"
		2.7.7	Newspaper cutting 13th March 1981. The Observer (Chester)
		2.7.8	10 No Coloured Aerial Photographs. 22 September 1980
		2.7.9	36 No Black and White Construction Photographs. 1980
		2.7.10	8 No Coloured photographs prior to opening
		2.7.11	Set of Photographs of the Concrete Train and Carriageway
		2.7.12	Photograph of the opening Cavalcade
		2.7.13	Tickets for Buffet Dance to celebrate the opening of the final stages of the M56 and part of the M531 (Later the M53)