M606 motorway

The M606 is a short stretch of motorway in West Yorkshire, England. Called the Bradford Spur motorway, the M606 leaves the M62 motorway at junction 26, near Cleckheaton, and heads into Bradford, to join the A6177 Bradford Ring Road. It is officially named the "Bradford South Radial Motorway" and was opened in 1973.

M606
Route information
Maintained by Highways England
Length3 mi (5 km)
Existed1972–present
HistoryCompleted in 1973, northern terminus reconstructed in 2004
Major junctions
South endCleckheaton
 
J1 → M62 motorway
North endBradford
Road network

Configuration of the terminal junctions

Staygate

The northern end of the M606, closest to the city, was built with a large raised roundabout crossing the Bradford Ring Road, but the original plans to continue the motorway under the roundabout[1] were not carried out: access was only by slip roads to and from the roundabout.

In 1999 a new slip road was built that allowed eastward traffic on the ring road, via a mini-roundabout, to enter the motorway directly and avoid the Staygate roundabout.

In 2004 the junction was further remodelled, so that traffic leaving the motorway and wishing to turn eastward on the ring road continues under the roundabout, and round to join the roundabout from the opposite site, so that it has a left rather than a right turn to make (via two sets of traffic lights).

Staygate roundabout is very close to Odsal Stadium, the home of the rugby league club Bradford Bulls.[2]

Chain Bar
Chain Bar roundabout.
Chain Bar Roundabout from above.

The southerly junction with the M62 is known as the Chain Bar Interchange and features free-flowing sliproads from the Manchester direction M62 traffic to Bradford, but not the Leeds direction, which has to use the complexed traffic-light controlled roundabout. In late 2007 there was a 2+ lane added leading from the M606 southbound straight on to the M62 eastbound without having to stop at Chain Bar Interchange. The lane was removed in August 2017 following improvements to the roundabout.

List of junctions
M606 motorway
Southbound exits Junction Northbound exits
Leeds, Hull, Huddersfield, Manchester M62
Dewsbury A638
Halifax A58		 J1
53.736642°N 1.72642°W / 53.736642; -1.72642		 Start of motorway
Dewsbury A638
Leeds A58
Euroway Trading Estate J2 Euroway Trading Estate
Start of motorway J3 Halifax A6036
Ring Road, City Centre A6177

Britain's first dedicated motorway carpool lane

In 2007, work started on the M606 to create the UK's first motorway carpool lane (also known as high-occupancy vehicle or HOV lane). The 1-mile (1.6 km) lane scheme was on the M606 southbound and allowed vehicles with more than one person in the car a fast track onto the M62 eastbound at Junction 26. In August 2017 the lane's restriction was removed and is now open to all traffic. [3][4]

Slowest motorway

In September 2016, it was revealed that the M606 is the slowest part of the motorway network. Drivers crawl along at an average of 24.6 miles per hour (39.6 km/h).[5]

References
  1. CBRD Histories: M606
  2. "The M606 Motorway (Bradford Ring Road to M62 Chain Bar Interchange Section) and Connecting Roads Scheme 1989". UK.gov. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  3. Highways Agency Press release Archived 29 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  4. "First car-share lane to be built". BBC. 20 March 2007. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  5. "Motorway drivers average less than 30mph". The Times (72025). 26 September 2016. p. 6. ISSN 0140-0460.

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