Misplaced Pages

M65
Route information
Maintained by National Highways Lancashire County Council
Length	25.8 mi (41.5 km)
Existed	1981–present
History	Opened: 1981 Completed: 1997
Major junctions
West end	Preston South
Major intersections	J1 → M6 motorway J2 → M61 motorway
East end	Colne
Location
Country	United Kingdom
Counties	Lancashire
Primary destinations	Preston Blackburn Burnley Colne
Road network
Roads in the United Kingdom Motorways A and B road zones
← M62 → M66

The M65 is a motorway between Preston and Colne in Lancashire, England. It runs from Bamber Bridge just south of Preston, through major junctions with the M6 and M61 motorways, east past Darwen, Blackburn, Accrington, Burnley, Brierfield, Nelson and ends at Colne.

History

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

The M65 was opened in the following sections:

• Junctions 10 to 12 (Burnley to Brierfield) in 1981
• Junctions 7 to 10 (Hyndburn to Burnley) in 1983
• Junctions 12 to 13 (Brierfield to Nelson) in 1983
• Junctions 6 to 7 (Whitebirk to Accrington/Hyndburn) in 1984
• Junctions 13 to 14 (Nelson to Colne) in 1988
• Junctions 1a to 6 M6 to Whitebirk in 1997

The first section of the motorway was opened in 1981, connecting Burnley to Brierfield. Over the years, several extensions were made, the largest being the link from Whitebirk to the M6 and M61 motorways in 1997.

This extension was the scene of a standoff between construction security workers and protesters forming part of the environmental direct action movement. Protesters occupied abandoned buildings in Darwen, parts of Stanworth Woods near Feniscowles and needed to be physically removed.

Junctions 1a to 6 were opened 18 December 1997 by Jack Straw, Home Secretary and Member of Parliament (MP) for Blackburn. The opening ceremony took place on the westbound carriageway beneath junction 5 at Guide with a heavy police presence as protesters threatened to bring a halt to the proceedings.

Much of the 1997 extension was relaid shortly after it opened with a new, quieter tarmac because the amount of road noise had been so great that it prevented birds of prey (mainly owls) from foraging effectively.

Originally, the M65 was planned to go via the town centre of Blackburn.

The motorway is maintained by National Highways up to Junction 10 with Lancashire County Council taking over responsibility from this junction until the end of the motorway at Junction 14.

Features

Unusual spur road (Walton Summit Motorway)

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2008) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

When the M65 was extended, a slip road was built at Walton Summit, southeast of Preston, from the roundabout linking junction 9 of the M61 with junction 2 of the M65 to the Walton Summit industrial estate. It is a single-carriageway road, with two lanes towards the junction (uphill) and one away (downhill). It is around 600 yards long and replaced an A-road spur of the A6 that was built in the 1980s.

According to the statutory instrument that authorised its construction, the road is officially classified as a 'special link road to connect the with the all-purpose road known as Tramway Lane'. According to Lancashire County Council, it is the 'M61 Link Tramway Lane to Junction 9' and is part of the M61. In 2007, the approach signs from Walton Summit were modified to read 'M61', but the signs still mark the roundabout at the eastern end.

Legislation

Each motorway in England requires that a statutory instrument be published, detailing the route of the road, before it can be built. The dates given on these statutory instruments relate to when the document was published, and not when the road was built. Provided below is an incomplete list of statutory instruments relating to the route of the M65.

• Statutory Instrument 1991 No. 722: The M65 Motorway (Bamber Bridge to Whitebirk Section, Blackburn Southern Bypass) and Connecting Roads Scheme 1991. S.I. 1991/722
• Statutory Instrument 1992 No. 2651: The M65 Motorway (Bamber Bridge to Whitebirk Section, Blackburn Southern Bypass) and Connecting Roads Scheme 1991 Variation Scheme 1992. S.I. 1992/2651

Junctions

The entire route is in Lancashire.

Location	mi	km	Junction	Destinations	Notes
Bamber Bridge	0.0	0.0	1A	A6 / A582 – Preston, Bamber Bridge
	0.8	1.3	1	M6 – The South, Birmingham, The North West, Lancaster	Also M6 Junction 29
	2.2	3.5	2	M61 – Manchester, The North West, Lancaster	Also M61 Junction 9
—	4.9	7.9	3	A674 – Blackburn (West) A675 – Bolton
Blackburn	8.4	13.5	4	A666 – Blackburn (South), Bolton, Darwen	Blackburn with Darwen services
	10.1	16.3	5	A6077 / B6232 – Shadsworth
	12.4	20.0	6	A678 – Blackburn (North & East)
Accrington	14.5	23.3	7	A6185 – Accrington, Clitheroe
—	17.3	27.8	8	A56 – Bury, Manchester A6068 – Clitheroe
	18.5	29.8	9	A679 – Burnley (West)	no eastbound entrance or westbound exit
Burnley	19.9	32.0	10	A671 – Padiham, Burnley (Central)
	20.8	33.5	11	B6434 – Burnley, Nelson	no westbound entrance or eastbound exit
Nelson	23.4	37.7	12	A682 – Nelson, Brierfield
	24.5	39.4	13	A682 – Nelson, Kendal
Colne	25.9	41.7	—	A6068 – Skipton, Keighley, Nelson, Colne
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Incomplete access

Coordinate list

1. Junction 1A: 53°43′04″N 2°40′30″W / 53.7179°N 2.6749°W / 53.7179; -2.6749 (Junction 1A of M65)
2. Junction 1: 53°42′56″N 2°39′41″W / 53.7156°N 2.6614°W / 53.7156; -2.6614 (Junction 1 of M65)
3. Junction 2: 53°43′06″N 2°37′47″W / 53.7183°N 2.6297°W / 53.7183; -2.6297 (Junction 2 of M65)
4. Junction 3: 53°42′57″N 2°33′45″W / 53.7159°N 2.5626°W / 53.7159; -2.5626 (Junction 3 of M65)
5. Junction 4: 53°42′59″N 2°28′45″W / 53.7165°N 2.4791°W / 53.7165; -2.4791 (Junction 4 of M65)
6. Junction 5: 53°43′31″N 2°26′45″W / 53.7252°N 2.4458°W / 53.7252; -2.4458 (Junction 5 of M65)
7. Junction 6: 53°45′23″N 2°26′00″W / 53.7564°N 2.4334°W / 53.7564; -2.4334 (Junction 6 of M65)
8. Junction 7: 53°45′57″N 2°23′28″W / 53.7658°N 2.3910°W / 53.7658; -2.3910 (Junction 7 of M65)
9. Junction 8: 53°46′53″N 2°19′44″W / 53.7813°N 2.3290°W / 53.7813; -2.3290 (Junction 8 of M65)
10. Junction 9: 53°47′04″N 2°17′59″W / 53.7844°N 2.2997°W / 53.7844; -2.2997 (Junction 9 of M65)
11. Junction 10: 53°47′24″N 2°15′57″W / 53.7900°N 2.2658°W / 53.7900; -2.2658 (Junction 10 of M65)
12. Junction 11: 53°47′51″N 2°15′08″W / 53.7976°N 2.2523°W / 53.7976; -2.2523 (Junction 11 of M65)
13. Junction 12: 53°49′50″N 2°14′02″W / 53.8305°N 2.2340°W / 53.8305; -2.2340 (Junction 12 of M65)
14. Junction 13: 53°50′36″N 2°13′06″W / 53.8434°N 2.2182°W / 53.8434; -2.2182 (Junction 13 of M65)
15. Unnumbered junction: 53°51′15″N 2°11′27″W / 53.8541°N 2.1909°W / 53.8541; -2.1909 (Unnumbered junction of M65)

See also

• List of motorways in the United Kingdom
• Mancunian Way, another motorway with a secret number

References

1. "M65. Calder Valley Motorway". UK Motorway Archive. CIHT. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
2. "M65. Burnley to Colne (J10 to J14)". UK Motorway Archive. CIHT. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
3. "M65. Whitebirk to Burnley (J6 to J10)". UK Motorway Archive. CIHT. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
4. "M65. A682(M6) to Whitebirk (J1A to J6)". UK Motorway Archive. CIHT. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
5. "M65-extension protesters talk of the town in 1995". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
6. "M65". Roads.org.uk.
7. "The M65 Motorway (Bamber Bridge to Whitebirk Section, Blackburn Southern Bypass) and Connecting Roads Scheme 1991: Schedule 2", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 15 March 1991, SI 1991/722 (sch. 2), retrieved 5 January 2021
8. "MARIO". Lancashire County Council. Retrieved 10 January 2009.

External links

• Roads.org.uk – M65
• Pathetic Motorways – Walton Summit
• UK Motorway Archive – M65
• Amateur documentary of the commencement ceremony and early works at Brierfield 1976 YouTube (Pendle Movie Makers)

v t e Motorways in the United Kingdom
Great Britain	M1 M11 M18 M180 M181 A1(M) A167(M) A194(M) A1077(M) M2 M20 M23 M25 M26 M27 M271 M275 M3 M32 A3(M) A38(M) A308(M) A329(M) M4 M40 M42 M45 M48 M49 A48(M) A404(M) M5 M50 M53 M54 M55 M56 M57 M58 A57(M) A58(M) M6 M6 Toll M60 M61 M62 M65 M66 M67 M69 M602 M606 M621 A64(M) A66(M) A627(M) M73 M74 M77 A74(M) M8 M80 M876 M898 A8(M) A823(M) M9 M90
Northern Ireland	M1 M2 M3 M5 M12 M22 A8(M)
Former	M10 M41 M63 M85 A18(M) A40(M) A41(M) A102(M) A601(M) A6144(M)
Unbuilt	M12 M15 M16 M31 M64 M4 relief road
Junctions ( Category)	Almondsbury Broxden Catthorpe Charing Cross, Glasgow Denton Island Handy Cross Longbridge Lydiate Ash Scotch Corner Spaghetti Junction Switch Island Thorney Thorpe Thurcroft
Bridges	Auchenshuggle Avonmouth Bromford Don Friarton Gathurst Kingston Medway to Nowhere Ouse Rakewood Scammonden Prince of Wales Severn Thames Thelwall Tinsley Queensferry Usk Weaver
Related articles	National Highways Traffic officers South Wales Trunk Road Agent Traffic officers Transport Scotland DfI Roads Preston By-pass Smart motorway Motorway service area List
Category Commons

• Motorways in England
• Roads in Lancashire