HOME

TheInfoList



Click Here for Items Related To - M53 motorway
OR:
M53 motorway on:   [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Amazon]

The M53 is an
motorway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms i ...
in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral and
Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county tow ...
on the Wirral Peninsula in England. It is also referred to as the Mid Wirral Motorway. It runs between the
Kingsway Tunnel The Kingsway Tunnel (or Wallasey Tunnel) is a toll road tunnel under the River Mersey between Liverpool and Wallasey. The tunnel carries the A59. It was built because the Queensway Tunnel – which was built in the 1930s to carry vehicles ...
, at
Wallasey Wallasey () is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England; until 1974, it was part of the historic county of Cheshire. It is situated at the mouth of the River Mersey, at the north-eastern corner of the Wirral P ...
in the north, and the A55 at
Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
. The main reason for the motorway was to provide a through route to the new Mersey Road Tunnel, Kingsway, which was built at the same time. Part of this motorway was originally the M531.


Route

Starting at the northern end, the motorway starts in
Wallasey Wallasey () is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England; until 1974, it was part of the historic county of Cheshire. It is situated at the mouth of the River Mersey, at the north-eastern corner of the Wirral P ...
at the exit slip roads from the Kingsway Tunnel from Liverpool. It loops round the north west of
Birkenhead Birkenhead (; cy, Penbedw) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England; historically, it was part of Cheshire until 1974. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the south bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liverp ...
and then runs south as a dual 3-lane route between
Upton Upton may refer to: Places United Kingdom England * Upton, Slough, Berkshire (in Buckinghamshire until 1974) * Upton, Buckinghamshire, a hamlet near Aylesbury * Upton, Cambridgeshire, Peterborough * Upton, Huntingdonshire, a location in Cambridg ...
,
Woodchurch Woodchurch may refer to the following places in England: * Woodchurch, Kent, Ashford * Woodchurch, a hamlet in Manston, Thanet * Woodchurch, Merseyside Woodchurch is an area of Birkenhead on the Wirral Peninsula, in England. Administrativel ...
in the west and
Prenton Prenton is a suburb of Birkenhead, Merseyside, England. Administratively, it is also a ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral. Before local government reorganisation on 1 April 1974, it was part of the County Borough of Birkenhead, within ...
. From junctions 1 to 3 it runs parallel to the Borderlands railway line. It crosses this line south of junction 3. From this junction it proceeds south to the west of
Bebington Bebington () is a town and unparished area within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England. Historically part of Cheshire, it lies south of Liverpool, close to the River Mersey on the eastern side of the Wirral Peninsul ...
through junction 4 and then further south for (where it crosses the Wirral railway line), before narrowing to dual 2 lanes and turning sharply to the east. At junction 5, traffic for Wales can take the A41, A550 & A494 to join the A55 near
Ewloe Ewloe (; cy, Ewlo, ) is a village and electoral ward in the community of Hawarden in Flintshire, Wales. It is situated close to the Flintshire/Cheshire sector of the Wales-England border. The A55 expressway passes through Ewloe and its m ...
. The road passes north and then east of Hooton, then to the east of
Overpool Overpool is a village on the Wirral Peninsula in Cheshire, England. It is a suburb of Ellesmere Port, and part of the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester. History The name means "upper pool" and derives from the Old English words '' ...
and Wolverham and with Ellesmere Port to the west. South of junction 10 the route enters a more
rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are describ ...
setting, passing under the
M56 motorway The M56 motorway, also known as the North Cheshire motorway, serves the Cheshire and Greater Manchester areas of England. It runs east to west from junction 4 of the M60 at Gatley, south of Manchester, to Dunkirk, approximately north of Ches ...
at junction 11. Finally, it heads south and becomes the A55 North Wales Expressway at junction 12.


History

This motorway was originally two separate projects, the M53 and M531. The M53 was originally proposed to run from the
Kingsway Tunnel The Kingsway Tunnel (or Wallasey Tunnel) is a toll road tunnel under the River Mersey between Liverpool and Wallasey. The tunnel carries the A59. It was built because the Queensway Tunnel – which was built in the 1930s to carry vehicles ...
to
Backford Backford is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is situated between Chester and Ellesmere Port on the A41 trunk road, to the north of the Shropshire Uni ...
. The M531 would have run from between the current junctions 4 & 5 and provided a connection with the M56 for eastbound travel. When the M53 was first planned in the early 1960s, it was designed as a route to connect the two Mersey road tunnels with the A55 trunk road on the Welsh border, giving Liverpool and the rest of Merseyside a direct link with
Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
and the towns on the North Wales coast. In the event, the A55 link was never built and instead the M531 (by-passing the eastern side of Chester) was incorporated into the M53.


M531

The first section of the M531 was built to improve access to the
Vauxhall Motors Vauxhall Motors LimitedCompany No. 00135767. Incorporated 12 May 1914, name changed from Vauxhall Motors Limited to General Motors UK Limited on 16 April 2008, reverted to Vauxhall Motors Limited on 18 September 2017. () is a British car compa ...
factory near Ellesmere Port. It was opened in 1968 as a non-designated road. Subsequently this road was extended further south to meet the A5117 and was designated as the M531. In March 1981 the M531 was lengthened to meet the M56 and at this stage the whole route was redesignated as the M53.


M53

Construction on the M53 started in 1969. It was to be built in stages as part of a strategic route to North Wales for traffic from
Merseyside Merseyside ( ) is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in North West England, with a population of 1.38 million. It encompasses both banks of the Mersey Estuary and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirra ...
. The route to North Wales was unresolved as there was even an option to run due west from south of junction 4 and cross the River Dee on a barrage. This first section from the tunnel to junction 5, where it connected straight into the Vauxhall Motors road, was opened by
Lord Leverhulme William Hesketh Lever, 1st Viscount Leverhulme , (, ; 19 September 1851 – 7 May 1925) was an English industrialist, philanthropist, and politician. Having been educated at a small private school until the age of nine, then at church schools ...
in a ceremony at Hooton on 1 February 1972. A junction was partially built to allow extension of the motorway further south west, around west of junction 5. The unbuilt motorway would have provided a bypass of the A41 and would likely have terminated on the M56, though exactly where is unknown. The unfinished junction for this extension has now been demolished. The final section of the M53 provided a link to
Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
from the M56 and was opened in 1982. No plans are known to exist to complete the originally planned M53.


Dates

* Junctions 1 to 5 were opened in 1972 * Junctions 5 to 8 were redesignated as motorway in 1974 as part of the M531 * Junctions 8 to 10 opened in 1975 as part of the M531 * Junctions 10 to 11 were opened in 1981 * Junctions 11 to 12 were opened in 1982


Junctions

{, border=1 cellpadding=2 style="margin-left:1em; margin-bottom: 1em; color: black; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 100%;" class="wikitable" , - align="center" bgcolor="#0079C1" style="color: white;font-size:120%;" , colspan="6" , M53 motorway junctions , - align="center" bgcolor="000000" style="color: white" , mile , km , Northbound exits (B carriageway) , Junction , Southbound exits (A carriageway) , - style="text-align:center;" , 0.0 , 0.0 , ''End of motorway
Road continues as'' Wallasey Tunnel ''towards Liverpool'' , rowspan=3, J1 ,
Birkenhead Birkenhead (; cy, Penbedw) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England; historically, it was part of Cheshire until 1974. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the south bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liverp ...
, New Brighton,
Wallasey Wallasey () is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England; until 1974, it was part of the historic county of Cheshire. It is situated at the mouth of the River Mersey, at the north-eastern corner of the Wirral P ...
A5139 (A554)
''Non-motorway traffic'' , - align='center' , , ,
Birkenhead Birkenhead (; cy, Penbedw) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England; historically, it was part of Cheshire until 1974. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the south bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liverp ...
A5139 , ''Start of motorway'' , - align='center' , , ,
Wallasey Wallasey () is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England; until 1974, it was part of the historic county of Cheshire. It is situated at the mouth of the River Mersey, at the north-eastern corner of the Wirral P ...
,
Birkenhead Birkenhead (; cy, Penbedw) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England; historically, it was part of Cheshire until 1974. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the south bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liverp ...
A554 , , - style="text-align:center;" , 6.5 , 10.5 ,
Hoylake Hoylake is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. It is at the north west of the Wirral Peninsula, near West Kirby and where the River Dee meets the Irish Sea. Historically part of Cheshire, the Domes ...
, West Kirby (A551) , J2 ,
Hoylake Hoylake is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. It is at the north west of the Wirral Peninsula, near West Kirby and where the River Dee meets the Irish Sea. Historically part of Cheshire, the Domes ...
, West Kirby (A551) , - align='center' , 8.6 , 13.8 ,
Birkenhead Birkenhead (; cy, Penbedw) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England; historically, it was part of Cheshire until 1974. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the south bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liverp ...
A552 , J3 ,
Birkenhead Birkenhead (; cy, Penbedw) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England; historically, it was part of Cheshire until 1974. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the south bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liverp ...
,
Heswall Heswall is a town on the Wirral, Merseyside, England. At the 2001 Census, the population was 16,012, including the nearby villages of Barnston and Gayton. Before local government reorganisation on 1 April 1974 it was part of the administr ...
A552 , - align='center' , 11.7 , 18.8 ,
Clatterbridge Clatterbridge is a hamlet on the Wirral Peninsula, in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. It is to the south-west of Bebington and close to the M53 motorway. Clatterbridge is also the name of a local government ward, which ...
,
Heswall Heswall is a town on the Wirral, Merseyside, England. At the 2001 Census, the population was 16,012, including the nearby villages of Barnston and Gayton. Before local government reorganisation on 1 April 1974 it was part of the administr ...
,
Bebington Bebington () is a town and unparished area within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England. Historically part of Cheshire, it lies south of Liverpool, close to the River Mersey on the eastern side of the Wirral Peninsul ...
A5137 , J4 ,
Bebington Bebington () is a town and unparished area within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England. Historically part of Cheshire, it lies south of Liverpool, close to the River Mersey on the eastern side of the Wirral Peninsul ...
,
Bromborough Bromborough is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Cheshire, it is situated on the Wirral Peninsula, to the south east of Bebington and to the north of East ...
,
Clatterbridge Clatterbridge is a hamlet on the Wirral Peninsula, in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. It is to the south-west of Bebington and close to the M53 motorway. Clatterbridge is also the name of a local government ward, which ...
,
Neston Neston is a town and civil parish on the Wirral Peninsula, in Cheshire, England. It is part of the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester. The village of Parkgate is located to the north west and the villages of Little Neston and Nes ...
A5137 , - align='center' , 15.8 , 25.4 ,
Birkenhead Birkenhead (; cy, Penbedw) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England; historically, it was part of Cheshire until 1974. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the south bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liverp ...
, Queensferry A41 , J5 , NORTH WALES, Queensferry,
Eastham Eastham or East Ham, may refer to: People * Ashley Eastham (born 1991), English footballer * George R. Eastham (1914–2000), English footballer * George E. Eastham (born 1936), English footballer and son of the George R. Eastham * Harry Eastham ( ...
A41 , - align='center' , rowspan=2 , 16.2 , rowspan=2 , 26.1 , style=background:skyblue , ''Entering
Merseyside Merseyside ( ) is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in North West England, with a population of 1.38 million. It encompasses both banks of the Mersey Estuary and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirra ...
'' , rowspan=2 , J6 , Vauxhall (Cars Only),
Eastham Oil Terminal Eastham Oil Terminal is situated close to the small town of Eastham on the Wirral Peninsula, beside the Manchester Ship Canal. It was commissioned in 1954 close to the Queen Elizabeth II Dock and is a storage and export facility for oil product ...
, - align='center' , Vauxhall (Cars Only),
Eastham Oil Terminal Eastham Oil Terminal is situated close to the small town of Eastham on the Wirral Peninsula, beside the Manchester Ship Canal. It was commissioned in 1954 close to the Queen Elizabeth II Dock and is a storage and export facility for oil product ...
, style=background:skyblue , ''Entering
Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county tow ...
'' , - align='center' , 17.5 , 28.2 ,
Overpool Overpool is a village on the Wirral Peninsula in Cheshire, England. It is a suburb of Ellesmere Port, and part of the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester. History The name means "upper pool" and derives from the Old English words '' ...
, Whitby, North Road Industrial Estate B5132 , J7 ,
Overpool Overpool is a village on the Wirral Peninsula in Cheshire, England. It is a suburb of Ellesmere Port, and part of the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester. History The name means "upper pool" and derives from the Old English words '' ...
, Whitby, North Road Industrial Estate B5132 , - align='center' , 18.3 , 29.5 , Netherpool and Rossmore Industrial Estates, Docks , J8 , Netherpool and Rossmore Industrial Estates, Docks , - align='center' , 19.1 , 30.7 , Ellesmere Port (Centre), Boat Museum A5032 , J9 , Ellesmere Port (Centre), Stanlow, Boat Museum A5032 , - align='center' , 20.9 , 33.7 , Queensferry, Stanlow A5117 , J10 , Queensferry, Stanlow A5117 , - align='center' , 21.6 , 34.8 , Runcorn, Liverpool ,
Warrington Warrington () is a town and unparished area in the borough of the same name in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Mersey. It is east of Liverpool, and west of Manchester. The population in 2019 was esti ...
, (M6), Manchester M56 , J11 , Runcorn,
Warrington Warrington () is a town and unparished area in the borough of the same name in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Mersey. It is east of Liverpool, and west of Manchester. The population in 2019 was esti ...
, (M6), Manchester M56 , - align='center' , 24.5 , 39.5 , ''Start of motorway'' , rowspan=2, J12 ,
Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
A56 , - align='center' , 24.9 , 40.1 ,
Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
,
Helsby Helsby is a village, civil parish and electoral ward in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. Overlooking the Mersey estuary, it is approximately north east of Chester and south wes ...
A56
''Non-motorway traffic'' , ''End of motorway
Road continues as'' A55 ''towards North Wales'' , - ! colspan=5 , Moreton Spur , - style="text-align:center;" , , , ''End of motorway''
West Kirby A551 (B5139)
Moreton A551,
Hoylake Hoylake is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. It is at the north west of the Wirral Peninsula, near West Kirby and where the River Dee meets the Irish Sea. Historically part of Cheshire, the Domes ...
(A553) , rowspan=2 , J2A
, Moreton A551,
Hoylake Hoylake is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. It is at the north west of the Wirral Peninsula, near West Kirby and where the River Dee meets the Irish Sea. Historically part of Cheshire, the Domes ...
(A553) , - align='center' , , ,
Upton Upton may refer to: Places United Kingdom England * Upton, Slough, Berkshire (in Buckinghamshire until 1974) * Upton, Buckinghamshire, a hamlet near Aylesbury * Upton, Cambridgeshire, Peterborough * Upton, Huntingdonshire, a location in Cambridg ...
A551 , ''Start of motorway
( Moreton Spur)''
Data from
driver location signs Driver location signs are signs placed every along each side of English motorways, and some other major English roads, to provide information that will allow motorists to know their precise location. , roads in England, but not Scotland, Wale ...
is used to provide distance and carriageway identifier information. ;Notes


Traffic counts

{, class="wikitable sortable" , - ! Section ! Capacity ! colspan=2 ,
AADT Annual average daily traffic, abbreviated AADT, is a measure used primarily in transportation planning, transportation engineering and retail location selection. Traditionally, it is the total volume of vehicle traffic of a highway or road for ...
(2019) ! Count point data , - , J1-J2 , D3 , 77,684 ,
46040
, - , J2-J2A (Moreton Spur) , D2 , 43,788 ,
56042
, - , J2-J3 , rowspan=4 , D3 , 65,764 ,
6045
, - , J3-J4 , 70,602 ,
75457
, - , J4-J5 , 60,257 ,
16041
, - , J5-J6 , 73,717 ,
26063
, - , J6-J7 , rowspan=4 , D2 , 53,795 ,
46059
, - , J7-J8 , 71,378 ,
16060
, - , J8-J9 , 77,609 ,
36063
, - , J9-J10 , 66,522 ,
56062
, - , J10-J11 , D3 , 79,872 ,
27872
, - , J11-J12 , D2 , 69,147 ,
75190


M53 Divide

The M53 is seen as an east–west divide between the affluent and developing areas of the Wirral.


Culture

A full-sized replica of one of the motorway's bridges forms part of the exhibition ''O' Magic Power of Bleakness'' by
Mark Leckey Mark Leckey (born 1964) is a British contemporary artist. His found object art and video pieces, which incorporate themes of nostalgia and anxiety, and draw on elements of pop culture, span several works and exhibitions. In particular, he is k ...
at
Tate Britain Tate Britain, known from 1897 to 1932 as the National Gallery of British Art and from 1932 to 2000 as the Tate Gallery, is an art museum on Millbank in the City of Westminster in London, England. It is part of the Tate network of galleries in ...
(September 2019 – January 2020).


See also

*
List of motorways in the United Kingdom This list of motorways in the United Kingdom is a complete list of motorways in the United Kingdom. Note that the numbering scheme used for Great Britain does not include roads in Northern Ireland, which are allocated numbers on an ad hoc basis ...
* Wirral Line *
A41 road The A41 is a trunk road between London and Birkenhead, England. Now in parts replaced by motorways, it passes through or near Watford, Kings Langley, Hemel Hempstead, Aylesbury, Bicester, Solihull, Birmingham, West Bromwich, Wolverhampton, N ...


References


Further reading

* * * * *


External links


CBRD Motorway Database – M53/531

Legislation.gov.uk - M53

Pathetic Motorways – M531

The Motorway Archive – M53


{{DEFAULTSORT:M53 Motorway 5-0053 5-0053 5-0053