A5103 road

A5103
A5103
Route information
	Maintained by; National Highways; Manchester City Council
Length	4.9 mi (7.9 km)
Major junctions
North end	Manchester city centreandHulme
	A6; A62; A34; A57(M); A6010; A5145; M60; A560; M56
South end	M56 motorwayJunction 3A andWythenshawe
Location
Country	United Kingdom
Primary; destinations	Manchester
Road network
	Roads in the United Kingdom; Motorways; A and B road zones;

TheA5103is a majorroadinEngland.It runs fromPiccadilly GardensinManchester city centreto junction 3 of theM56 motorwayand is one of Manchester's principalradialroutes.

History

The original scheme for a new road through the rural area south of Manchester was the design of theurban planner Richard Barry Parker,who envisaged the creation of aparkway– a broad, landscaped highway – to run from the newgarden suburbofWythenshawe,connecting it withManchester City Centre.^[1]^[2]Manchester Corporationbegan construction of the newPrincess Parkwayin 1929 with a new bridge over theRiver Mersey.^[3]The new road was laid out as adual carriagewayfor motor vehicles with asegregated tram trackalong thecentral reservationforManchester Corporation Tramwaysto runtramsintoManchester City Centre.^[4]

Princess Road/Princess Parkway was one of two newarterial roadsinto Manchester built by Manchester Corporation; the other wasKingsway,a few miles to the east, also built as a dual carriageway with reserved tram tracks along the middle. This layout was known as the 'Brodie' system, a new approach toroad designthat had been pioneered inLiverpoolbyJohn Alexander Brodie.^[5]^[6]^[7]The first tracks were laid out in the 1920s, terminating atSouthern Cemetery;Manchester Corporation Transportplanned to extend the tracks toNorthendenand Wythenshawe, but following a change in transport policy in 1930, the Corporation invested in bus services instead.^[3]Manchester Corporation Tramways eventually ceased operation in 1949 and the tram tracks were removed.^[8]

Parker's scenic Parkway route, running south from Barlow Moor Road to Altrincham Road, was noted for its landscaped verges androse beds.In its 1945 plan, Manchester Corporation proposed extending the road northwards into the city centre and south throughOllertonandToft,creating a major traffic route into the city. In 1969, work began to upgrade Princess Parkway tomotorwaystandards, in order to feed into theM56 motorway.To enable this work, Parker's landscaping was removed, with 50,000 trees and shrubs being uprooted, and pedestrianfootbridgeswere installed, and an oldcountry house,Kenworthy Hall, was demolished.^[9]^[10]

In 1997, theHulme Arch Bridgedesigned byChris Wilkinson ArchitectsandArupwas installed over Princess Road in theHulmearea.^[11]

Route description

A6 to the Mancunian Way

This short section is entirely single-carriageway: it runs in roughly a north–south direction from the junction of theA6andA62alongPortland Street.It thenshares a short sectionwith theA34(Oxford Street) running west untilSt Peter's Square.After St Peter's Square, it proceeds south-west along LowerMosley Street,running past theManchester Central Convention Complex(formerlyManchester Central station), and theBridgewater Hall.It then turns south along Albion and Medlock Streets (crossing theRochdale Canal,the railway viaduct, and theRiver Medlock), where it meets theMancunian Wayat a roundabout.

Princess Road (A57(M) motorway to the M60 motorway)

This section is entirelydual carriageway primary routeleading in a southerly direction. The entire section is officially calledPrincess Road,but many locals refer to it asPrincess Parkway(see below). This section predominantly has a 30 mph (48 km/h) speed limit. Just before the M60 J5, the speed limit goes up to 40 mph.

The road runs throughHulme,Moss SideandWhalley Range,passingWilliam Hulme Grammar School,Whalley Range High SchoolandSouthern Cemeteryon the way.

This section has manytraffic lightcontrolled junctions, including major junctions with theA6010 Manchester middle ring roadandA5145 Barlow Moor Road.0.7 miles (1.1 km) south of its junction with the A5145, the road crosses theRiver Merseyand meets theM60 motorwayat a large free-flowinterchangeat junction 5. The speed limit also goes up to 40 mph.

Princess Parkway (M60 motorway to the M56 motorway)

This section is entirelydual carriageway trunk road,and is an important link between theM60 Manchester Outer Ring roadand theM56 motorway.This section is calledPrincess Parkwayand largely has a 50 mph (80 km/h) speed limit. Between the M56 and M60, the road has two intermediate junctions; with the B5166 towardsNorthendenand Sale Moor, and with theA560leading toGatley,WythenshaweandBaguley.Between junctions, the A5103 here has four lanes in each direction with nohard shoulder.Between the on-and-offsliproadsof the junctions, it has 3 lanes in each direction with hard shoulder. At the southern end, at the A560 junction, the A5103 seamlessly becomes the mainline of the M56 heading towardsManchester Airport,Chesterand theM6 motorway.Northbound traffic on the M56 must leave the mainline of the motorway at a sliproad to remain on the M56. Remaining on the mainline leads directly to the A5103.

References

^Parkinson-Bailey, John J. (2000).Manchester: An Architectural History.Manchester University Press. p. 158.ISBN 9780719056062.
^"Wythenshawe History".Your Wythenshawe.Archivedfrom the original on 29 June 2017.Retrieved29 June2017.
^^a ^bDeakin, Derick, ed. (1989).Wythenshawe, the story of a garden city.Chichester: Phillimore. pp. 49–65.ISBN 9780850336993.
^Stratton, Michael; Trinder, Barrie (2014).Twentieth Century Industrial Archaeology.Taylor & Francis. p. 126.ISBN 9781136748011.
^Crosby, Alan, ed. (1998).Leading the way: a history of Lancashire's roads.Preston: Lancashire County Books. p. 212.ISBN 9781871236330.
^"Tramways".The Tramway Review.25.Light Railway Transport League.2003.
^Rowley, Trevor (2006).The English landscape in the twentieth century.Continuum International Publishing Group. p. 20.ISBN 1-85285-388-3.
^"Greater Manchester Transport Timeline".Museum of Transport, Greater Manchester.Archived fromthe originalon 26 October 2015.Retrieved7 June2017.
^"Wythenshawe – Princess Parkway".Wythenshawe History Group.Archivedfrom the original on 29 June 2017.Retrieved29 June2017.
^Johnston, Mark (2015).Trees in Towns and Cities: A History of British Urban Arboriculture.Windgather Press. pp. 253–4.ISBN 9781909686656.
^Collis, Hugh (2003).Transport, Engineering and Architecture.Gulf Professional Publishing.ISBN 9780750677486.

External links

Jukes, Steven."Princess Parkway Motorways".Pathetic Motorways.Archivedfrom the original on 29 June 2017.Retrieved29 June2017.
Map of Manchester's trams in 1944

53°26′07″N2°14′45″W/ 53.4352°N 2.2459°W/53.4352; -2.2459

[1] Parkinson-Bailey, John J. (2000).Manchester: An Architectural History.Manchester University Press. p. 158.ISBN 9780719056062.

[2] "Wythenshawe History".Your Wythenshawe.Archivedfrom the original on 29 June 2017.Retrieved29 June2017.

[Deakin-3] Deakin, Derick, ed. (1989).Wythenshawe, the story of a garden city.Chichester: Phillimore. pp. 49–65.ISBN 9780850336993.

[4] Stratton, Michael; Trinder, Barrie (2014).Twentieth Century Industrial Archaeology.Taylor & Francis. p. 126.ISBN 9781136748011.

[5] Crosby, Alan, ed. (1998).Leading the way: a history of Lancashire's roads.Preston: Lancashire County Books. p. 212.ISBN 9781871236330.

[6] "Tramways".The Tramway Review.25.Light Railway Transport League.2003.

[rowley-7] Rowley, Trevor (2006).The English landscape in the twentieth century.Continuum International Publishing Group. p. 20.ISBN 1-85285-388-3.

[8] "Greater Manchester Transport Timeline".Museum of Transport, Greater Manchester.Archived fromthe originalon 26 October 2015.Retrieved7 June2017.

[9] "Wythenshawe – Princess Parkway".Wythenshawe History Group.Archivedfrom the original on 29 June 2017.Retrieved29 June2017.

[10] Johnston, Mark (2015).Trees in Towns and Cities: A History of British Urban Arboriculture.Windgather Press. pp. 253–4.ISBN 9781909686656.

[11] Collis, Hugh (2003).Transport, Engineering and Architecture.Gulf Professional Publishing.ISBN 9780750677486.

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v t e A roads in Zone 5 of theGreat Britain road numbering scheme
	A5 A50 A51 A52 A53 A54 A55 A56 A57 A58 A59
	A500 A501 A505 A507 A508 A509 A511 A512 A514 A515 A516 A518 A519 A523 A525 A527 A528 A529 A530 A531 A533 A535 A536 A537 A538 A540 A541 A555 A556 A562 A563 A565 A570 A572 A574 A580 A583 A584 A585 A586 A587 A588 A590 A591 A592 A593 A594 Leicester Cumbria A595 A596
	A5004 A5012 A5025 A5036 A5038 A5058 A5100 A5103 A5109 A5112 A5114 A5117 A5120 A5124 A5127 A5130 A5135 A5147 A5150 A5183 A5199 A5268 A5300 A5758
	B5289 B5300 B5302 B5470
List of A roads in Zone 5 List of B roads in Zone 5

v t e Strategic road network inEngland
South West	M4 M5 M32 M48 M49 A4 A30 A36 A38 A40 A46 A303
Area 3 (South)	M3 M4 M27 M271 A3(M) A308(M) A404(M) A3 A27 A31 A34 A303 A404
Area 4 (South East)	M2 M20 M23 A2 A20 A21 A23 A26 A27 A259 A2070
Area 5(DBFO) (M25 links)	M1 M3 M4 M11 M20 M25 M26 A1(M) A1 A2 A3 A13 A20 A23 A30 A40 A282 A316 A405 A1089 A3113
East	M1 M11 A1(M) A1 A5 A11 A12 A14 A47 A120 A141 A414 A421 A428 A1307
Area 7 (East Midlands)	M1 M6 M45 M69 A1 A5 A6 A14 A38 A42 A43 A45 A46 A50 A52 A453 A516 A5111
Area 9 (West Midlands)	M5 M6 M40 M42 M50 M54 M69 A5 A38 A40 A45 A46 A49 A50 A446 A449 A458 A483 A500 A4510 A5148
North West	M6 M53 M55 M56 M57 M58 M60 M61 M62 M65 M66 M67 M602 A74(M) A627(M) A41 A55 A56 A66 A483 A494 A550 A556 A585 A590 A595 A663 A5036 A5103 A5117
Area 12 (Yorks/Lincs)	M1 M18 M62 M180 M181 M606 M621 A1(M) A1 A57 A61 A63 A64 A160 A162 A180 A616 A628 A1033
Area 14 (North East)	A1(M) A66(M) A194(M) A1 A19 A66 A184 A696
Other DBFO	M1 M40 M62 A1(M) A6 A19 A30 A35 A50 A69 A168 A174 A249 A417 A419 A1053
Toll roads	M6 Toll

v t e Areas and streets of Manchester
Public areas	Albert Square Cathedral Gardens Exchange Square Mayfield Park Piccadilly Gardens Sadler's Yard Shambles Square St Peter's Square
Streets	A5103 road(Princess Parkway) Canal Street Cheetham Hill Road Corporation Street Deansgate Great Ancoats Street King Street Kingsway Market Street Mosley Street New Cathedral Street Oldham Street Oxford Road Peter Street Portland Street Princess Street Quay Street Sackville Street Spring Gardens Whitworth Street Wilmslow Road