A555 road
 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 The A555 under construction, viewed from an old section of the A6 Buxton Road, looking west | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by Cheshire East Council | ||||
| Length | 8.1 mi (13.0 km) | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end | Manchester Airport | |||
 A34 A5102 A523 A6 | ||||
| East end | Hazel Grove | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United Kingdom | |||
| Counties | Cheshire,Greater Manchester | |||
| Road network | ||||
| ||||
TheA555 roadis inGreater Manchester,England, along its southern border withCheshire.It is officially known as the Manchester Airport Eastern Link and runs betweenManchester Airportand theA6south ofHazel Grovein theborough of Stockport.
History[edit]
The earliest section of the A555 was completed in 1995, as part of an abandoned scheme to connectStockport,Hazel Grove andPoyntonto Manchester Airport. It was intended as a relief road to ease congestion. The original plan, which dated from the 1940s, was to build abypassconnectingBredburyand Hazel Grove, and from Hazel Grove toWoodford,bypassing Poynton. The road would then run from Woodford toHandforth,as it does now, and then on to the airport. However, only the middle section, which crosses theA34 Handforth bypass(built at the same time) was completed, because of a shortage of funds.
Central section[edit]
Until 2018, the route ran from the border of Woodford andBramhallat a junction with the A5102, heading westward for approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) before it reaches the A34 Handforth bypass, which is accessed by agrade-separated junction.Close to this isHandforth Deanretail outlet, consisting ofTesco ExtraandMarks & Spencer.The route ended at a double-headed roundabout with the B5358, on the border of Handforth andHeald Green,approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) from the airport.
Expansion[edit]
In November 2008, money was pledged by the then Transport SecretaryGeoff Hoonto extend the route to Hazel Grove, and complete the link to the airport.[1]However, following the change in government at the2010 general election,the plans were placed on hold once more.[2]
In November 2011, the government finally approved plans to complete the link, as part of a major programme of infrastructure investment.[3]The A6 to Manchester Airport Relief Road, which completes the route between Hazel Grove and the airport using the A555, gained its final approval in March 2015 and was scheduled for completion and opening in spring 2018.[4]
Persistent heavy rain from December 2017 to February 2018 and the collapse of construction firmCarilliondelayed the opening date until later in the year. An activity day including a 5 km (3.1 mi) fun run took place on 7 October 2018 as a precursor to full opening[5]and the bypass opened for general use on 15 October 2018, at 06:00.[6]This section has been subject to persistent flooding and subsequent closures.[7]
References[edit]
- ^"Airport road link gets go-ahead".BBC News. 25 November 2008.Retrieved19 March2011.
- ^"Traffic plans scrapped by government".Stockport Express.27 October 2010.Retrieved19 March2011.
- ^"Government's green light for A6 link to Manchester Airport and electrification of train line to Leeds".Manchester Evening News.28 November 2011.Retrieved28 September2016.
- ^"Work finally starts in Stockport on the A6 to Manchester Airport Relief Road – after almost 80 years".Manchester Evening News.17 March 2015.Retrieved28 September2016.
- ^A6MARR set to open to traffic,SEMMMS
- ^"A6MARR opens to traffic".SEMMMS (South East Multi-Modal Strategy). 17 October 2018.Retrieved2 December2018.
- ^Bardsley, Andrew (8 August 2021)."Notorious A555 Airport Relief Road floods again after heavy downpours".Manchester Evening News.Retrieved17 August2021.
External links[edit]
- SEMMMS: South East Manchester Multi Modal Strategy
- Manchester Airport Eastern Link Road by cbrd.co.uk
- Guide to the adjacent A555 cycle path with photos of the route
A roads in Zone 5 of theGreat Britain road numbering scheme | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||