A580 road
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| Route information | |
| Length | 29.5 mi (47.5 km) |
| History | Construction began 29 April 1929 and finished in 1934 |
| Major junctions | |
| West end | Walton, Liverpool |
 A5058 M57A59  A5207 A5208 A570 A571A58 A49  M6 A573 A572 A579 A574 A577 A575 M61 M60 A5185 A666A6 | |
| East end | Irlams o' th' Height, Salford (A6) |
| Location | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Primary destinations | St Helens, Merseyside |
| Road network | |
The A580 is a primary A road in England that connects Walton, near Liverpool and Salford, near Manchester and known officially as East Lancashire Road.[1] Locally, the road is shortened to the "East Lancs". The road was designed and built to provide better access to the Port of Liverpool for East Lancashire and Manchester.[1] It was the UK's first purpose-built intercity highway and was officially opened by King George V on 18 July 1934.[1]
The road runs from Walton in Liverpool Borough to join the A6 at Irlams o' th' Height in Salford and was designed to have three parallel roads eventually: one for through traffic and two for local access,[1] but it was upgraded later to dual-carriageway: the section within the Liverpool Borough had always been thus. The upgrading resulted in separation of the two carriageways: the first occasion this had been done in Britain.[dubious – discuss] It achieved its name since it was originally intended to reach East Lancashire, although that intended portion was replaced by the M62 motorway.[1]
References
External links
- The East Lancs Road, including full details of the scheme
- Road to Nowhere: A580
- Lancashire Motorway & Roads Site
Roads in Zone 5 of the Great Britain road numbering scheme | ||
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53°28′15″N 2°36′54″W / 53.4707°N 2.6149°W
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