M/cr to Blackburn - directions advice

[Waylander]

need to travel from central/south manchester to Blackburn [royal infirmary] daily.

The options i can see are:

#1 M60->M66

or

#2 M602->M61->M65

Now i live near an M60 Jn and on a map route #1 looks shorter but i am always somewhat leery of traffic on the M60 [esp at the M62/M60 junction] on peak times so wonder if the relatively traffic-free but longer M61 route is the way to go... Advice?

[CarMad]

Used to travel to Preston up the M61 for quite a while passing the Trafford Centre and the M62 junction and never had any problems.

All the traffic is coming into Manchester on the M61 you are going out of it that way. Same for getting home, never had a problem coming down the M61 back into Manchester, most of the traffic was going the other way leaving.

The M66 junction and going towards Leeds on the top part of the M60 can be really bad at times, although I haven't done it much in peak rush hour.

Give both a try and see what they are like, at least you have a couple of options.

Have a look at Toyota website its got a great traffic monitor on there might be worth keeping a look at it to see where the problems build up.

[Rugbyfiend]

I used to do m60 to m62 east every morning at about 7.30ish and it wasn't too bad, what did always look pretty shocking was m60 to m62 west where the m62 becomes the m60 for a bit, and regularly used to be backed up the m62 a good way up that long hill, past the A627 (M) junction.

I reckon that the one to go for is m60 to m66 as its the same motorway and it always looked clear going on up that way. I cannot vouch for what the other end of the m66 looks like however.

The trouble with your other route is the m602 which from my pretty limited experience of it was in itself a good road it was just the bit before and after that seemed to take ages and merging back onto the m62 could be fairly exciting especially as for a good bit of the south west to north bit it becomes 2 lanes.

[Waylander]

Thanks Chaps.

I agree with some of the observations you have made in that when i worked at Bolton/Preston [briefly] and Hope i was always against the flow of traffic..

My dilemma is that i know the M61/M65 way will be clear, therefore, but bloody long. I always hear of traffic problems or accidents on the "simister interchange" which i now know to be at the M60/M62/M66 junction!

If anything i guess i have 3 options:

#1 catch the M60 from near me, stay on it all the way round onto M66 [road works near trafford centre i think though]

#2 cut through the city centre to the M602 then M60/M66

#3 as 2 but take the M61/M65 instead of M60/M66..

hhhhm guess i will go one way and come back the other on the weekend and see what it feels like...

Cheers

[loddrik]

Take the train, doh, what am I saying!!

I have caught the bus into uni and back several times this week and d'you know what, it wasn't as bad as I expected!!

[Waylander]

Manchester to Blackburn every day for 6 months - are you mad?

I'd be broke and have to leave a sunrise every day...

Then again that doesnt resolve what i wold have to do on call at 4am!

That being said i also have to make 3 london trips within a month and came online to actually try the train again for the first time in about 2 years!