325:
291:
818:
91:
33:
261:
332:
298:
492:
was discovered and it became necessary to close all but one northbound lane. As the M6 at the time carried an estimated 150,000–160,000 vehicles per day, this led to serious congestion. The viaduct was not completely reopened to daytime traffic until
February 2005, and subsequently remained partially
510:
At approximately 8am on 13 September 1971 thick fog led to a catastrophic multiple vehicle crash on the viaduct. More than 200 cars, trucks and tankers piled up, five vehicles burst into flames, 10 people were killed and 70 injured. It was the worst crash ever recorded on
British roads at that time.
420:
It comprises two separate bridges, one of 4,414 feet (1,345 m) long carrying the northbound carriageway, the longest motorway bridge in
England when it was opened in July 1963, and one 4,500 feet (1,400 m) long carrying the southbound carriageway, opened in 1995. The longest single span is
496:
The bridge's height and openness to the elements mean that it has frequently been the subject of speed reductions because of strong gusts of wind that badly affect the stability of high-sided vehicles. On several occasions lane closures have resulted as a consequence of articulated vehicles simply
469:. On Thursday 16 May 1963, the last two girders were put into place. The bridge had taken longer to build than expected, and the motorway was due to open on Monday 29 July 1963. The bridge was designed to take up to 79,000 vehicles per day.
497:
being blown over. However, the open sides of the bridge are a deliberate design feature to reduce the likelihood of snow drifts building on the carriageways.
54:
438:
551:
365:
493:
closed at night for further remedial work to take place. In all, 148 bearings were replaced, the repair scheme costing around £52 million.
324:
846:
866:
290:
668:
861:
856:
461:
Work started in
September 1959, and was to be finished by March 1962. 10,500 tons of steel superstructure was made by
760:
472:
In August 1990 it was proposed to build a second viaduct, to start in 1992. The £52.5m contract was awarded to
531:
On 30 September 2024, a lorry fell from the viaduct and landed on the embankment below. The driver survived.
361:
871:
851:
254:
47:
708:
446:
94:
734:
672:
450:
397:
104:
38:
686:
876:
480:. Junctions 20 and 21a would be remodelled. Concrete came from Pochin Group of Middlewich.
8:
266:
161:
151:
122:
405:
190:
136:
434:
430:
370:
823:
786:
477:
523:
took place under the viaduct, with reportedly over 5,000 ravers in attendance.
489:
840:
374:
69:
56:
409:
401:
108:
429:
The scheme was announced on
Thursday 9 July 1959 by Minister of Transport
462:
393:
520:
466:
385:
473:
442:
817:
311:
126:
32:
389:
377:
831:
408:
20 and 21 of the M6, the former also being junction 9 of the
165:
476:
445:. The bridge would cost £5,056,678, and was to be built by
381:
204:
118:
421:
that of 336 feet (102 m) crossing the Ship Canal.
465:. Concrete was supplied by Four Square Industries of
813:
505:
838:
787:"Lorry falls from Thelwall Viaduct on M6"
671:Written Answers, 14 April 2003 col. 600W
41:, with the older bridge in the foreground
735:"Weatherwatch: September mists and fogs"
331:
297:
552:"M6 Warrington to Preston (J20 to J29)"
839:
546:
544:
37:Main span of the two bridges over the
761:"Ravers take over Thelwall Viaduct"
541:
211:Slip road on the northbound descent
13:
587:Thursday 17 September 1959, page 7
14:
888:
809:
687:"M6 viaduct reopen after repairs"
816:
659:Wednesday 9 October 1996, page 2
635:Wednesday 15 August 1990, page 7
330:
323:
296:
289:
260:
259:
89:
31:
847:Bridges across the River Mersey
779:
753:
727:
701:
679:
662:
506:1971 multiple vehicle collision
456:
344:Location in UK motorway network
244:Second bridge: 23 December 1996
650:
647:Monday 26 October 1992, page 1
638:
626:
614:
602:
599:Tuesday 5 January 1960, page 8
590:
578:
566:
483:
200:
177:4,500 ft (1371.6 m) southbound
175:4,414 ft (1345.4 m) northbound
1:
611:Thursday 12 July 1962, page 9
534:
526:
832:The Motorway Archive website
674:Transport - Thelwall Viaduct
575:Friday 10 July 1959, page 12
554:. The Motorway Archive. 2009
514:
447:Leonard Fairclough & Son
415:
7:
867:Motorway bridges in England
689:. BBC News. 7 February 2005
623:Friday 17 May 1963, page 11
10:
893:
441:, near Stafford, over the
424:
242:First bridge: 29 July 1963
862:Bridges completed in 1995
857:Bridges completed in 1963
500:
277:
272:
253:
248:
238:
230:
226:Leonard Fairclough (1963)
220:
215:
199:
189:
181:
171:
157:
147:
142:
132:
114:
100:
85:
46:
30:
23:
519:In April 2011 a massive
347:Show map of UK motorways
195:93 ft (28.3 m)
16:Bridge in United Kingdom
713:North Wales Daily Post
709:"M6 clear at Thelwall"
488:In July 2002 a failed
449:, and designed by Sir
645:Birmingham Daily Post
597:Birmingham Daily Post
398:Manchester Ship Canal
105:Manchester Ship Canal
39:Manchester Ship Canal
316:Show map of Cheshire
872:Viaducts in England
852:Bridges in Cheshire
793:. 30 September 2024
765:Warrington Guardian
741:. 21 September 2011
474:Tarmac Construction
162:Reinforced concrete
152:Plate girder bridge
66: /
657:Winsford Chronicle
234:Dorman Long (1963)
70:53.3906°N 2.5059°W
715:. 7 February 2005
392:. It carries the
281:
280:
137:National Highways
884:
826:
821:
820:
803:
802:
800:
798:
783:
777:
776:
774:
772:
757:
751:
750:
748:
746:
731:
725:
724:
722:
720:
705:
699:
698:
696:
694:
683:
677:
666:
660:
654:
648:
642:
636:
630:
624:
618:
612:
609:Runcorn Guardian
606:
600:
594:
588:
585:Runcorn Guardian
582:
576:
570:
564:
563:
561:
559:
548:
439:Creswell Viaduct
435:Gathurst Viaduct
431:Harold Watkinson
404:. It is between
368:
358:Thelwall Viaduct
348:
338:Thelwall Viaduct
334:
333:
327:
317:
304:Thelwall Viaduct
300:
299:
293:
263:
262:
223:
209:4 each direction
202:
185:336 ft (102.4 m)
93:
92:
81:
80:
78:
77:
76:
75:53.3906; -2.5059
71:
67:
64:
63:
62:
59:
35:
25:Thelwall Viaduct
21:
20:
892:
891:
887:
886:
885:
883:
882:
881:
837:
836:
824:Cheshire portal
822:
815:
812:
807:
806:
796:
794:
785:
784:
780:
770:
768:
759:
758:
754:
744:
742:
733:
732:
728:
718:
716:
707:
706:
702:
692:
690:
685:
684:
680:
667:
663:
655:
651:
643:
639:
631:
627:
619:
615:
607:
603:
595:
591:
583:
579:
571:
567:
557:
555:
550:
549:
542:
537:
529:
517:
508:
503:
486:
478:Pell Frischmann
459:
427:
418:
364:
354:
353:
352:
351:
350:
349:
346:
345:
342:
341:
340:
339:
335:
319:
318:
315:
314:
308:
307:
306:
305:
301:
265:
243:
221:
210:
191:Clearance below
176:
143:Characteristics
107:
90:
74:
72:
68:
65:
60:
57:
55:
53:
52:
42:
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
890:
880:
879:
874:
869:
864:
859:
854:
849:
835:
834:
828:
827:
811:
810:External links
808:
805:
804:
778:
767:. 4 April 2011
752:
726:
700:
678:
669:David Jamieson
661:
649:
637:
633:Liverpool Echo
625:
621:Liverpool Echo
613:
601:
589:
577:
573:Liverpool Echo
565:
539:
538:
536:
533:
528:
525:
516:
513:
507:
504:
502:
499:
490:roller bearing
485:
482:
458:
455:
426:
423:
417:
414:
362:grid reference
343:
337:
336:
329:
328:
322:
321:
320:
309:
303:
302:
295:
294:
288:
287:
286:
285:
284:
283:
282:
279:
278:
275:
274:
270:
269:
264:167,565 (2018)
257:
251:
250:
246:
245:
240:
236:
235:
232:
231:Fabrication by
228:
227:
224:
222:Constructed by
218:
217:
213:
212:
207:
197:
196:
193:
187:
186:
183:
179:
178:
173:
169:
168:
159:
155:
154:
149:
145:
144:
140:
139:
134:
130:
129:
116:
112:
111:
102:
98:
97:
87:
83:
82:
50:
44:
43:
36:
28:
27:
24:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
889:
878:
875:
873:
870:
868:
865:
863:
860:
858:
855:
853:
850:
848:
845:
844:
842:
833:
830:
829:
825:
819:
814:
792:
788:
782:
766:
762:
756:
740:
736:
730:
714:
710:
704:
688:
682:
676:
675:
670:
665:
658:
653:
646:
641:
634:
629:
622:
617:
610:
605:
598:
593:
586:
581:
574:
569:
553:
547:
545:
540:
532:
524:
522:
512:
498:
494:
491:
481:
479:
475:
470:
468:
464:
454:
452:
448:
444:
440:
436:
432:
422:
413:
411:
407:
403:
399:
395:
391:
387:
383:
379:
376:
372:
367:
363:
359:
326:
313:
292:
276:
271:
268:
258:
256:
255:Daily traffic
252:
247:
241:
237:
233:
229:
225:
219:
214:
208:
206:
198:
194:
192:
188:
184:
180:
174:
170:
167:
163:
160:
156:
153:
150:
146:
141:
138:
135:
133:Maintained by
131:
128:
124:
120:
117:
113:
110:
106:
103:
99:
96:
88:
84:
79:
51:
49:
45:
40:
34:
29:
22:
19:
795:. Retrieved
790:
781:
769:. Retrieved
764:
755:
743:. Retrieved
739:The Guardian
738:
729:
717:. Retrieved
712:
703:
691:. Retrieved
681:
673:
664:
656:
652:
644:
640:
632:
628:
620:
616:
608:
604:
596:
592:
584:
580:
572:
568:
556:. Retrieved
530:
518:
509:
495:
487:
471:
460:
457:Construction
428:
419:
402:River Mersey
357:
355:
310:Location in
182:Longest span
172:Total length
109:River Mersey
18:
877:M6 motorway
484:Maintenance
463:Dorman Long
451:James Drake
433:, with the
396:across the
394:M6 motorway
267:Count point
73: /
48:Coordinates
841:Categories
535:References
527:2024 crash
521:free party
467:Middlewich
386:Warrington
373:composite
249:Statistics
58:53°23′26″N
797:1 October
771:12 August
745:12 August
719:12 August
693:12 August
558:12 August
515:2011 rave
443:River Sow
416:Structure
406:junctions
61:2°30′21″W
791:BBC News
400:and the
366:SJ664883
312:Cheshire
273:Location
158:Material
127:Cheshire
123:Woolston
425:History
390:England
378:viaduct
369:) is a
216:History
101:Crosses
86:Carries
501:Events
375:girder
239:Opened
148:Design
115:Locale
371:steel
205:lanes
166:Steel
799:2024
773:2017
747:2017
721:2017
695:2017
560:2017
437:and
382:Lymm
356:The
119:Lymm
410:M56
380:in
203:of
201:No.
843::
789:.
763:.
737:.
711:.
543:^
453:.
412:.
388:,
384:,
164:,
125:,
95:M6
801:.
775:.
749:.
723:.
697:.
562:.
360:(
121:/
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
.svg)