M65 motorway

The M65 was opened in the following sections:[1]

• Junctions 10 to 12 (Burnley to Brierfield) in 1981
• Junctions 7 to 10 (Hyndburn to Burnley) in 1983
• Junctions 12 to 13 (Brierfield to Nelson) in 1983
• Junctions 6 to 7 (Whitebirk to Accrington/Hyndburn) in 1984
• Junctions 13 to 14 (Nelson to Colne) in 1988
• Junctions 1a to 6 M6 to Whitebirk in 1997

The first section of the motorway was opened in 1981, connecting Burnley to Brierfield. Over the years, several extensions were made, the largest being the link from Whitebirk to the M6 and M61 motorways in 1997.[2][3][4]

This extension was the scene of a standoff between construction security workers and protesters forming part of the environmental direct action movement. Protesters occupied abandoned buildings in Darwen, parts of Stanworth Woods near Feniscowles and needed to be physically removed.[5]

Junctions 1a to 6 were opened 18 December 1997 by Jack Straw, Home Secretary and Member of Parliament (MP) for Blackburn. The opening ceremony took place on the westbound carriageway beneath junction 5 at Guide with a heavy police presence as protesters threatened to bring a halt to the proceedings.

Much of the 1997 extension was relaid shortly after it opened with a new, quieter tarmac because the amount of road noise had been so great that it prevented birds of prey (mainly owls) from foraging effectively.

Originally, the M65 was planned to go via the town centre of Blackburn.[6]

The motorway is maintained by National Highways up to Junction 10 with Lancashire County Council taking over responsibility from this junction until the end of the motorway at Junction 14.

Between junctions 7 & 8

Each motorway in England requires that a statutory instrument be published, detailing the route of the road, before it can be built. The dates given on these statutory instruments relate to when the document was published, and not when the road was built. Provided below is an incomplete list of the Statutory Instruments relating to the route of the M65.

• Statutory Instrument 1991 No. 722: The M65 Motorway (Bamber Bridge to Whitebirk Section, Blackburn Southern Bypass) and Connecting Roads Scheme 1991. S.I. 1991/722
• Statutory Instrument 1992 No. 2651: The M65 Motorway (Bamber Bridge to Whitebirk Section, Blackburn Southern Bypass) and Connecting Roads Scheme 1991 Variation Scheme 1992. S.I. 1992/2651

The entire route is in Lancashire.

Location	mi	km	Junction	Destinations	Notes
Bamber Bridge	0.0	0.0	1A [coord 1]	A6 / A582 – Preston, Bamber Bridge
	0.8	1.3	1 [coord 2]	M6 – The South, Birmingham, The North West, Lancaster	Also M6 Junction 29
	2.2	3.5	2 [coord 3]	M61 – Manchester, The North West, Lancaster	Also M61 Junction 9
—	4.9	7.9	3 [coord 4]	A674 – Blackburn (West) A675 – Bolton
Blackburn	8.4	13.5	4 [coord 5]	A666 – Blackburn (South), Bolton, Darwen	Blackburn with Darwen services
	10.1	16.3	5 [coord 6]	A6077 / B6232 – Shadsworth
	12.4	20.0	6 [coord 7]	A678 – Blackburn (North & East)
Accrington	14.5	23.3	7 [coord 8]	A6185 – Accrington, Clitheroe
—	17.3	27.8	8 [coord 9]	A56 – Bury, Manchester A6068 – Clitheroe
	18.5	29.8	9 [coord 10]	A679 – Burnley (West)	no eastbound entrance or westbound exit
Burnley	19.9	32.0	10 [coord 11]	A671 – Padiham, Burnley (Central)
	20.8	33.5	11 [coord 12]	B6434 – Burnley, Nelson	no westbound entrance or eastbound exit
Nelson	23.4	37.7	12 [coord 13]	A682 – Nelson, Brierfield
	24.5	39.4	13 [coord 14]	A682 – Nelson, Kendal
Colne	25.9	41.7	— [coord 15]	A6068 – Skipton, Keighley, Nelson, Colne
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Incomplete access

Coordinate list

• List of motorways in the United Kingdom
• Mancunian Way, another motorway with a secret number

• Roads.org.uk – M65
• Pathetic Motorways – Walton Summit
• UK Motorway Archive – M65
• Amateur documentary of the commencement ceremony and early works at Brierfield 1976 YouTube (Pendle Movie Makers)