The A666 is a major road in Greater Manchester and Lancashire, England.

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A666
A666 st peters way bolton.jpg
A666 near Farnworth
Major junctions
South endPendlebury
53°30′09″N 2°18′37″W / 53.5025°N 2.3103°W / 53.5025; -2.3103 (A666 road (southern end))
Major intersections
North endLangho
53°48′31″N 2°26′41″W / 53.8086°N 2.4448°W / 53.8086; -2.4448 (A666 road (northern end))
Location
CountryUnited Kingdom
Primary
destinations
Road network

Route

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Anchor Hotel on the A666 Blackburn Road in Darwen

The road runs from its junction with the A6, and A580 at the Irlams o' th' Height boundary with Pendlebury near Manchester, through Pendlebury, Clifton, Kearsley, Farnworth, Bolton, Darwen and Blackburn before meeting the A59 at Langho. Along the route are the West Pennine Moors, the Turton and Entwistle reservoir and the Entwistle reservoir forest.

Road names

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Most common names

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The road is mostly known as Manchester Road, Bolton Road, or Blackburn Road, depending on which area it is in.

Devil's Highway

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It is sometimes referred to as the Devil's Highway[1] or the Devil's Road[citation needed] because of Biblical associations of its number 666, and its high accident rate on the moors between Egerton and Darwen.

Crash rate

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Because of a crash rate that was three times higher than motorways in the borough, with 26 vehicle collisions and crashes a year and 40 people injured, road works and other changes were introduced, including the speed limit changed from 70 mph to 50 mph, speed cameras, better safety fencing, banning cyclists from the road, and slip road changes. Finished at the start of 2000, these reduced road accidents by 60%.[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "No longer the Devil's highway". Bolton Evening News. 13 February 2002. Archived from the original on 11 September 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2008.
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53°38′29″N 2°26′59″W / 53.6414°N 2.4497°W / 53.6414; -2.4497 (A666 road)