Preston By-pass Preston By-pass The Preston Bypass was Britain’s first motorway. It was designed and engineered by Lancashire County Council surveyor James Drake as part of a larger initiative to create a north-south motorway network that would later form part of the M6 motorway. The bypass was opened on 5 December 1958 by the Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan. Nearly £3 million was spent in its construction. The original -mile () motorway ran around the east side of Preston between Bamber Bridge (now the M6, Junction 29) and Broughton (now the M55, Junction 1) and crosses over the River Ribble at Samlesbury at
Transport in Preston Lancashire) and M61 (Preston - Manchester), which connect to the M6 south of Preston. Preston has many major A roads running through it. The longest one is the A6, which comes from Lancaster in the North, runs down the centre and goes South-East towards Chorley. The A6 connects Carlisle to Luton, being the second longest road in Britain. Another A road that runs through Preston is the A59 which comes from the South West from Liverpool towards Clitheroe in the North East. Other A roads converging in Preston or its outskirts include the A49, A582, A583, A584, A675, A677, A5072