What to know
There are no services on the M53 itself; Chester services is at the southern end, where it meets the M56 at junction 14 of the M56. At the northern end, the motorway feeds the Kingsway Tunnel to Liverpool. Motorbikes can’t be recovered from inside the tunnel by us; if you break down in a Mersey tunnel, stay with the tunnel staff, who will move you out first.
The M53 is a popular route for riders heading south to Chester, North Wales and the Horseshoe Pass.
Nearby: the Wirral, Ellesmere Port and Chester.
If your bike stops on the motorway
- Get to the left. Hard shoulder, emergency area or the next exit if the bike still moves.
- Get behind the barrier. Leave the bike, climb over the barrier and stand well up the bank, away from the traffic.
- Stuck in a live lane? Call 999 straight away. Keep your helmet on and get off the carriageway if you safely can.
- Call us once you’re safe, and send a WhatsApp location pin or the number on the nearest marker post.
Never try to fix the bike on the hard shoulder. On smart motorways with no hard shoulder, use an emergency area (the orange-surfaced lay-bys) and the SOS phone there connects you to National Highways.
FAQ
Rider questions
What if I break down in the Mersey tunnel?
Stop, put your hazards on and wait for the tunnel staff. They will move the bike out of the tunnel. Once it’s out, call us and we’ll take it on.