At just 3.6 miles or 4.8km, the A627(M) motorway is one of the shorter motorways in Britain. Nevertheless, it does a useful job of linking the large towns of Oldham and Rochdale East of Manchester to the M62 and the wider motorway network, as well as providing a useful short-cut for westbound traffic on the M62 to join the M60 south at junction 21 and vice versa.
Unusually, the mainline of the motorway is interrupted by a traffic-signal controlled roundabout at the junction with the M62. The roundabout is technically still part of the motorway, so for instance it's illegal to get out and walk on the roundabout.