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M5 motorway
Road of the United Kingdom
Length	162.9 miles (262.2 km)
Direction	Northeast - Southwest
Start	West Bromwich
Primary destinations	Wolverhampton Birmingham Worcester Cheltenham Gloucester Bristol Weston-super-Mare Bridgwater Taunton
End	Exeter
Construction dates	1962 - 1977
Motorways joined	M6 motorway J4a → M42 motorway J8 → M50 motorway J15 → M4 motorway J18a → M49 motorway

The M5 is a motorway in England. It runs from a junction with the M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Bromwich and west of Birmingham through Sandwell Valley. The road continues past Bromsgrove, Droitwich Spa, Worcester, Tewkesbury, Cheltenham, Gloucester, Bristol, Weston-super-Mare, Highbridge, Bridgwater and Taunton on its way to Exeter, ending at Junction 31. It is the primary gateway to south-west England and can get very busy in summer months, especially on Friday afternoons on the southern section.

History

Construction

The first 26 miles (42 km) of the M5 motorway to be built was constructed as a dual two-lane motorway (two lanes in each direction), with Worcester County Council acting as engineer.^[1] This section, from Junction 4 (Lydiate Ash) in the north to a trumpet junction with the M50 in the south, opened in 1963.^[1][2] The southern end was called a trumpet junction because of its shape: a 270 degree curved bend. There were no other exits from this trumpet junction though room was left for an extension to the south.

The 2 miles (3.2 km) dual two-lane section between junctions 16 and 17 was built at Filton, near Bristol opened in 1962, with Gloucester County Council acting as engineer which was intended to replace the pre-war Filton bypass.^[1][2][3] This section was widened to a dual three-lane motorway in 1969.^[2]

The section north of Junction 4 was constucted in sections, from 1967 to 1970 together with the Frankley services. Much of the northern section beyond Junction 3, from about Quinton to its junction with the M6 motorway was constructed as an elevated dual 3-lane motorway using concrete pillars.^[2]

The M5 was also extended southwards, in sections, from 1967 to 1977, through Somerset, to Exeter, as a dual three-lane motorway^[2] together with the Strensham services.

The short section between junctions 27 and 29 was built in 1967/69, by Devon County Council, as the A38 Cullompton Bypass, with the intention that it should become part of the M5.^[1] The termini for this section have since been removed, although part of the southern terminal roundabout is now used as an emergency access.^[4] It was developed to motorway standards, and incorporated into the M5 in 1975.^[1]

Operational history

The section from Junctions 16 and 18 was illuminated in about 1973 as part or a wider policy announced by UK Minister for Transport Industries in 1972 to illuminate the 86 miles (138 km) of UK motorway particularly prone to fog.^[5] .^[5]

In the late 1980s junction 4a was built as part of the M42 motorway construction project. The route of the M42 was decided as early as 1972 but, due to planning delays, approval at the Bromsgrove end was not obtained until 1986.^[6]

The first-built section of M5, from junctions 3 to 8, was widened to provide six lanes (three lanes in each direction) in the early 1990s. During this work the northbound Strensham Services was rebuilt further away from the new junction. Junctions 7 and 8 were also remodelled into a roundabout junction.^[7]

The Avonmouth Bridge, Bristol.

The Avonmouth Bridge was converted to eight lanes (four lanes in each direction) in the early 2000s. Later, in 2005–2006, parts of the M5 between Junctions 17 and 20 were widened to 7 lanes (four lanes climbing the hills and three lanes descending the hills); information boards were added and parts of the central reservation was converted to a concrete step barrier. During this stage of construction the M5 became Britain's longest contraflow system,^[8][9] spanning 9 miles (14 km) between junctions 19 and 20. The M5 contraflow was said to be the most complicated ever built in the UK as the motorway is on a split level around the steep hills of the Gordano Valley; meaning four lanes plus an additional emergency vehicle lane were squeezed into that section.^[10] Most of the contraflow had speed limits of 40 mph (64 km/h) and required six speed cameras to enforce the speed limit through the narrow lanes.^[11]

The M5 motorway south of the Avonmouth Bridge, near Bristol.

In 2002 a southbound exit for Junction 12 has added. The Highways Agency did not anticipate the traffic flows through the junction and the resultant queues can now extend back onto the motorway.^[12] This is because of an increase in traffic from Stroud intending to use the M5 northbound. The distance from junctions 12 and 13 is similar and traffic congestion is heavy on the A419 towards junction 13 whereas it is usually lighter on the B4008 towards junction 12. As traffic leaving the M5 northbound towards Gloucester needs to give way to this traffic coming from the B4008, the queue on the motorway can extend beyond the first sign for the junction.

M5 Entrance Sign at Exeter.

In 2009 it was announced that the lighting between junctions 30 and 31 had been turned off between midnight and 5am to save energy.^[13]

Features

The M5 near Junction 28, Devon

Notable features of the M5 include the four level Almondsbury Interchange, between the M5 and the M4 near Bristol. Another is the Avonmouth Bridge that is often a bottleneck in heavy traffic. Beyond that are the split-level carriageways, as the motorway climbs the sides of the hills above the Gordano valley, between Portishead and Clevedon. Junction 1 surrounds a surviving gatehouse from the former Sandwell Hall.

The M5 follows the route of the A38 road quite closely. The two deviate slightly around Bristol and the area south of Bristol (junctions 16 to 22). The A38 goes straight through the centre of Bristol and passes by Bristol International Airport; whereas the M5 skirts around both of them, with access to the airport from junctions 18, 19 or 22. The A38 continues south from where the M5 finishes in Devon.

Between Junction 21, Weston-super-Mare and Junction 22, Burnham-on-Sea, the M5 passes by an isolated landmark hill called Brent Knoll.

Proposed development

Gloucestershire Gateway Services

Proposals were announced in September 2009 for a new Gloucestershire Gateway Services between junctions 11a and 12.^[14] A planning application was submitted in December 2009.^[15]

Junctions

Data ^{[16] [17][18]} from driver location signs are used to provide distance and carriageway identifier information.

Coordinate list

1. ^ 52°32′53″N 1°57′54″W / 52.548°N 1.965°W / 52.548; -1.965 (Junction 8 of M6) Northern end of M5 (interchange with M6)
2. ^ 52°25′44″N 2°01′05″W / 52.429°N 2.018°W / 52.429; -2.018 (Frankley Services) Frankley Services (between J3 and J4)
3. ^ 52°21′15″N 2°04′11″W / 52.3542°N 2.0698°W / 52.3542; -2.0698 (Junction 4a) J4a - Start of M42

See also

• List of motorways in the United Kingdom

References

Notes

Sources

• Charlesworth, George (1984). A History of British Motorways. London: Thomas Telford Ltd. ISBN 0-7277-0159-2.

External links

• Central Motorway Police Group
• CBRD Motorway Database - M5
• CBRD videos - M5
• Major roads of Great Britain - M5
• The Motorway Archive
  • Junctions 1 to 2 and other Midlands motorways
  • Junctions 3 to 8
  • Junctions 3 to 8 widening
  • Junctions 8 to 22
  • Junctions 22 to 31

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