A38(M) motorway
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| A38(M) motorway | |
| Length | 2 miles 3.2 km |
| Direction | North - South |
| Start | Gravelly Hill |
| Primary destinations | Birmingham |
| End | Birmingham |
| Construction dates | 1972 - complete motorway |
| Motorways joined |  M6 J6 |
The A38(M) is a motorway in Birmingham, England. It is 2 miles (3.2km) long and was opened on May 24, 1972[1]. It forms part of the A38 and is also known as the Aston Expressway.
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[edit] Route
The A38(M) runs from the A5127 through Spaghetti Junction where the A38 joins and then shortly after traffic from the M6 motorway also joins. It then enters a tidal flow section with a total of 7 lanes. Lane use is controlled by means of electronic overhead signs, with one lane always closed to create a buffer between the two directions of travel - there is no central reservation. Access to the centre lane, which contains a drainage channel, is now forbidden to motorcycles because of a fatal accident which happened when one of the drainage covers dislodged[2]. In the morning, there are normally 4 lanes for Birmingham bound traffic and 2 lanes for traffic northbound. In the evening rush hour, there are 4 lanes outbound and 2 lanes towards the city centre. At all other times, the road runs with 3 lanes in each direction.
The route is on a bridge as it passes through Aston; this section cuts through the grounds of Aston Hall[3]. The road passes through its first junction after 1 mile. It then enters a cutting before reaching the second junction, where the tidal flow ends as does the motorway.
Due to the nature of the road, the speed limit is reduced to 50 mph (80 km/h), with no speed cameras.
[edit] Junctions
| A38(M) Motorway | ||
| Northbound exits | Junction | Southbound exits |
| Road continues to Erdington as A5127 | M6 J6 (Spaghetti Junction) |
Start of Motorway |
| Lichfield, Tamworth A38 | No Exit | |
| The SOUTH, Coventry The NORTH WEST, Wolverhampton M6 Aston A5127 |
No Exit | |
| No exit | (Park Circus) | Aston B4132 |
| Start of Motorway | (Dartmouth Circus) | Handsworth, Ladywood, Aston, Small Heath A4540 (Birmingham Inner Ring Road) |
| Handsworth, Ladywood, Aston, Small Heath A4540 (Birmingham Inner Ring Road) |
Road continues as A38 to Birmingham City Centre | |
[edit] Trivia
- The motorway is crossed by a gantry which used to house a vinegar pipeline, carrying the condiment from one part of the HP Sauce factory to the other.
- The motorway is curved in Aston to avoid an Ansells brewery. The brewery was demolished before the road was finished[3].
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- CBRD Motorway Database - A38(M)
- CBRD Videos - A38(M)
- Pathetic Motorways - A38(M)
- The Motorway Archive - A38(M)
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Motorways in the United Kingdom | |
| Great Britain: M1 • M2 • M3 • M4 • M5 • M6 • M6 Toll • M8 • M9 • M10 • M11 • M18 • M20 • M23 • M25 • M26 • M27 • M32 • M40 • M42 • M45 • M48 • M49 • M50 • M53 • M54 • M55 • M56 • M57 • M58 • M60 • M61 • M62 • M65 • M66 • M67 • M69 • M73 • M74 • M77 • M80 • M90 • M180 • M181 • M271 • M275 • M602 • M606 • M621 • M876 • M898 | ||
| A1(M) • A3(M) • A38(M) • A48(M) • A57(M) • A58(M) A64(M) • A66(M) • A74(M) • A167(M) • A194(M) • A308(M) • A329(M) • A404(M) • A601(M) • A627(M) • A823(M) | ||
| Northern Ireland: M1 • M2 • M3 • M5 • M12 • M22 • A8(M) | edit | |
| Past: M41 • M63 • A18(M) • A40(M) • A41(M) • A102(M) • A6144(M) Unbuilt: M12 • M15 • M64 Future: M4 Toll | ||
