M5 motorway

M5 motorway
Route information
Length: 162.9 mi (262.2 km)
Existed: 1962 – present
History: Constructed 1962–1977
Major junctions
From: West Bromwich
 
(M6 J8) → M6 motorway

J4a → M42 motorway

J8 → M50 motorway

J15 → M4 motorway

J18a → M49 motorway
To: Exminster
Location
Primary
destinations
:
West Bromwich, Birmingham, Bromsgrove, Worcester, Cheltenham, Gloucester, Bristol, Weston-super-Mare, Bridgwater, Taunton, Exeter
Road network

Roads in the United Kingdom
Motorways • A and B road zones

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, Burnham-on-Sea, Bridgwater and Taunton on its way to Exeter, ending at Junction 31. It is the primary gateway to south-west England. Congestion is common during the summer, on Friday afternoons, and school and bank holidays on the section south of the M4.

Contents

Route

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 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. The Willow Man sculpture is visible from both carriageways, and acts as a landmark just to the south of Junction 23.

The Almondsbury Interchange, between the M5 and the M4 near Bristol is a four level interchange. The Avonmouth Bridge is often a bottleneck in heavy traffic.[1] There are split-level carriageways where 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.

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 Worcestershire County Council acting as engineer.[2] This section, from Junction 4 (Lydiate Ash) in the north to a trumpet junction with the M50 in the south, opened in 1963.[2][3] 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 Gloucestershire County Council acting as engineer which was intended to replace the pre-war Filton bypass.[2][3][4] This section was widened to a dual three-lane motorway in 1969.[3]

The section north of Junction 4 was constructed 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.[3]

The M5 was also extended southwards, in sections, from 1967 to 1977, through Somerset, to Exeter, as a dual three-lane motorway[3] 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.[2] The termini for this section have since been removed, although part of the southern terminal roundabout is now used as an emergency access.[5] It was developed to motorway standards, and incorporated into the M5 in 1975.[2]

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.[6][6]

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, the short section of the M42 north of Bromsgrove did not open until 1989.[7]

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.[8]

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); variable message signs 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,[9][10] 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.[11] 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.[12]

In 2002 extended exits for Junction 12 were constructed. The Highways Agency did not anticipate the traffic flows through the junction and the resultant queues can now extend back onto the motorway.[13] 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. More improvements are scheduled, as at 2010.

At junction 28 the Cullompton services are only signed on the motorway in the northbound direction, and are not signed in the southbound direction, this was implemented to reduce congestion at the low capacity junction, and there is still access available to the services southbound through the junction respectively. Also the northbound exit slip to the junction was reduced to one lane instead of two to reduce traffic on the small roundabout at the west side of the junction.

In 2009 it was announced that the lighting between junctions 30 and 31 had been turned off between midnight and 5am to save energy.[14]

Proposed development

Gloucestershire Gateway Services

Proposals were announced in September 2009 for a new Gloucestershire Gateway Services between junctions 11a and 12.[15] A planning application was submitted in December 2009.[16] Stroud District councillors approved the services in August 2010.[17]

Notable events

2011 multi-vehicle collision

On the evening of Friday 4 November 2011, seven people were killed and a further 51 injured in a major crash involving 36 vehicles (including cars, vans, and large goods vehicles), which took place close to junction 25 in West Monkton, near Taunton.[18] Some vehicles were burnt out in the fire which developed at the scene.[19] The cause of the crash, which took place in wet foggy conditions close to a firework display, is currently being investigated.[20]

Junctions

Data[21] [22][23] from driver location signs are used to provide distance and carriageway identifier information. Where both the start and end point of the junction are known, both have been included.

M5 motorway junctions
km Northbound exits (B Carriageway) Junction Southbound exits (A Carriageway) Coordinates
0.0 The North West, Wolverhampton, Birmingham (North & East), Walsall M6 M6, J8
Start of motorway
4.3
5.3
West Bromwich, Birmingham (North West) A41 J1 West Bromwich, Birmingham (North West) A41
8.4
9.3
Dudley, Wolverhampton,
Birmingham (West) A4123
J2 Dudley, Wolverhampton, Birmingham (West) A4123
13.8
14.5
Birmingham (South West & Central) A456 J3 Kidderminster A456
Frankley Services Services Frankley Services
22.5
23.2
Birmingham (South) A38
Stourbridge A491
J4 Bromsgrove A38
Stourbridge A491
25.9
26.7
NEC, Airport, M42, London (M40), The North East (M1) J4A
Birmingham (South & East), Redditch M42, London (M40)
34.5
35.0
Droitwich, Bromsgrove A38 J5 Droitwich A38
43.5
44.2
Worcester (North), Kidderminster A449 J6 Worcester (North) A449, Evesham A4538
48.6
49.4
Worcester (South), Evesham A44 J7 Worcester (South) A44
Strensham services Services Strensham services
63.9
64.4
South Wales, Ross-on-Wye M50 J8 South Wales, Ross-on-Wye M50
69.8
70.6
Tewkesbury A438 Evesham A46 J9 Tewkesbury A438 Evesham A46
77.7
78.0
No access J10 Cheltenham A4019
82.1
82.8
Cheltenham, Gloucester A40 J11 Cheltenham, Gloucester, Staverton Airport A40
85.9
86.9
Gloucester, Cirencester A417 J11A London, Cirencester A417
Gloucestershire Gateway Services
(Construction starts late 2011, opening in 2013)
Services Gloucestershire Gateway Services
(Construction starts late 2011, opening in 2013)
96.9
97.4
Gloucester (A38) J12 Gloucester (A38)
101.8
102.5
Stroud A419 J13 Stroud, Dursley A419
115.7 Michaelwood services Services Michaelwood services
118.4
119.0
Dursley B4509 J14 Thornbury B4509
130.5
131.5
South Wales, London M4 J15
Almondsbury Interchange
London, South Wales M4 (M48), Bristol (M32)
132.0
132.5
Thornbury, Filton A38 J16 Thornbury, Filton A38
135.5
136.2
Bristol (West), Cribbs Causeway A4018 B4055 J17 Bristol (West), Cribbs Causeway A4018
140.6
141.2
South Wales, Cardiff, Newport M49 (M4(W)) J18A No access
141.6
142.0
Bristol A4
Avonmouth, Docks (A403)
J18 Avonmouth, Bristol (West), Airport A4
Avonmouth Bridge Bridge Avonmouth Bridge
145.0 Portishead, Royal Portbury Dock, Clifton (Toll) A369
Gordano Services
J19
Services
Portishead, Royal Portbury Dock A369
Gordano services
155.6 Nailsea, Clevedon B3133 J20 Clevedon, Nailsea B3133
164.6 Weston-super-Mare, Bristol (South) A370 J21 Weston-super-Mare A370
175.6 Sedgemoor services Services Sedgemoor services
179.8 Burnham-on-Sea, Bristol (South), Airport A38
Weston-S-Mare (A370)
J22 Highbridge, Burnham-on-Sea A38
188.1 Highbridge A38
Glastonbury, Wells A39
J23 Glastonbury, Wells A39
Bridgwater A38
196.0
196.3
Bridgwater, Minehead A38
Bridgwater services
J24
Services
Minehead, A38 (A39)
Bridgwater services
206.7
206.9
Taunton, Yeovil A358 J25 Honiton, Yeovil, Weymouth A358, Taunton (A38)
214.5 Taunton Deane services Services Taunton Deane services
217.8
218.0
Wellington, Taunton A38 J26 Wellington A38
230.7
231.3
Barnstaple, Tiverton A361, Wellington A38 J27 Barnstaple, Tiverton A361, Willand (B3181)
237.5
238.0
Cullompton B3181
Cullompton services
J28
Services
Cullompton B3181, Honiton A373
253.8
254.4
Honiton A30
Exeter International Airport
J29 Honiton A30 (East)
Exeter International Airport
255.7
256.3
Exeter A379, Exmouth A376
Sidmouth (A3052), Exeter services
J30
Services
Exeter, Dawlish A379
Sidmouth, Exmouth A376
Exeter services
261.4
261.7
Start of motorway J31 Bodmin, Okehampton A30
261.8 Bodmin, Okehampton A30
Non-motorway traffic
Road becomes A38 to Plymouth and Torquay (A380)
     Motorway •      Primary road •      Secondary road
     Concurrency terminus     Closed/Former     Incomplete access     Unopened
Junction information gathered from Advanced Direction Signs March to June 2011 (J4A - J31). Coordinates from Google Maps, taken at the approximate centre of the junction

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ "Out and About In Bristol". Tour UK. http://www.touruk.co.uk/bristol/Bristol-Attractions.htm?attraction=Out%20and%20About&attractiontype=O. Retrieved 15 November 2011. 
  2. ^ a b c d e Charlesworth, George (1984), pp.135-140.
  3. ^ a b c d e Charlesworth, George (1984), Table 7.3 - pp.100-123.
  4. ^ Ordnance Survey One Inch Map of Great Britain, Series 7 Sheet 156, major roads revised 1963.
  5. ^ "SABRE Photo Gallery". http://www.uk-roads.co.uk/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=11548&fullsize=. 
  6. ^ a b "News: Motorway lighting". Autocar vol 137 nbr 3978: page 19. 13 July 1972. 
  7. ^ "The Motorway Archive - M42". Iht.org. http://www.iht.org/motorway/m42birmnott.htm. Retrieved 31 December 2011. 
  8. ^ "The Motorway Archive - M5 Widening, junctions 3 to 8". Iht.org. http://www.iht.org/motorway/m5widening.htm. Retrieved 31 December 2011. 
  9. ^ Sky News - UK's Longest Contraflow
  10. ^ "'Most complex' contraflow". BBC News. 29 October 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/4388320.stm. Retrieved 31 December 2011. 
  11. ^ Western Daily Press - West beware! It's Britain's biggest road contraflow
  12. ^ "RedSpeed International Take On Europe's Largest Contraflow". Road Traffic Technology. http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/photo_enforcement/redspeed/press4.html. Retrieved 31 December 2011. 
  13. ^ "Agency admits error over junction". BBC News (British Broadcasting Corporation). 18 November 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/4448870.stm. Retrieved 1 January 2008. 
  14. ^ "Night switch-off for M5 lighting". BBC News. 12 March 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/7940865.stm. Retrieved 10 August 2010. 
  15. ^ "Eco-services plan for M5". This is Gloucestershire. 17 September 2009. http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/gloucestershireheadlines/Eco-services-plan-M5/article-1343458-detail/article.html. Retrieved 15 January 2010. 
  16. ^ "Planning background". Gloucestershiregatewayservies. http://www.westmorland.com/we-are-opening-new-motorway-service-area-gloucestershire. Retrieved 11 November 2010. 
  17. ^ "Plans for Gloucestershire M5 service station approved". BBC News Gloucestershire. 10 August 2010. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-10928166. Retrieved 10 August 2010. 
  18. ^ "Seven confirmed dead in M5 accident in Somerset". BBC News. 5 November 2011. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-15606278. Retrieved 6 November 2011. 
  19. ^ O'Carroll, Lisa (5 November 2011). "M5 Crash: Latest Updates: Live". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/nov/05/m5-crash-latest-updates-live?intcmp=239. Retrieved 5 November 2011. 
  20. ^ Bayley, Jon (7 November 2011). "Police investigate smoke as possible cause of M5 pile-up in which seven died". Western Morning News. http://www.thisiswesternmorningnews.co.uk/Police-investigate-smoke-possible-cause-M5-pile/story-13763109-detail/story.html. Retrieved 7 November 2011. 
  21. ^ "Traffic England Live Traffic Condition Map" (in English). Locations extracted from Traffic Camera Popup (J1 to J10). Highways Agency. http://www.trafficengland.com/map.aspx. Retrieved 4 November 2009. 
  22. ^ J11-J18: Driver Location Signs, M5 J18-11, M4 J22-15 (map) Highway Authority 2009
  23. ^ J19-J30: Driver Location Signs, M5 J19-30 (map) - Highway Authority, 2009

Sources

External links