M48 MOTORWAY


M48 on the Wye Bridge with the Severn Bridge in the distance, looking towards England

The 'M48' is a motorway in Gloucestershire, England and Monmouthshire, Wales. It includes the original Severn Bridge. The M48 is anomalously numbered, as it is entirely to the west of the M5 motorway and its number should really therefore begin with 5[1].

Contents
Route
History
Junctions
See also
References
External links

Route


Travelling east to west after leaving the M4 near Olveston in England. It then heads north west to Junction 1 near Aust. It then passes through a toll booth westbound only and crosses the Severn Bridge. On the Wye Bridge it crosses into Wales. It then heads south west after Junction 2 past Crick and to the north of Caldicot. The motorway then merges back with the M4 near Magor.

History


It was opened as part of the M4 in 1966[2]. Before this date traffic between England and South Wales was either taken through on a motorail service through the Severn Tunnel, used ferries unsuitable for Heavy Goods Vehicles or travelled up to Ross on Wye or through Chepstow to pass north of the River Severn Estuary[3]. After opening the route became increasingly busy and in 1984The Motorway Archive - Second Severn Crossing a report was commissioned into a Second Severn Crossing. After 4 years of construction this new route was opened in 19962 and the M4 was diverted over the newer bridge. This motorway was renumbered as the M48 and it now shares the traffic between England & Wales at this point.

Junctions


'M48 Motorway'
Eastbound exits Westbound exits
London, Bristol 'M4' M4 J21 ''Start of motorway''
Severn Beach 'A403', Thornbury 'B4461'
''Severn View services''		 J1 Severn Beach 'A403', Thornbury 'B4461'
''Severn View services''
''No Tolls'' ''Toll Booth''
ENGLAND
Severn Bridge
WALES
Chepstow 'A466' J2 Chepstow 'A466'
''Start of Motorway'' M4 J23 Newport, Cardiff 'M4'


★ The services, having no counterpart on the M4, give traffic wishing to use them a motive to use the old bridge and help share traffic between the bridges.

★ Junction 2 also serves the Wye Valley.

See also



★ List of motorways in the United Kingdom

References



1. CBRD Motorway Database - M48
2. The Motorway Archive - Severn Crossing Dates
3. The Motorway Archive - Severn Crossing


External links



★ CBRD Motorway Database - M48

★ The Motorway Archive - M48

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