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:''This article concerns the M5 motorway in England. See M5 for other roads numbered "M5".
The 'M5' is a motorway in England. It runs from the M6 at Great Barr to Exeter in Devon. Heading south from the M6, the M5 runs east of West Bromwich and west of Birmingham through Sandwell Valley. The road continues past Droitwich Spa, Worcester, Tewkesbury, Cheltenham, Gloucester, Bristol, Weston-super-Mare, 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 after 3pm on a Friday afternoon until 8pm between Junctions 15 and 24.
| Contents |
| Construction phases |
| Initial construction phases |
| M42 link |
| Widening the middle section |
| Addition of crawler lanes |
| Features |
| Route |
| Contraflow |
| See also |
| References |
| External links |
Construction phases
Initial construction phases
The M5 motorway was originally built as a four-lane motorway (two lanes in each direction). The 'middle section', Junction 4 (Lydiate Ash), in the north, to a 'trumpet junction' with the M50, in the south, was built first. 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 M5 motorway was later extended, in the late 1960s / early 1970s, northwards from Junction 4 and Frankley service area was built. Much of this northern extension beyond Junction 3, from about Quinton to its junction with the M6 motorway, was elevated motorway built on concrete pillars. The northern extension was a six-lane motorway (three lanes in each direction).
It was also extended southwards in the late 1960s to mid 1970s, through Somerset, to Exeter. The new motorway extension passed over the top of the 'original trumpet junction', which was then converted into a complete roundabout, now Junction 8, below the motorway. A new services area was also built nearby, Strensham Services; and the south-bound slip road links down into this roundabout. This southern extension was also six-lane motorway (three lanes in each direction).
M42 link
In the late 1980s a new 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.[1]
Widening the middle section
The middle 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 completely rebuilt further away from the new junction. Junction 7 was also remodelled into a roundabout junction.[2]
Addition of crawler lanes
Now, because of the high volume of traffic in the summer, some sections of carriageway in Somerset have a fourth crawler lane; particularly where the M5 climbs up the side of hills.
The Avonmouth Bridge was converted to eight lanes (four lanes in each direction) in the early 2000s. Later, in 2005-6, 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 crash barrier. During this stage of construction the M5 became Britain's longest contraflow system,[3] spanning nine miles between junctions 19 and 20, and ''stealing'' the M25's ''claim'' during the construction of the new Heathrow terminal junction. The M5 contraflow was said to be the most complicated ever built in the UK as the motorway is on a split level going around the steep hills of Gordano valley; meaning four lanes plus an additional emergency vehicle lane were squeezed into that section.[4] Most of the contraflow had speed limits of 40mph and required six speed cameras to enforce the speed limit through the narrow lanes.[5]
Features
The M5 near J28, Devon
There are many notable features of the M5. The massive interchange, Almondsbury Interchange, between the M5 and the M4 near Bristol is one of them. 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. Some of the road later on is in a distinctive pink colour due to the surface material used on the motorway.
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. The M5 is ''not'' a substitute for the A5 road which runs from London to Holyhead.
Junction 1 surrounds a surviving gatehouse from the former Sandwell Hall.
Route
Contraflow
The M5 holds claims to having the longest and most complex contraflow in Britain during 2005-06 totalling nine miles in length.[6]
See also
★ List of motorways in the United Kingdom
References
1. The Motorway Archive - M42
2. The Motorway Archive - M5 Widening, junctions 3 to 8
3. Sky News - UK's Longest Contraflow
4. Western Daily Press - West beware! It's Britain's biggest road contraflow
5. Road Traffic Technology - RedSpeed International Take On Europe's Largest Contraflow
6. BBC News - 'Most complex' contraflow
External links
★ CBRD Motorway Database - M5
★ CBRD Videos - M5
★ Major Roads Of Great Britain - M5
★ The Motorway Archive
★
★ Junctions 1 to 2 & other Midlands Motorways
★
★ Junctions 3 to 8
★
★ Junctions 3 to 8 widening
★
★ Junctions 8 to 22
★
★ Junctions 22 to 31
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