List of motorways in the United Kingdom

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List of motorways in the United Kingdom is a complete list of motorways in the United Kingdom. Note that one numbering scheme is used for Great Britain and a separate numbering scheme for Northern Ireland, see Roads in Ireland.

Contents 1 Great Britain 1.1 Single-digit motorways 1.1.1 England and Wales 1.1.2 Scotland 1.2 Two-digit motorways 1.2.1 England and Wales 1.2.2 Scotland 1.3 Three or more digit motorways and spurs 1.3.1 England 1.3.2 Scotland 1.4 Upgraded A-road designations 1.4.1 England 1.4.2 Wales 1.4.3 Scotland 1.5 Former motorways 1.6 Motorways that have been renamed 1.7 Motorways that are not trunk roads 1.7.1 England 1.8 Unbuilt motorways 2 Northern Ireland 2.1 Single-digit motorways 2.2 Two-digit motorways 2.3 Upgraded A-road designations 3 Notes

[edit] Great Britain

[edit] Single-digit motorways

[edit] England and Wales

Sign	Link	Route
Image:UK-Motorway-M1.svg	M1	The eastern north-south motorway linking London (Hendon) to Leeds and continuing north to the A1 near Garforth. The first inter-urban motorway.
Image:UK-Motorway-M2.svg	M2	In Kent from Rochester to Faversham. Bypasses the Medway Towns.
Image:UK-Motorway-M3.svg	M3	Linking London (Sunbury) to Southampton.
Image:UK-Motorway-M4.svg	M4	Linking London (Hammersmith) to South Wales, just beyond Pontarddulais.
Image:UK-Motorway-M5.svg	M5	Linking the M6 at Great Barr (on the Birmingham/ West Bromwich/ Walsall border) to Exminster near Exeter.
Image:UK-Motorway-M6.svg	M6	The western north-south motorway linking the M1 near Rugby to Carlisle.
Image:UK-Motorway-M6 Toll.svg	M6 Toll	A toll motorway bypassing a busy stretch of the M6 around the Birmingham and Wolverhampton areas from near Coleshill to Cannock.

[edit] Scotland

Sign	Link	Route
Image:UK-Motorway-M8.svg	M8	Linking Edinburgh to the A8 at Langbank, via Glasgow and Livingston. There is a gap in the motorway between Chapelhall and Bargeddie (south-east and south-west of Coatbridge) where the road is classified as the A8.
Image:UK-Motorway-M9.svg	M9	Linking the M8 just west of Edinburgh to Dunblane via Stirling and Falkirk.

[edit] Two-digit motorways

[edit] England and Wales

Sign	Link	Route
Image:UK-Motorway-M10.svg	M10	A short spur linking St Albans to the M1 near Hemel Hempstead.
Image:UK-Motorway-M11.svg	M11	Linking London (Woodford) to Cambridge.
Image:UK-Motorway-M18.svg	M18	Linking the M1 at Rotherham to the M62 near Goole.
Image:UK-Motorway-M20.svg	M20	Linking the M25 at Swanley to Folkestone.
Image:UK-Motorway-M23.svg	M23	Linking Hooley in Surrey (just north of the M25, and south of Coulsdon) to Crawley.
Image:UK-Motorway-M25.svg	M25	The London orbital motorway, numbered clockwise from Dartford around London to Thurrock. (The Dartford Crossing between Thurrock and Dartford is not classified as a motorway, being the A282.)
Image:UK-Motorway-M26.svg	M26	A short link between the M25 at Sevenoaks and the M20 before Maidstone.
Image:UK-Motorway-M27.svg	M27	The south coast route running from Cadnam, west of Southampton, to Portsmouth.
Image:UK-Motorway-M32.svg	M32	A spur from the M4 near Winterbourne to central Bristol.
Image:UK-Motorway-M40.svg	M40	Linking Uxbridge, west London, to the M42 south of Solihull.
Image:UK-Motorway-M42.svg	M42	Part of the Birmingham orbital motorway, from the M5 near Bromsgrove, running around the south and east of Birmingham and continuing north towards Measham. A section near Coleshill has been replaced by the M6 Toll.
Image:UK-Motorway-M45.svg	M45	A short spur linking the A45 south west of Rugby to the M1 south east of Rugby and north of Daventry.
Image:UK-Motorway-M48.svg	M48	The Severn Bridge, linking the M4 near Thornbury to the M4 near Caldicot over the River Severn. This used to be the M4 before the Second Severn Crossing was built.
Image:UK-Motorway-M49.svg	M49	A short link from the M5 to the M4 west of Bristol.
Image:UK-Motorway-M50.svg	M50	Linking the M5 north of Tewkesbury to Ross-on-Wye.
Image:UK-Motorway-M53.svg	M53	Linking Wallasey and Chester.
Image:UK motorway M54.PNG	M54	Linking the M6 north of Wolverhampton to Wellington west of Telford.
Image:UK-Motorway-M55.svg	M55	Linking the M6 north of Preston to Blackpool.
Image:UK-Motorway-M56.svg	M56	Linking Manchester (Gatley) to the A5117 between Ellesmere Port and Chester.
Image:UK-Motorway-M57.svg	M57	The Liverpool bypass running north-west from the M62 near Huyton to Switch Island between Maghull and Aintree.
Image:UK-Motorway-M58.svg	M58	Linking Switch Island (between Maghull and Aintree, northern Liverpool) to Wigan.
Image:UK-Motorway-M60.svg	M60	The Manchester Outer Ring Road, an orbital motorway, numbered clockwise from Stockport.
Image:UK-Motorway-M61.svg	M61	Linking Bamber Bridge near Preston to Manchester (Worsley).
Image:UK-Motorway-M62.svg	M62	The trans-Pennine link - connecting Liverpool to the A63 between North Cave and Newport, west of Kingston upon Hull. There is a gap in the motorway between Winton and Simister where the road has been reclassified to become the northern part of the M60 Manchester orbital motorway.
Image:UK-Motorway-M65.svg	M65	Linking Bamber Bridge near Preston to Colne.
Image:UK-Motorway-M66.svg	M66	Linking Ramsbottom to the M60 at Whitefield, north Manchester.
Image:UK-Motorway-M67.svg	M67	Linking the M60 at Denton, east Manchester, to Hattersley, east of Hyde.
Image:UK-Motorway-M69.svg	M69	Linking Coventry to Leicester.
Image:UK-Motorway-M96.svg	M96	Not open to the public, but part of the Fire Service College at Moreton-in-Marsh. Sometimes erroneously referred to as the M91.

[edit] Scotland

Sign	Link	Route
Image:UK-Motorway-M73.svg	M73	Linking the M74 near Uddingston to the A80, south-west of Cumbernauld.
Image:UK-Motorway-M74.svg	M74	Linking Glasgow (Rutherglen) to the A74(M) at Abington.
Image:UK-Motorway-M77.svg	M77	Linking the M8 at Glasgow (Pollokshields) to Fenwick near Kilmarnock.
Image:UK-Motorway-M80.svg	M80	Linking the M8 at Glasgow (Blochairn) and the M9 south of Stirling. There is a long gap in the motorway between Stepps (north-east Glasgow) and Haggs, near Falkirk, where the road is classified as the A80.
Image:UK-Motorway-M90.svg	M90	Linking Inverkeithing, north of the Forth Road Bridge, to Perth.

[edit] Three or more digit motorways and spurs

[edit] England

Sign	Link	Route
Image:UK-Motorway-M180.svg	M180	Linking the M18 at Thorne to the junction of the A15 (south of the Humber Bridge) and A180 (west of Grimsby).
Image:UK-Motorway-M181.svg	M181	A spur from the M180 running to the west of Scunthorpe.
Image:UK-Motorway-M271.svg	M271	Spurs from the M27 heading north to the A3057 (south of Romsey), and south to Totton.
Image:UK-Motorway-M275.svg	M275	A spur from the M27 on Horsea Island into Portsmouth (Landport).
Image:UK-Motorway-M602.svg	M602	Linking the M62 at Winton to Salford, just west of the centre of Manchester.
Image:UK-Motorway-M606.svg	M606	A spur from the M62 near Cleckheaton into Bradford.
Image:UK-Motorway-M621.svg	M621	Linking the M62 at Gildersome to the M1 near Rothwell. The motorway runs close to the centre of Leeds.

[edit] Scotland

Sign	Link	Route
Image:UK-Motorway-M876.svg	M876	Linking the M80 near Denny, north-west of Falkirk, to the A876 near the Kincardine Bridge. A short section of the motorway north of Stenhousemuir is classified as the M9.
Image:UK-Motorway-M898.svg	M898	A spur from the M8 near Erskine to the A898, the Erskine Bridge approach road.

[edit] Upgraded A-road designations

[edit] England

Sign	Link	Route
Image:UK-Motorway-A1 (M).svg	A1(M)	The parts of the A1 between London and Gateshead that have been upgraded to motorway. There are six sections of the A1 that have been upgraded: From the M25 at South Mimms to near Baldock; From Alconbury (near Huntingdon) to Peterborough; From Blyth (near Worksop) to Adwick le Street (near Doncaster); From Darrington (near Pontefract) to the junction with the A64 (near Tadcaster); From Wetherby to Dishforth (near Ripon); From Barton (near Darlington) to Birtley (near Gateshead).
Image:UK-Motorway-A3 (M).svg	A3(M)	Linking Horndean to Havant.
Image:UK-Motorway-A38 (M).svg	A38(M)	A spur from the M6 at the Gravelly Hill Interchange (Spaghetti Junction) to central Birmingham, also known as the Aston Expressway. It has no central reservation — the number of lanes open in each direction varies according to prevailing traffic conditions.
Image:UK-Motorway-A57 (M).svg	A57(M)	Known as the Mancunian Way, forms the southern part of Manchester's inner ring road, running from a junction on Deansgate to the A635 near Piccadilly Station. It is elevated and runs through the centre of the campus of UMIST, now part of the University of Manchester.
Image:UK-Motorway-A58 (M).svg	A58(M)	The western part of the Leeds inner ring road, running from Wellington Road (A58) to join the A64(M) at the junction with Claypit Lane (also A58).
Image:UK-Motorway-A64 (M).svg	A64(M)	The eastern part of the Leeds inner ring road, running from the A58(M) at the junction with Claypit Lane (A58), to York Road (A64).
Image:UK-Motorway-A66 (M).svg	A66(M)	A spur from the A1(M) near Cleasby joining the A66 heading into Darlington.
Image:UK-Motorway-A167 (M).svg	A167(M)	An urban motorway in central Newcastle upon Tyne running from just north of the Tyne Bridge to just north of Newcastle University.
Image:UK-Motorway-A194 (M).svg	A194(M)	Linking the A1(M) at Birtley (near Gateshead) to A194 near Wardley, leading to the Tyne Tunnel.
Image:UK-Motorway-A308 (M).svg	A308(M)	Linking the M4 junction 8/9 to the A308 near Bray.
Image:UK-Motorway-A329 (M).svg	A329(M)	Linking Bracknell to Winnersh near Reading, crossing the M4.
Image:UK-Motorway-A404 (M).svg	A404(M)	Linking the M4 junction 8/9 to the A4 at Maidenhead Thicket.
Image:UK-Motorway-A601 (M).svg	A601(M)	A spur from the M6 at Carnforth to the A6 near Warton. The southern part is single carriageway.
Image:UK-Motorway-A627M.svg	A627(M)	Linking Rochdale and Chadderton near Oldham, crossing the M62.

[edit] Wales

Sign	Link	Route
Image:UK-Motorway-A48 (M).svg	A48(M)	Linking the M4 near Castleton to Cardiff (St Mellons).

[edit] Scotland

Sign	Link	Route
Image:UK-Motorway-A74 (M).svg	A74(M)	Linking the M74 at Abington to Gretna.
Image:UK-Motorway-A823 (M).svg	A823(M)	A spur from the M90 near Rosyth to the A823 south of Dunfermline.

[edit] Former motorways

Roads which used to be motorways but have been downgraded:

Sign	Link	Route
Image:UK-Motorway-M15.svg	M15	The designation for the Ringway 2 upgrade of the A406 (North Circular Road) and A205 (South Circular Road). Only the section between junction 4 of the M11 and Redbridge Roundabout was built to motorway standard, and was initially signed as M11 because the section built, at the time only led onto the M11. When the route was extended to Beckton, the section of M11 was redesignated as the A406.
Image:UK-Motorway-M41.svg	M41	The London West Cross Route, a spur from the London Westway (A40(M)) and the only part of the western section of the London Motorway Box to be built, now A3220.[1]
Image:UK-Motorway-A18 (M).svg	A18(M)	A spur from M18. Mostly now part of M180, although a section has been abandoned.
Image:UK-Motorway-A40 (M).svg	A40(M)	The London Westway, now the A40.[1]
Image:UK-Motorway-A41 (M).svg	A41(M)	The Tring bypass, now the A41[2].
Image:UK-Motorway-A46 (M).svg	A46(M)	A spur towards Leicester from M1 at junction 21, now part of the A563[3].
Image:UK-Motorway-A102 (M).svg	A102(M)	The London East Cross Route, in two sections: Hackney Wick to Old Ford (now the A12); Blackwall Tunnel to the Sun-in-the-Sands roundabout (now the A102[1]). Was the eastern section of the London Motorway Box.
Image:UK-Motorway-A329 (M).svg	A329(M)	The northern third of the A329(M) from Winnersh to Reading, now the A3290. Downgraded to permit Reading council to dedicate one lane for buses.
Image:UK-Motorway-A6144 (M).svg	A6144(M)	Formerly the longest single-carriageway motorway spur in the United Kingdom from the M60 north of Sale towards Carrington. Now just a spur of the A6144.

[edit] Motorways that have been renamed

Sign	Link	Route
Image:UK-Motorway-M16.svg	M16	Originally to be the northern section of the M25 but was renumbered prior to opening.
Image:UK-Motorway-M63.svg	M63	Merged with parts of the M62 and M66 to form the new M60 Manchester orbital motorway.
Image:UK-Motorway-M85.svg	M85	Now M90 J10-11. Previously the M90 carried on along the spur into Perth, leaving the main route ahead as the M85[4]
	M531	Now the southern section of the M53[5].
	A20(M)	Now the M20 from J5-8.[6]
	A423(M)	Originally A4(M)[7] and then part of the M4. Now the A404(M)[8].
	A6127(M)	Now the A167(M)[9]

[edit] Motorways that are not trunk roads

[edit] England

Sign	Link	Route
Image:UK-Motorway-M62.svg	M62	From its western terminus to J6 is not a trunk road and is under the jurisdiction of Liverpool City Council.
Image:UK-Motorway-M65.svg	M65	From J10 to J14 is not a trunk road and is under the jurisdiction of Lancashire County Council.
Image:UK-Motorway-M275.svg	M275	The motorway is under the jurisdiction of Portsmouth City Council.

[edit] Unbuilt motorways

There have been many plans for motorways in the UK that have not been built, for one reason or the other. A lack of money or political will, environmental reasons, traffic reasons and public opposition being the main ones. Below is a not exhaustive list of plans that didn't get built:

• M12 in 3 forms ^[10]:
  • From the London end of the M11 to Brentwood;
  • From the London end of the M11 to Maplin Sands Airport (also not built);
  • From the M25 (in the vicinity of the M11) to Chelmsford.
• M13, from East London to Maplin Sands airport passing south of Southend^[11].
• M17 Castle Donington bypass, a short spur off the M1;
• M31, a bypass of the busiest section of the M25, cutting the corner for traffic from the West^[12].
• M59, M58 junction 2 to south of Preston^[13].
• M64, between the M6 south of Stoke-on-Trent and the M1 near Derby.
• M272 Portswood Link Motorway, which would have met the M27 at J5 and headed into Southampton.
• M601, which would have entered Manchester from the M62 (now the M60) near Pendlebury^[14].
• M650, Airedale Motorway from near Silsden to Shipley^[15].
• A6(M) (or M66 extension), which would have formed an eastern bypass for Stockport^[16]. As of March 2006, this is still under the planning stage as part of the SEMMMS (south east Manchester multi modal study) project (though not as motorway).
• A556(M), which would have cut the corner between the M6 and M56 near Warrington^[17].
• Chippenham Spur, off the M4^[18]
• Strensham - Solihull/Coventry motorway, a link between the M50 and M42 or M69^[19]
• Kirkhamgate - Pudsey motorway - a link from the M1 to either/both the M650 or/and Pudsey-Dishforth motorway
• Pudsey - Dishforth motorway - a route West of Leeds for the M1 to bypass Leeds and reach the A1.
• Spur off M5 at j20 towards Bristol
• Spur off M5 at j21 towards Weston
• East Coast Motorway from M11 j9 to Sunderland via Boston and the Humber Bridge.
• M11 (Northern Ireland), from the M1 going through Lisburn and then crossing the M1 again and ending at Newry^[20]
• M23 (Northern Ireland), from the M2 to (London)Derry^[21]

Many cities had urban motorway plans, most of which weren't built. London^[22], Newcastle^[23], Liverpool^[24], Leeds, Manchester/SELNEC, Southampton, Portsmouth, Coventry, Glasgow^[25] and Belfast^[26][27] all had extensive plans.

[edit] Northern Ireland

[edit] Single-digit motorways

Sign	Link	Route
Image:UK-Motorway-M1.svg	M1	Linking Belfast to Dungannon.
Image:UK-Motorway-M2.svg	M2	In two sections, one linking Belfast to Antrim, and the other bypassing Ballymena. The section in between was planned, but never built.
Image:UK-Motorway-M3.svg	M3	Linking the M2 in north Belfast to the A2 Sydenham Bypass in east Belfast.
Image:UK-Motorway-M5.svg	M5	Linking the M2 in north Belfast to Newtownabbey.

[edit] Two-digit motorways

Sign	Link	Route
Image:UK-Motorway-M12.svg	M12	A spur from the M1 near Derrymacash to the north of Portadown.
Image:UK-Motorway-M22.svg	M22	Linking the M2 at Antrim to Randalstown.

[edit] Upgraded A-road designations

Sign	Link	Route
Image:UK-Motorway-A8 (M).svg	A8(M)	A spur from the M2 near Glengormley to the A8 north-west of Newtownabbey.

[edit] Notes

v • d • e Roads in the United Kingdom Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg
Articles	Great Britain road numbering scheme · Roads and Motorways in Northern Ireland · Motoring taxation in the United Kingdom  · Driving in the United Kingdom  · Road signs in the United Kingdom
A road lists	Zone 1 · Zone 2 · Zone 3 · Zone 4 · Zone 5 · Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8 · Zone 9 · Northern Ireland
B road lists	Zone 1 · Zone 2 · Zone 3 · Zone 4 · Zone 5 · Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8 · Zone 9 · Northern Ireland
Other lists	List of motorways in the United Kingdom · Anomalously numbered · Junctions · Primary Destinations · Unused roads

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