M48 motorway
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| Route information | |
| Length: | 12 mi (19 km) |
| Existed: | 1966 – present |
| Major junctions | |
| East end: | Olveston |
  J21 → M4 motorway  J23 → M4 motorway |
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| West end: | Magor |
| Location | |
| Primary destinations: |
Chepstow, (Monmouth), (Gloucester), (Newport), (Bristol) |
| Road network | |
The M48 is a motorway in Great Britain joining Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire over 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 |
[edit] 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 immediately to the south of Chepstow. 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. Junction 2 also gives access to the Wye Valley. Junction 1 is home to Severn View services, and can be accessed by the A403 road, from Avonmouth. Junction 2 for Chepstow can be accessed by the A466, this leads to the A48 road. For Chepstow from the M4, the M48 is the most direct and quickest route.
[edit] History
The M48 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 the Aust Ferry (which was unsuitable for large goods vehicles) or travelled through Gloucester to pass north of the Severn Estuary.[3]
After opening the route became increasingly busy so, in 1984, a report was commissioned into a Second Severn Crossing.[4] After four years of construction this new route was opened in 1996 and the M4 was diverted over the newer bridge.[2] The original stretch of motorway was renumbered as M48 and now shares the traffic between England and Wales.
[edit] Junctions
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Data[5] from driver location signs are used to provide distance and carriageway identifier information. Where a junction spans several hundred metres and start and end points are available, both are cited.
| M48 motorway | |||
| km | Eastbound exits (B Carriageway) | Junction | Westbound exits (A Carriageway) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 189.3 | London, Bristol M4 | M4 J21 Terminus |
Chepstow, Services M48 Start of motorway |
| 193.9 | Avonmouth A403, Services | J1 Services |
Avonmouth A403, Services (MOTO) |
| 194.4 | No tolls | Tolls | Toll booth |
| 194.9 197.6 |
Severn Bridge Entry into England Wye Bridge |
River Severn Border River Wye |
Severn Bridge Entry into Wales Wye Bridge |
| 198.2 198.6 |
Chepstow A466 (A48) Cas - gwent |
J2 | Chepstow A466 (A48) Cas - gwent |
| 209.6 | Start of motorway Chepstow, Services M48 Cas - gwent, Gwasanaethau |
Terminus M4 J23 |
Newport, Cardiff M4 Casnewydd, Caerdydd |
Information above gathered from Advanced Direction Signs May 2011
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "Motorway Database - M48". CBRD. http://www.cbrd.co.uk/motorway/m48/. Retrieved 2007-10-26.
- ^ a b "Severn Crossing Dates". The Motorway Archive. http://www.iht.org/motorway/m4severnstat.htm. Retrieved 2007-10-26.
- ^ "Severn Crossing". The Motorway Archive. http://www.iht.org/motorway/m4severn.htm. Retrieved 2007-10-26.
- ^ "Second Severn Crossing". The Motorway Archive. http://www.iht.org/motorway/m4sscscheme.htm. Retrieved 2007-10-26.
- ^ Traffic England Live Traffic Condition Map Highways Agency - Locations extracted from Traffic Camera Popup identifier text
[edit] External links
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