M54 motorway

A view of the M54 as it traverses rural Shropshire near Wellington.

The M54 is a motorway in Shropshire and Staffordshire, England. It can also be referred to as the Telford Motorway, after its primary westward destination. The M54 is 23 miles (37km) long and connects the M6 motorway and the A5. It is part of the strategic route to North Wales, and provides the primary entryway into Shropshire from the rest of England via the M6; it is the only motorway in Shropshire.

Route

The road runs west from Junction 10A of the M6 motorway near Essington. It passes south of Featherstone near Junction 1 and then north of Bushbury before reaching Junction 2. It continues past Albrighton and reaches Junction 3. It then passes to the north of Shifnal. Between Junction 4 and Junction 5, the road passes across the Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury railway line through the centre of Telford. Between Junctions 6 and 7, the road runs around the south of Wellington before ending on the A5 (which continues on to Shrewsbury).

History

The M54 opened in sections^[1]:

M6 Junction 10a to Junction 5 opened in 1983
Junctions 5-7 opened in 1975

The first section of the motorway was originally planned in the 1960s as the A5 Wellington bypass^[2] and redesignated as the M54 in 1969. Construction began in 1973 and it was originally built with a concrete road surface, which was replaced around 2000 with standard blacktop tarmac. However, the remainder of the motorway which was opened in 1983 remains as the noisier concrete surface construction. Shortly after the complete route was opened, Junction 5 was changed to its current layout^[3]. One unusual aspect is the use of capital 'O' rather than '0' on destination/mileage signs around junctions. The section between Junctions 1 and 2 is a three lane section marked off for entering and exiting traffic, as is the section between the original location of junction 5 and junction 6.

Telford Motorway Service Station was opened in 2004 off Junction 4. It is the only service station on the motorway and, if travelling east, the last before Corley on the M6 or Frankley on the M5.

Future plans

There are proposals to add a link road to the M6 Toll^[4] which which meets the M6 at Junction 11a, whereas the M54 meets the M6 at Junction 10a. Traffic approaching the M6 can only travel southbound towards Birmingham. Currently traffic for the M6 Toll has to travel on local A roads to make the journey. Traffic heading south east along the M54 is advised to use the M6 Toll at peak times and Sunday evenings and is directed along the A449. Drivers can also choose to take a shorter route from Junction 1 onto the A460 northbound, crossing the M6 at J11, then turning left onto the M6 Toll, although this route is usually congested.

Junctions

M54 Motorway
Eastbound exits	Junction	Westbound exits
Birmingham, Coventry, Walsall M6	M6 J10A	Start of Motorway
Cannock A460	J1	Cannock A460
Wolverhampton, Stafford A449	J2	Wolverhampton A449
Wolverhampton (West) A41	J3	Weston, Whitchurch A41
Telford (East) A464 Kidderminster (A442) Telford Services	J4	Telford (East) A464 Ironbridge (A442) Telford Services
Telford (Centre) A5	J5	Telford (Centre) B5072
Telford (West) A518 Whitchurch (A449) Ironbridge A5223	J6	Telford (West) A518
Start of motorway	J7	Wellington B5061
Wellington B5061	J7	Road continues as A5 to Shrewsbury

References

External links

[1] The Motorway Archive - M54 Dates Pages

[2] The Motorway Archive - M54 Scheme Page

[3] CBRD Motorway Database - M54

[4] Highways Agency Project Page

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