M50 motorway (England)
- For other uses, see M50 motorway.
The M50 is a motorway in Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire, England. It is 21 miles (34 km) long and is sometimes referred to as the Ross Spur. It is the only motorway-class road in Herefordshire.
Route
The M50 runs in a south westerly/north easterly direction between the M5 motorway just north of Tewkesbury and the A40 road and A449 road at Ross-on-Wye. After leaving the M5 at junction 8 it passes north of Tewkesbury and then south of Ledbury. Between Junctions 1 & 2 it crosses the River Severn on the Queenhill Bridge, which also covers the associated flood plain. After passing north of Newent the motorway reaches its terminus at Junction 4.
History
The M50 was built by Tarmac Construction between 1958 and 1962[1]:
- Junctions 1 to 4 opened in 1960.
- M5 to Junction 1 opened in 1962.
The route was part of a strategic route from The Midlands to South Wales and so was constructed as an early priority[2]. It is one of the few British motorways not to have been widened, retaining its original layout of only two lanes in each direction.
In July 2007, the road was closed by flooding at Junction 2.[3]
Junctions
| M50 Motorway | ||
| Eastbound | Junction | Westbound |
| The MIDLANDS, Worcester, Birmingham M5 The SOUTH WEST, Tewkesbury, Bristol M5 |
M5 J8 | Start of Motorway |
| Tewkesbury A38 | J1 | Malvern A38 |
| Gloucester A417 | J2 | Hereford, Ledbury A417 |
| Newent B4421 | J3 | Newent B4421 |
| Start of motorway | J4 | SOUTH WALES, Monmouth, Ledbury, Ross-on-Wye A449 |
Services
Although not served directly by motorway service areas the M50 is served by a service area at Strensham services operated by RoadChef just north of the M50's north eastern terminus junction with junction 8 of the M5. Also at the other end of the M50 on the A449 road near the junction 4 south western terminus of the M50 there was a service area operated by Welcome Break called Ross Spur services, however recently this has closed and only the southwest bound BP garage remains open. [1]
Descriptions
The junction with the M5 was originally a free-flowing trumpet-style junction [4], but was converted to a roundabout when the M5 was widened in the 1990s[5]. Junction 1, where the M50 meets with the A38, is a Partial Cloverleaf. Junctions 2 and 3 have 90 degree turns from the deceleration lane into the slip roads which is hazardous for high-speed driving.
See also
References
- ^ The Motorway Archive - M50 dates page
- ^ The Motorway Archive - M50 Scheme Page
- ^ M50 flooding: BBC photo
- ^ Major Roads of Great Britain Narrative description of the route
- ^ The Motorway Archive - M5 Widening
External links
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