M50 motorway (Great Britain)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
|
| M50 motorway | |
| Length | 21 miles 34 km |
| Direction | East - West |
| Start | Strensham |
| Primary destinations | None |
| End | Ross-on-Wye |
| Construction dates | 1960 - 1962 |
| Motorways joined |  M5 motorway |
- 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.
Contents |
[edit] 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.
[edit] History
The M50 was built 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.
[edit] Junctions
| M50 Motorway | ||
| Eastbound | Junction | Westbound |
| The MIDLANDS, Worcester, Birmingham M5 The SOUTH WEST, Tewkesbury, Bristol M5 |
M5 J8 | Start of Motorway |
| Upton-upon-Severn A38 | J1 | Upton-upon-Severn A38 |
| Ledbury A417 | J2 | Ledbury A417 |
| Gorsley B4421 | J3 | Gorsley B4421 |
| Start of motorway | J4 | SOUTH WALES, Monmouth, Ledbury, Ross-on-Wye A449 |
[edit] 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 to 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]
[edit] Descriptions
The junction with the M5 was originally a free-flowing trumpet-style junction [3], but was converted to a roundabout when the M5 was widened in the 1990s[4]. 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.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ The Motorway Archive - M50 dates page
- ^ The Motorway Archive - M50 Scheme Page
- ^ Major Roads of Great Britain Narrative description of the route
- ^ The Motorway Archive - M5 Widening
[edit] External links
 |
Motorways in the United Kingdom | |
| Great Britain: M1 • M2 • M3 • M4 • M5 • M6 • M6 Toll • M8 • M9 • M10 • M11 • M18 • M20 • M23 • M25 • M26 • M27 • M32 • M40 • M42 • M45 • M48 • M49 • M50 • M53 • M54 • M55 • M56 • M57 • M58 • M60 • M61 • M62 • M65 • M66 • M67 • M69 • M73 • M74 • M77 • M80 • M90 • M180 • M181 • M271 • M275 • M602 • M606 • M621 • M876 • M898 | ||
| A1(M) • A3(M) • A38(M) • A48(M) • A57(M) • A58(M) • A64(M) • A66(M) • A74(M) • A167(M) • A194(M) • A308(M) • A329(M) • A404(M) • A601(M) • A627(M) • A823(M) | ||
| Northern Ireland: M1 • M2 • M3 • M5 • M12 • M22 • A8(M) | edit | |
| Past: M16 • M41 • M63 • A18(M) • A40(M) • A41(M) • A102(M) • A6144(M) Unbuilt: M12 • M13 • M15 • M31 • M64 Future: M4 Toll | ||
