List of motorways in the United Kingdom
M-designated motorway
Upgraded A-road designation
This list of motorways in the United Kingdom is a complete list of motorways in the United Kingdom. Note that the numbering scheme used for Great Britain does not include roads in Northern Ireland, which are allocated numbers on an ad hoc basis.[1]
Great Britain
[edit]The following motorways are sorted following the motorway numbering scheme used in Great Britain.
M-designated motorways
[edit]| Link | Route | Ceremonial counties (England) Council areas (Scotland) Principal areas (Wales) |
Highest junction to junction average daily vehicle flow 2019[2] | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mi | km | ||||
| M1 | A south-north motorway linking London to Leeds. The first long-distance motorway in the country to be built.[3] | Greater London, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire | 168,763 | 193.5 | 311.4 |
| M11 | A south-north motorway linking London to Cambridge. | Greater London, Essex, Cambridgeshire | 121,964 | 55.0 | 88.5 |
| M18 | A southwest-northeast motorway linking Rotherham to Goole | South Yorkshire, East Riding of Yorkshire | 108,855 | 26.5 | 42.6 |
| M180 | A west-east motorway linking Thorne to Grimsby. Continues as the A180 after the exit for the Humber Bridge. | South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire | 48,780 | 25.0 | 40.2 |
| M181 | A spur of the M180 leading to Scunthorpe. | Lincolnshire | 18,213 | 2.0 | 3.2 |
| M2 | A west-east motorway bypassing Medway, Sittingbourne and Faversham. | Kent | 106,582 | 25.7 | 41.4 |
| M20 | A west-east motorway linking London to Folkestone and the Channel Tunnel. | 120,348 | 50.6 | 81.4 | |
| M23 | A north-south motorway linking London to Gatwick Airport and Crawley. | Surrey, West Sussex | 110,574 | 15.9 | 25.6 |
| M25 | A ring road of London numbered clockwise from Dartford. | Kent, Surrey, Berkshire, Greater London, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Essex | 216,108 | 117 | 188 |
| M26 | An east-west motorway linking the M25 to the M20. | Kent | 70,674 | 9.9 | 15.9 |
| M27 | A west-east motorway linking Southampton to Portsmouth. | Hampshire | 134,210 | 25.0 | 40.2 |
| M271 | A spur of the M27 bypassing Southampton to the west. | 53,678 | 2.3 | 3.7 | |
| M275 | A spur from the M27 to central Portsmouth and Cosham. | 86,291 | 2.0 | 3.2 | |
| M3 | A northeast-southwest motorway linking London to Southampton. | Surrey, Hampshire | 136,059 | 58.6 | 94.3 |
| M32 | A spur from the M4 into central Bristol. | Gloucestershire, Bristol | 84,898 | 4.4 | 7.1 |
| M4 | An east-west motorway linking London to Cardiff and South Wales. The first and only long-distance motorway from England to Wales to be built. | Greater London, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Monmouthshire, Newport, Cardiff, Vale of Glamorgan, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Bridgend, Neath Port Talbot, Swansea, Carmarthenshire | 161,807 | 189 | 304 |
| M40 | A southeast-northwest motorway linking London to Birmingham. | Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire | 133,490 | 89.0 | 143.2 |
| M42 | A quarter-orbital motorway bypassing Birmingham to the south and east, continuing anticlockwise and then northeast as A42 to the M1 at Kegworth. | Worcestershire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Leicestershire | 154,532 | 40.0 | 64.4 |
| M45 | A spur from the M1 south of Rugby. | Warwickshire, Northamptonshire | 19,536 | 7.9 | 12.7 |
| M48 | An alternative route to the M4's new route between Bristol and Caldicot. | Gloucestershire, Monmouthshire | 22,632 | 12 | 19 |
| M49 | A western bypass of Bristol avoiding not only Cribbs Causeway but also Almondsbury, which heads northwest to the M4 and southeast to the M5. | Bristol, Gloucestershire | 22,461 | 5.0 | 8.0 |
| M5 | A northeast-southwest motorway in South West England, linking Birmingham to Exeter. | West Midlands, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Bristol, Somerset, Devon | 127,584 | 162.9 | 262.2 |
| M50 | A west-east motorway between the M5 and Ross-on-Wye. | Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire | 32,032 | 21.6 | 34.8 |
| M53 | A north-south motorway linking Birkenhead (and Liverpool via Kingsway Tunnel) to Chester. | Merseyside, Cheshire | 79,872 | 18.9 | 30.4 |
| M54 | An east-west motorway linking Wolverhampton to Telford. | Staffordshire, Shropshire | 70,652 | 23.0 | 37.0 |
| M55 | An east-west motorway linking Preston to Blackpool. | Lancashire | 84,905 | 12.2 | 19.6 |
| M56 | A west-east motorway linking Manchester to Liverpool and Chester. | Greater Manchester, Cheshire | 174,693 | 33.3 | 53.6 |
| M57 | An eastern bypass of Liverpool linking the M62 to Maghull. | Merseyside | 99,521 | 10 | 16 |
| M58 | A west-east motorway linking Liverpool to Wigan. | Merseyside, Lancashire, Greater Manchester | 49,376 | 12 | 19 |
| M6 | A southeast-northwest motorway linking the West Midlands to North West England and Scotland. Continues as A74(M). The first and longest motorway in the country to be built.[3] | Leicestershire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Staffordshire, Cheshire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cumbria | 173,201 | 232.2 | 373.7 |
| M6 Toll | A tolled bypass of the M6 in the West Midlands. | West Midlands, Staffordshire, Warwickshire | 110,489 | 27 | 43 |
| M60 | A ring road of Manchester numbered clockwise from Stockport. | Greater Manchester | 180,501 | 36 | 58 |
| M602 | A west-east motorway linking the M62 to Salford. | 73,292 | 4.0 | 6.4 | |
| M606 | A spur from the M62 to Bradford. | West Yorkshire | 77,277 | 3.0 | 4.8 |
| M61 | A north-south motorway linking Preston to Manchester. | Greater Manchester, Lancashire | 150,331 | 20.0 | 32.2 |
| M62 | A west-east motorway linking Liverpool to Hull. | Merseyside, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, East Riding of Yorkshire | 161,700 | 107 | 172 |
| M621 | An east-west motorway linking Leeds to the M1 and M62. | West Yorkshire | 103,207 | 7.7 | 12.4 |
| M65 | A west-east motorway linking Preston to Burnley and Colne. | Lancashire | 82,970 | 25.8 | 41.5 |
| M66 | A north-south motorway linking Ramsbottom to Manchester. | Lancashire, Greater Manchester | 111,851 | 8.0 | 12.9 |
| M67 | A west-east motorway linking Manchester to Hadfield. | Greater Manchester | 58,435 | 5.0 | 8.0 |
| M69 | A northeast-southwest motorway linking Leicester to Coventry. | Warwickshire, Leicestershire | 64,828 | 15.7 | 25.3 |
| M73 | An eastern bypass of Glasgow. | North Lanarkshire, Glasgow, South Lanarkshire | 95,331 | 7.0 | 11.3 |
| M74 | A northwest-southeast motorway linking Glasgow to North West England. Continues as the A74(M) south of Abington. | Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire | 107,475 | 40 | 60 |
| M77 | A north-south motorway linking Glasgow to Kilmarnock. | Glasgow, East Renfrewshire, East Ayrshire | 94,151 | 20.0 | 32.2 |
| M8 | An east-west motorway linking Edinburgh to Glasgow. | Edinburgh, West Lothian, North Lanarkshire, Glasgow, Renfrewshire | 160,484 | 60.3 | 97.0 |
| M80 | A southwest-northeast motorway linking Glasgow to Stirling. | Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, Falkirk, Stirling | 104,305 | 25.0 | 40.2 |
| M876 | A southwest-northeast motorway linking Bonnybridge to Kincardine. | Falkirk | 42,611 | 8.0 | 12.9 |
| M898 | A spur from the M8 leading to Erskine Bridge. | Renfrewshire | 51,831 | 0.5 | 0.8 |
| M9 | A southeast-northwest motorway linking Edinburgh to Stirling. | Edinburgh, West Lothian, Falkirk, Stirling | 68,143 | 33.0 | 53.1 |
| M90 | A south-north motorway linking Edinburgh to Perth. | Edinburgh, Fife, Perth and Kinross | 76,503 | 36.0 | 57.9 |
Upgraded A-road designations
[edit]| Link | Route | Ceremonial counties (England) Council areas (Scotland) Principal areas (Wales) |
Highest junction to junction average daily vehicle flow 2019[2] | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mi | km | ||||
| A1(M) | A south-north motorway split into four sections:
|
Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, County Durham, Tyne and Wear | 143,012 | 145.3 | 233.9 |
| A1077(M) | A spur from the M181 to Scunthorpe. | Lincolnshire | 18,213 | 0.8 | 1.3 |
| A167(M) | An urban motorway in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. | Tyne and Wear | 63,911 | 1.1 | 1.8 |
| A194(M) | A south-north motorway linking the A1(M) to the Tyne Tunnel. | 42,802 | 4.0 | 6.4 | |
| A3(M) | A north-south motorway linking the A3 to the A27 near Portsmouth. | Hampshire | 92,989 | 5.0 | 8.0 |
| A308(M) | A spur from the M4 south of Maidenhead. | Berkshire | 23,541 | 0.6 | 0.97 |
| A329(M) | A southeast-northwest motorway linking Bracknell to Reading. | Berkshire | 69,520 | 4.0 | 6.4 |
| A38(M) | A spur from the M6 to central Birmingham. | West Midlands | 146,908 | 2.0 | 3.2 |
| A404(M) | A spur from the M4 to High Wycombe. Continues as the A404 west of Maidenhead. | Berkshire | 59,816 | 2.4 | 3.9 |
| A48(M) | A spur from the M4 to central Cardiff. | Newport, Cardiff | 47,203 | 2.0 | 3.2 |
| A57(M) | Forms part of a ring road of Manchester. Also known as the Mancunian Way. | Greater Manchester | 90,785 | 2.0 | 3.2 |
| A58(M) | Forms the western part of the Leeds inner ring road. | West Yorkshire | 81,647 | 2.0 | 3.2 |
| A627(M) | A south-north motorway linking Rochdale to Oldham. | Greater Manchester | 55,749 | 3.5 | 5.6 |
| A64(M) | Forms the eastern part of the Leeds inner ring road. | West Yorkshire | 43,617 | 0.5 | 0.8 |
| A66(M) | A spur from the A1(M) to the A66 south of Darlington. | North Yorkshire | 15,337 | 2.0 | 3.2 |
| A74(M) | A northwest-southeast motorway linking the M74 to North West England. Continues as the M6. | South Lanarkshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Cumbria | 41,662 | 45 | 72 |
| A8(M) | A spur from the M8 and M73 to Ballieston. | Glasgow | 10,586 | 0.2 | 0.32 |
| A823(M) | A spur from the M90 to Dunfermline. | Fife | 20,363 | 1.0 | 1.6 |
Former motorways
[edit]| Link | Description |
|---|---|
| M10 | A spur that ran from the M1 to St Albans, now part of the A414. |
| M41 | The former number for the West Cross Route, now part of the A3220 road.[4] |
| A102(M) | The former number for the East Cross Route, split into two sections:
|
| A40(M) | The former number for the Westway, now part of the A40.[4] |
| A601(M) | A spur that ran from the M6 to Carnforth and Over Kellet. Now part of the A6070 and B6601.[5][6] |
| A6144(M) | A spur that ran from the M60 to Carrington. It was unique for being single carriageway throughout. |
Northern Ireland
[edit]M-designated motorways
[edit]| Link | Route | Council areas |
|---|---|---|
| M1 | An east-west motorway linking Belfast to Dungannon. Continues as the A4. | Belfast, Lisburn and Castlereagh, Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Mid Ulster |
| M2 | A southeast-northwest motorway split into two sections:
Continues as the A26. |
Belfast, Antrim and Newtownabbey, Mid and East Antrim |
| M3 | A spur from the M2 to the A2 in east Belfast. | Belfast |
| M5 | A spur from the M2 to Newtownabbey in north Belfast. | Belfast, Antrim and Newtownabbey |
| M12 | A spur from the M1 to Portadown. | Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon |
| M22 | A spur from the M2 to Randalstown. Continues as the A6. | Antrim and Newtownabbey |
Upgraded A-road designations
[edit]| Link | Route | Council areas |
|---|---|---|
| A8(M) | A spur from the M2 to the A8 northwest of Newtownabbey. | Antrim and Newtownabbey |
See also
[edit]- List of motorway service areas in the United Kingdom
- Roads in the United Kingdom
- List of numbered roads in the British Isles
- Motorways in the Republic of Ireland
- List of controlled-access highway systems
- Evolution of motorway construction in European nations
Notes
[edit]- ^ "Northern Ireland Assembly – WRITTEN ANSWERS Friday 15 December 2000". Archived from the original on 23 December 2008. Retrieved 19 November 2007.
- ^ a b "GB Road Traffic Counts". Archived from the original on 1 October 2019. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
- ^ a b "Ten speedy facts about motorways". Archived from the original on 28 November 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- ^ a b c "The GLA Roads Designation Order 2000". Archived from the original on 20 December 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- ^ "The Lancashire County Council (A601(M) Partial Revocation) Scheme 2022 Confirmation Instrument 2023". Archived from the original on 19 August 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
- ^ "The Lancashire County Council (A601(M) Partial Revocation) Scheme 2019 Confirmation Instrument 2020". Archived from the original on 19 August 2023. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
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