A38(M)
|
|
|
|---|---|
| Route information | |
| Length: | 2.0 mi (3.2 km) |
| Existed: | 1972 – present |
| Major junctions | |
| From: | Gravelly Hill |
  M6 J6 |
|
| To: | Birmingham |
| Location | |
|
Primary destinations: |
Birmingham |
| Road network | |
.svg){kind=small}
The A38(M), also known as the Aston Expressway, is a motorway in Birmingham, England. It is 2 miles (3.2 km) long and was opened on 24 May 1972. It forms part of the much longer A38 route.
It is extremely unusual among UK motorways, as part of it consists of seven lanes with no central reservation, and operates a tidal flow system in an attempt to minimise congestion. Due to the nature of the road, the speed limit is reduced to 50 mph (80 km/h) for most of its length with a very short length of 30 mph (48 km/h), though there are no permanent speed cameras.
When construction work of the motorway began in the late 1960s, many late 19th-century and early 20th-century houses in the Aston area had to be demolished to make way for the new route.
A38(M) runs from the A5127 through Gravelly Hill Interchange where the A38 joins and then shortly after traffic from the M6 motorway also joins. It then enters a tidal flow section. The road is on a viaduct as it passes through Aston; this section cuts through the grounds of Aston Hall. The road passes through its first junction after 1 mile (1.6 km). It enters a cutting before reaching the second junction, where the tidal flow ends as does the motorway. The motorway is curved in Aston to avoid an Ansells brewery. The motorway was also crossed by a vinegar pipeline, carrying the condiment from one part of the since-demolished HP Sauce factory to the other.
...
Wikipedia