M5 motorway (Great Britain)
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| Route information | |
| Length: | 162.9 mi (262.2 km) |
| Existed: | 1962 – present |
| History: | Constructed 1962–77 |
| Major junctions | |
| From: | West Bromwich |
 (M6 J8) → M6 motorway   J4a → M42 motorway   J8 → M50 motorway   J15 → M4 motorway   J18a → M49 motorway |
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| To: | Exminster |
| Location | |
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Primary destinations: |
West Bromwich Birmingham Bromsgrove Worcester Cheltenham Gloucester Bristol Avonmouth Weston-super-Mare Bridgwater Taunton Exeter |
| Road network | |
The M5 is a motorway in England. It runs from Junction 8 of the M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Bromwich and west of Birmingham through Sandwell Valley. It continues past Bromsgrove (and from Birmingham and Bromsgrove is part of the Birmingham Motorway Box), Droitwich Spa, Worcester, Tewkesbury, Cheltenham, Gloucester, Bristol, Weston-super-Mare, Bridgwater and Taunton on its way to Exeter, ending at Junction 31. It is the primary gateway to South West England. Congestion is common during the summer holidays, on Friday afternoons, and school and bank holidays on the section south of the M4.
The M5 follows the route of the A38 road quite closely. The two deviate slightly around Bristol and the area south of Bristol from Junctions 16 to the Sedgemoor services north of Junction 22. The A38 goes straight through the centre of Bristol and passes by Bristol Airport, while the M5 skirts both, with access to the airport from Junctions 18, 19 or 22. The A38 continues south into Devon from the motorway's terminus at Junction 31, near Exminster. Between Junction 21, Weston-super-Mare and Junction 22, Burnham-on-Sea, the M5 passes by an isolated landmark hill called Brent Knoll. The Willow Man sculpture is visible from both carriageways, and acts as a landmark just to the south of Junction 23.
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