M45 motorway
Encyclopedia
The M45 is a motorway in Northamptonshire
and Warwickshire
, England and is 7.9 miles (12.7 km) long. It runs from Junction 17 of the M1 motorway
south east of Rugby
and ends with a junction with the A45 road
southwest of Rugby. It has one of the lowest traffic volumes of the United Kingdom motorway system.
) went as far as Junction 18, the M45 was designed to dissipate some of the motorway traffic before the M1 terminated. Its equivalent at the southern end of the M1 is the former M10, which was downgraded on 1 May 2009 to become part of the A414.
As the signposted route to Birmingham in the 1960s it was one of the busiest roads in Britain, with motorists having to make the final 30 miles (48.3 km) or so of the journey along the predominantly dual carriageway A45.
However in 1972, the opening of the M6
provided a much faster route through to the West Midlands
from London. Most traffic diverted to this route, leaving the M45 with only a fraction of its previous traffic.
A limited-access junction (Eastbound exit and Westbound entry) was added in September 1991 around two-thirds of the way along from the M1, near Dunchurch
. Apart from this, the motorway is very much in its 'as-built' condition. Like all motorways, it has received a crash barrier along the central reservation, but it is noticeably free of the plethora of large signs and gantries added to more heavily used motorways during the 1970s/80s. It also has some of the few remaining 1950s-era concrete over-bridges. These were the standard design for early motorways, but were usually replaced or modified in the 1970s.
are used to provide distance and carriageway identifier information.
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
and Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, England and is 7.9 miles (12.7 km) long. It runs from Junction 17 of the M1 motorway
M1 motorway
The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
south east of Rugby
Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
and ends with a junction with the A45 road
A45 road
The A45 is a major road in England. It runs east from Birmingham past the National Exhibition Centre and the M42, then bypasses Coventry and Rugby, where it briefly merges with the M45 until it continues to Daventry...
southwest of Rugby. It has one of the lowest traffic volumes of the United Kingdom motorway system.
History
Built in 1959 when the M1 (as part of a link from London to BirminghamBirmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
) went as far as Junction 18, the M45 was designed to dissipate some of the motorway traffic before the M1 terminated. Its equivalent at the southern end of the M1 is the former M10, which was downgraded on 1 May 2009 to become part of the A414.
As the signposted route to Birmingham in the 1960s it was one of the busiest roads in Britain, with motorists having to make the final 30 miles (48.3 km) or so of the journey along the predominantly dual carriageway A45.
However in 1972, the opening of the M6
M6 motorway
The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
provided a much faster route through to the West Midlands
West Midlands (region)
The West Midlands is an official region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It contains the second most populous British city, Birmingham, and the larger West Midlands conurbation, which includes the city of Wolverhampton and large towns of Dudley,...
from London. Most traffic diverted to this route, leaving the M45 with only a fraction of its previous traffic.
A limited-access junction (Eastbound exit and Westbound entry) was added in September 1991 around two-thirds of the way along from the M1, near Dunchurch
Dunchurch
Dunchurch is a civil parish and village on the south-western outskirts of Rugby in Warwickshire, England. The 2001 census recorded a population of 2,842 in the village.- History :...
. Apart from this, the motorway is very much in its 'as-built' condition. Like all motorways, it has received a crash barrier along the central reservation, but it is noticeably free of the plethora of large signs and gantries added to more heavily used motorways during the 1970s/80s. It also has some of the few remaining 1950s-era concrete over-bridges. These were the standard design for early motorways, but were usually replaced or modified in the 1970s.
Junctions
Data from driver location signsDriver location signs
Driver location signs are English highway route markers, first introduced in 2003, that complement distance marker posts. Both types of marker post display the distances from a nominal start point in kilometres...
are used to provide distance and carriageway identifier information.
| M45 Motorway | |||
| km | Westbound exits (A Carriageway) | Junction | Eastbound exits (B Carriageway) |
| 12.4 | Coventry Coventry Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although... , Rugby Rugby, Warwickshire Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county... , A45 Dunchurch Dunchurch Dunchurch is a civil parish and village on the south-western outskirts of Rugby in Warwickshire, England. The 2001 census recorded a population of 2,842 in the village.- History :... B4429 |
J1 | Start of motorway |
| 9.7 | No access | Daventry Daventry Daventry is a market town in Northamptonshire, England, with a population of 22,367 .-Geography:The town is also the administrative centre of the larger Daventry district, which has a population of 71,838. The town is 77 miles north-northwest of London, 13.9 miles west of Northampton and 10.2... A45 |
|
| 0.2 | Start of motorway | M1, J17 | THE SOUTH Southern England Southern England, the South and the South of England are imprecise terms used to refer to the southern counties of England bordering the English Midlands. It has a number of different interpretations of its geographic extents. The South is considered by many to be a cultural region with a distinct... , Northampton Northampton Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is... M1 |