Did you know … At 231 miles (370km), the M6 is the UK's longest motorway. It runs from Catthorpe (junction 19 on the M1) to the Scottish Border.
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M1: 200 miles (321.9 km)It's only the second longest motorway in England, stretching 200 miles from Staples Corner in London to Hook Moor in Yorkshire. However, even though it's not as long as the M6, it's arguably more important. It's the primary north-to-south route used by millions of motorists every year.
Somewhere to the east of Glasgow lies the A8(M) - but look carefully, because it's not easy to find. The A8(M) is the UK's shortest motorway, running for just over 280 metres (308 yards). It forms a link between two roundabouts at Baillieston Interchange, better known as the junction between the M8 and M73.
Answer. Answer: A motorway just relates to the A road that it's relieving pressure from. The reason there is no M7 is that the A7, which runs from Carlisle to Edinburgh has no need for a motorway to relieve it.
Britain's first motorway, the Preston by-pass, opened in 1958. Designed by Lancashire County Council under civil engineer Sir James Drake – regarded as the pioneer of the UK motorway network – it's now part of the M6. The next 10 years saw UK's network expand as hundreds of miles of motorway were built.
Hardknott Pass is considered to be one of the most challenging in the UK. It has earned this consideration due to its series of hairpin bends and the high risk of ice on the road. It is a steep, twisting, single-track road that cuts right through the heart of the Lake District between the Duddon Valley and Eskdale.
The widest multiple carriageway is found on the M61 in Greater Manchester where the motorway meets the M60 and A580. The road reaches a width of 2.5 miles (4 km) and features 18 lanes. The widest dual carriageway is the M25 at London's Heathrow Airport.
The M45 is a motorway in Northamptonshire and Warwickshire, England and is 7.9 miles (12.7 km) long. It runs between junction 17 of the M1 motorway south east of Rugby and a junction with the A45 road southwest of Rugby. It has one of the lowest traffic volumes of the United Kingdom motorway system.
How the M25 got its name. The same principle explains the M25, which at its oldest point (the section crossing Surrey) follows the path of the older A25. These roads are all in the South East, which forms Zone 2 of the country's motorway system. This explains why they all contain 2 somewhere in their name.
In later years, as the M1 was extended southwards into London and the M25 was built, the M10's original purpose eroded. It was sometimes suggested that the motorway might have been extended to meet the M25 at junction 22, but this was never proposed.
The M96, positioned 20 miles from the M5 and the M50, has remained a well-hidden secret for years that saves countless lives. The 400-metre-long stretch of road in Moreton-in-Marsh has seen more crashes and traffic incidents than major routes because of its special purpose of training blue light workers.
Driving conditionsNorman Cross to Bourne takes 33 minutes, Bourne to Lincoln takes 46 minutes, and Lincoln to the Humber Bridge takes 54 minutes. A section of the A15 (between Scampton and the M180) provides the longest stretch of straight road in the UK.