A38(M) motorway
Motorway in Great Britain / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The A38(M), commonly 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.[1] It connects the M6 motorway to Aston and Central Birmingham and forms part of the much longer A38 route.
A38(M) | ||||
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Aston Expressway | ||||
Route information | ||||
Maintained by Birmingham City Council | ||||
Length | 2.0 mi (3.2 km) | |||
Existed | 1972–present | |||
History | Opened and completed: 1972 | |||
Major junctions | ||||
North end | Gravelly Hill | |||
Major intersections | M6 motorway | |||
South end | Birmingham city centre | |||
Location | ||||
Country | United Kingdom | |||
Counties | West Midlands | |||
Primary destinations | Birmingham city centre | |||
Road network | ||||
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It is extremely unusual as it is the only single carriageway motorway in the United Kingdom and 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),[2] though there are no permanent speed cameras as of 2010.
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.