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Ten speedy facts about motorways

The M1 – Britain's first full-length motorway – has turned 50 this year. Its first section, which ran from St Albans to Rugby, opened in December 1959. To mark the half-centenary of this iconic road, connecting North with South, we’ve pulled together some fascinating facts about Britain’s motorways to get your mind racing. Not to be read whilst driving!

Part of the M1, near Yorkshire.

1. The first stretch of motorway was just over eight miles long

Although the M1 was the first full-length motorway, it was actually proceeded by The Preston Bypass, which now forms part of the M6. This stretch of motorway was opened on the 5th December 1958 by the then prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, who became the first man to travel on it. At just eight and a quarter miles in length, it wouldn’t have taken long out of his day!

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2. Motorways are defined by more than just the speed limit

Whereas everybody – including pedestrians and cyclists – have the right to use a road, motorways only allow motorised vehicles. They also don’t permit learner drivers (no L plates please!) or tractors (for obvious reasons). Motorways traditionally have a hard shoulder (unlike dual carriageways) and they all have an “M” before or after their road number. Finally, motorways have our highest speed limit of 70 mph. On top of that, did you know that junctions on motorways are always numbered and that the signs are always blue?

3. Our widest motorway has 17 lanes of traffic

The M61 at Linnyshaw Moss, Greater Manchester, has a whopping 17 lanes of traffic (plus eight full-width hard shoulders) running side by side. Admittedly, they are spread across several parallel carriageways – but they do all form part of the same motorway. Not a place to get confused about which lane you’re meant to be in.

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An interchange on the M25. The M25, also known as the London Orbital Motorway, encircles almost all of Greater London, and is one of the busiest roads in the U.K..

4. The M6 is the longest motorway in Britain

The M6 is the longest motorway in the UK. It runs from Catthorpe in Leicestershire right up to the Scottish Border and measures a total of 236 miles. You wouldn’t want to drive that without a loo break.

5. The shortest motorway is less than half a mile long

At the other end of the spectrum, which road should win the title for shortest motorway has been hotly debated. Measuring just 0.6 miles (1 km), the A308(M) in Berkshire between Junction 8/9 of the M4 and the A308 is thought by many to be the shortest of our motorways. However, at just 300m, the A635(M) in Manchester appears to be pipping it to the post.

The M74 facing North. The majority of the M74 is located in Scotland, and it was constructed in 1966.

6. The busiest motorway is (surprise, surprise) the M25

It will come as no great surprise (for anyone who finds themselves stuck in its daily queues) that the busiest bit of motorway in the country is thought to be between junctions 13 and 14 of the M25, near Heathrow. This stretch of tarmac sees around 165,000 vehicles every day.

7. There is no junction 3 on the M1

Bizarrely, the junctions on the M1 jump from J2, near Finchley, to J4 near Elstree – with no J3 in the middle. This is because when the road was constructed, the plan was to add junction 3 when the link road to the A1 had been built. But this link road was cancelled, meaning there was simply no need for another exit. These days the site is occupied by motorway services instead, so all is not wasted.

8. Our highest motorway is over 350m above sea level

The M62 is the country’s highest motorway. The uppermost point, known as the “M62 Summit”, is in the middle of Saddleworth Moor in the Peak district and is 1,222 feet above sea level. Views from a motorway have never been so good.

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9. The most northerly motorway in the UK is in Perth

The most northerly motorway in the United Kingdom is the M90 in Scotland, which runs from south of the Queensferry Crossing, across the Firth of Forth, past Dunfermline and Kinross, and all the way to the western suburbs of Perth.

10. The M25 used to be the world’s longest ring road

The M25, which stretches for 118 miles around London, was the world’s longest ring road when it was constructed in 1986. However, the title for longest orbital road has been snatched by the 121-mile Berlin Ring in Germany.