M54 motorway
M54 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
M54 highlighted in blue | ||||
At junction 5 in Telford, the first completed stretch of the motorway, 2008 | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by National Highways | ||||
| Length | 23.0 mi (37.0 km) | |||
| Existed | 1975–present | |||
| History | Constructed 1975–1983 | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| East end | Essington | |||
| J10a → M6 motorway | ||||
| West end | Wellington | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United Kingdom | |||
| Counties | Staffordshire, Shropshire | |||
| Primary destinations | Wolverhampton, Telford | |||
| Road network | ||||
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The M54 is a 23-mile-long (37 km) east-west motorway in the counties of Shropshire and Staffordshire, England. It is also referred to as the Telford motorway, after the road's primary westbound destination, the town of Telford.[1] It cost £65 million to construct, and is two-lane dual carriageway for the majority of its length, with sections of three-lane.[2]
The M54 spur connects the M6 motorway near Essington, Staffordshire with the A5 trunk road at Wellington, Shropshire.[3] The motorway forms part of the strategic route to North Wales, roughly following the path of the Roman Watling Street and the A5 north-westwards, towards the port of Holyhead.[4] It is the only motorway in Shropshire, and forms a vital part of the county's road network.[5] In 2007, the motorway handled an annual average daily traffic of between 50,300 (J2–3) and 41,800 (J4–5) vehicles.[6]
- ^ "M54, The Telford Motorway". The Motorway Archive. Archived from the original on 9 October 2008. Retrieved 18 April 2008.
- ^ "M54 the Facts". BBC Shropshire. Archived from the original on 13 February 2006. Retrieved 18 April 2008.
- ^ "M54". CBRD – Motorway Database. Retrieved 18 April 2008.
- ^ "The (A5) London-Holyhead Trunk Road and Slip Roads". opsi.gov.uk. Retrieved 18 April 2008.
- ^ "Why was the M54 necessary?". Shropshire County Council. Archived from the original on 25 September 2008. Retrieved 18 April 2008.
- ^ "Hansard: 9 Mar 2007 : Column 2249W". House of Commons. 9 March 2007. Retrieved 9 June 2010.