Motorways in the United Kingdom

This page describes a historic artifact in the history of OpenStreetMap. It does not reflect the current situation, but instead documents the historical concepts, issues, or ideas.

As part of WikiProject United Kingdom, we are aiming to map out all the UK motorways!

Progress Status

The following tables have not really been updated much in the past few years. Dive in and make updates if you'd like to help make this information more useful. This is an attempt to track progress to coordinate mapping of motorway details, which may have been more useful back in 2005/2006 when we were first mapping them! However there may still be missing details to hunt down, particularly all the lanes information for example.

Guidance on updating:

  • Road If your motorway isn't listed, add a new row for it.
  • Description These came from Wikipedia's List of Motorways in the United Kingdom
  • Length If you know it, enter the length of the road, this helps to measure progress.
  • Status See #Colour and symbol legend to understand the colours and symbols
  • Last Update Each time you update the table replace the contents of this column with ~~~~ which will automatically insert your user name and a date/time stamp.
  • Notes Enter notes about progress, pleas for help, etc.

Motorways

Road Description Length (km) Relation Status Last Update Notes
M1 The eastern north-south motorway linking London and Leeds 307.1 10:09, 07 Jan 2006 (GMT) Carriageways complete.
M10 a short spur from the M1 to St Albans. 4.5 30th June 2009 Downgraded to A414 as of 1st May 2009

M10 Announcement

M11 linking London and Cambridge. 80.0 11:18, 18 Dec 2005 (GMT) Tagged it as a motorway - some of the junctions need checking (missing sliproads?)
M18 linking the M1 at Rotherham and the M62 at Goole. 42.6  145818 01:01, 18 Dec 2005 (GMT)
M180 from the M18 at Thorne towards Grimsby and the A15 to the Humber Bridge. 40.0 08:51, 24 Dec 2005 (GMT)
M181 the Scunthorpe spur from the M180. 3.0 08:52, 24 Dec 2005 (GMT)
M2 in Kent from Rochester to Faversham. Bypasses the Medway Tow 41.4 18:47, 16 Dec 2005 (GMT) Medway
M20 linking London (Swanley) and Folkestone. 81.4  107029 19:01, 16 Dec 2005 (GMT)
M23 linking London (Coulsdon) to beyond Crawley. 25.6 19:47, 16 Dec 2005 (GMT) All done except 2 junctions at Southern end. Need some tracks for these.
M25 the London orbital motorway. 188.0  106164 09:56, 16 Jun 2006 (UTC) Finished improving junctions based on yahoo imagery. M4, M1 still need work. --TimSC 16:55, 9 January 2008 (UTC)
M26 a short link between the M25 at Sevenoaks and the M20 before Maidstone. 15.9 19:04, 16 Dec 2005 (GMT)
M27 the south coast route running from Cadnam, west of Southampton, to Portsmouth. 40.0  1501194 23 March 2010 (UTC)
M271 the Totton, Southampton spur from the M27 5.0 00:32, 3 April 2007 (BST) Both the north and south section are complete along with the one junction.
M275 the Portsmouth spur from the M27 3.0 03:28, 17 Dec 2005 (GMT) Needs a southbound trace for the only junction.
M3 linking Southampton and London 94.3  120904 22 March 2011
M32 a spur from the M4 to central Bristol. 7.0 09:07, 02 Jan 2006 (GMT) Junctions need more GPS points
M4 From London to South Wales 305.0  1493228 Tellytart 11:25, 4 November 2011 (UTC) Checked end to end first time - most junctions, bridges and tunnels now have correct layering. Junctions 1-5 Now double-checked and believed to be complete.
M40 linking London with Birmingham at the M42 Birmingham orbital motorway . 144.0 16:51, 14 Jun 2006 (UTC) Someone has made some nice junctions between M25 and Oxford. Junctions from Oxford to M42 needed. Carriageways made into ways and labelled.
M42 The southern and eastern part of the Birmingham orbital motorway extending north towards Ashby-de-la-Zouch and west to the M5. 88.0 19:48, 16 Dec 2005 (GMT) A few junctions have been completed towards the Eastern end between th M40 and M6. Junctions have now been correctly tagged at the diverging nodes, including numbered exits on the A42 towards the M1.
M45 a short spur from the M1 north of Daventry towards Coventry. 12.5 19:23, 19 Dec 2005 (GMT) Complete
M48 the Severn Bridge, linking Thornbury and Newport, Monmouthshire over the River Severn. This used to be the M4 before the Second Severn Crossing was built. 19.0 08:50, 07 Jan 2006 (GMT)
M49 a short link from the M5 to the M4 west of Bristol. 8.0 20:22, 19 Dec 2005 (GMT)
M5 linking Exeter and the south-west of England with Birmingham and the Midlands. 262.2 10:42, 31 Dec 2005 (GMT) Junctions have now been correctly tagged at the diverging nodes.
M50 linking the M5 at Tewkesbury to Ross-on-Wye. 34.0 09:06, 02 Jan 2006 (GMT) Junctions have now been correctly tagged at the diverging nodes.
M53 linking Chester and Birkenhead. 32.0 00:11, 20 Dec 2005 (GMT)
M54 linking the M6 north of Wolverhampton and Telford. 40.0 EdLoach 09:12, 2 October 2008 (UTC) At least one access sliproad missing (eg M54 J1 westbound)
M55 linking Blackpool and the M6 at Preston. 18.4 12:43, 21 Dec 2005 (GMT)
M56 linking Manchester and Chester. 56.0 23:09, 07 Nov 2006 (GMT) Still missing the west/southbound carriageway between J2 and J3, carriageways split apart here.
M57 a Liverpool bypass running north-west from the M62. 16.0 13:49, 22 Dec 2005 (GMT)
M58 linking Wigan and northern Liverpool. 19.0 23:46, 22 Dec 2005 (GMT)
M6 the western north-south motorway linking the M1 at Rugby with Carlisle. The section around Preston was the first stretch of motorway built. 364.8 23:50, 18 Dec 2005 (GMT) See United Kingdom motorways/M6 for full status.
M6 Toll Toll Road 40.0 14:21, 18 Dec 2005 (GMT) Most juntions need to be added.
M60 the Manchester Outer Ring Road, an orbital motorway. 56.0 23:10, 07 Nov 2006 (GMT) Missing some gps tracks for J6 to J8 with the newly opened 4 parallel carriageways. Junctions J6 to J13 need work. Junctions J21 to J27 need work.
M602 M62 spur into Manchester. 7.0 13:16, 22 Dec 2005 (GMT)
M606 M62 spur at Bradford. 5.0 11:18, 26 Dec 2005 (GMT)
M61 linking Preston and Manchester. 32.0 22:24, 21 Dec 2005 (GMT) Need to add Bolton Services, J8 and J9 slip to Walton Summit rbt.
M62 linking Liverpool and the approaches to Kingston-upon-Hull, the trans-Pennine link. 168.0 19:49, 16 Dec 2005 (GMT) Carriageways complete, just need some junctions now. East of Manchester needs Birch Services adding and work on all junctions from J18 east bound.
M621 M62 spur at Leeds. 13.0 08:55, 07 Jan 2006 (GMT)
M65 linking Preston and Colne, Lancashire. 48.0 18:20, 21 Dec 2005 (GMT)
M66 linking Rawtenstall and the M62 at Manchester. 13.0 21:22, 22 Dec 2005 (GMT)
M67 linking the M60 at Denton to Hyde in Greater Manchester. 8.0 23:01, 22 Dec 2005 (GMT) Clockwise logged with all junctions at 1 sec.
M69 linking Leicester and Coventry. 24.0 13:12, 22 Dec 2005 (GMT) segments aligned, and ways tagged, some junctions need completing.
M73 linking Cumbernauld to the M74. 11.0 Tms13 15:22, 18 June 2009 (UTC)
M74 linking Glasgow and Abington in South Lanarkshire, where the A74(M) takes over. 56.0 11:19, 26 Dec 2005 (GMT)
M77 linking Glasgow and Kilmarnock. 32.0 08:50, 07 Jan 2006 (GMT)
M8 linking Edinburgh and Greenock, via Glasgow. 97.0 11:19, 26 Dec 2005 (GMT)
M80 linking Glasgow and Stirling. 10.0 08:58, 30 Dec 2005 (GMT)
M876 M80 to Kinkardine Bridge. 13.0 --tms13 17:02, 22 June 2009 (UTC) Eastern section needs lane information; also what to do about unnumbered junctions with M9?
M898 the Erskine Bridge approach road. 2.0 15:28, 18 Jun 2009 (BST)
M9 linking Edinburgh and Stirling. 53.1 09:00, 30 Dec 2005 (GMT)
M90 linking the Forth Road Bridge and Perth, Scotland. 48.0  103246 18:01, 04 Jan 2006 (GMT)
M96 not open to the public, but part of the Fire Service College at Moreton-in-Marsh. 1.0 10:09, 07 Jan 2006 (GMT) Not a motorway, properly re-tagged as highway=service.
Total 3134.8

Motorways (Northern Ireland)

Road Description Length (km) % complete Last Update Notes
M1From Belfast to Dungannon, bypassing Lisburn, Lurgan, Craigavon and Portadown61
M12spur from M1 to Portadown
M2Two sections of the route from Belfast to Ballymena, bypassing Antrim37
M22Antrim (M2) to Randalstown
M3connects the M2 in north Belfast, Northern Ireland to the A2 Sydenham Bypass in east Belfast1.3NotmyopinionAdded bridge sections, adjusted levels at junctions. Think it's mostly OK now.
M5Belfast (M2) to Newtownabbey


Motorway Sections of A Roads

Road Description Length (km) Relation Status Last Update Notes
A1(M) Leeds to Newcastle  103623


Carriageways Junctions
Name 1 2 Total Complete Last Update Notes
A3(M)
A38(M)100%100%33Blackadder 13:28, 18 September 2006 (BST)
A48(M)
A57(M)
A58(M)
A64(M)
A66(M)
A74(M)
A167(M)
A308(M)100%100%22Welshie 12:32, 12 Jun 2006 (UTC)
A329(M)100%100%23Welshie 00:18, 20 Aug 2006 (BST)
A404(M)100%100%23Welshie 12:26, 12 Jun 2006 (UTC)
A601(M)
A627(M)
A823(M)
A6144(M)RIP
A8(M) NI

Colour and symbol legend

The status of the motorways is indicated by a symbol, which describes the type of feature, and a colour, which indicates the completeness of that feature

Meaning of symbols

  • - The Motorway is completly mapped.(highway=motorway) - Key: c
  • - All Exits are present.(highway=motorway_link) - Key: ex
  • - All Motorway Service Utilities are present (Parking with -WC, motorway service area,...). - Key: se
  • - All Exit Names and Exit numbers mapped .(highway=motorway_junction, ref=* and name=* on the exit node) - Key: ju
  • - All Lane information complete (lanes=*). - Key: ln
  • - Speed limitations tagged. (maxspeed=*) - Key: sp
  • - Traffic Message Channel information tagged. (TMC=*) - Key: tm
  • - The Motorway is linked to a Relation . (Relation type=route) - Key: rl

Meaning of colours

Colour Meaning Use for navigation To do Value
The map needs checking, status unknownAvailability unknownPlease check(none)
The map contains no or little dataNot to be usedPlease complete0
The map contains partial dataLimited usabilityPlease complete1
The map is largely complete (please describe missing data)Use with restrictionsPlease complete (missing data, streets etc.)2
The map is complete (in the opinion of a mapper)Suitable for usePlease check and correct any errors3
The map is complete (verified by 2 mappers) ; please indicate Date when checked)Suitable for usePlease update as needed4
This attribute is not existing in the mapped area (e.g. no petrol station existing).Suitable for usePlease update as neededX

This table is a wiki template with a default description in English. Editable here.

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