M32 motorway

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M32 Motorway

Road of the United Kingdom
Length 4 miles (6.4 km)
Direction Northeast - Southwest
Start Hambrook
Primary destinations None
End Bristol
Construction dates 1966 - 1975
Motorways joined
M4 motorway
The motorway runs through a green corridor between Junctions 1 and 2. This photo looks north during peak northbound (leaving city) traffic.
The motorway runs through a green corridor between Junctions 1 and 2. This photo looks north during peak northbound (leaving city) traffic.
Looking towards the junction with the M4.
Looking towards the junction with the M4.

The M32 is a motorway in South Gloucestershire and Bristol, England. It provides a link from Bristol City Centre to the M4 and is part of the Bristol Parkway. At approximately 5 miles (8 km) long, it is one of Britain's shortest motorways. It is generally 2 lanes wide, though heading northbound it widens to 3 lanes as it approaches the A4174 ring road.

Contents

[edit] Route

Starting at Junction 19 of the M4, near Winterbourne Down. This was formerly a grade separated roundabout but has been modified so that traffic cannot do a complete 360 degrees. The road then runs south between Filton in the west and Frenchay in the east. After meeting Junction 1 it passes to the east of Horfield, Lockleaze and Easton. Junction 2 is located by Eastville Park. South of here, the road has a 60 mph (100 km/h) speed limit. It then continues further south and terminates at Junction 3 north of St Pauls. The road continues as the A4032 trunk road into the centre of Bristol.

[edit] History

The motorway was constructed between 1966 and 1975[1] and opened to traffic in stages:

  • M4 Junction 19 to Junction 1 opened in 1966.
  • Junctions 1 to 2 opened in 1970.
  • Junctions 2 to 3 opened in 1975.

It was originally planned to be one of two motorways into Bristol [2]. The decision to construct the motorway was contentious as it ran in a valued green belt corridor that reached into the city[citation needed].

[edit] Plans

Bristol City Council had proposed the introduction of a High Occupancy or bus lane on the motorway. However the Highways Agency chose to retain control of the road, stopping the council's plans.[3]. This plan has since been resurrected, and a 3 mile Bus Only lane of the M32 will be built 'sometime' in the Summer of 2008 [4]

[edit] Junctions

M32 Motorway
Northbound exits Junction Southbound exits
South Wales, SOUTH WEST, Birmingham, London M4 M4 J19 Start of Motorway
Filton, Downend, Hambrook
A4174 Avon Ring Road		 J1 Filton, Downend
A4174 Avon Ring Road
Stapleton, Frenchay, Horfield, Fishponds, Eastville B4469 B4058 J2 Stapleton, Frenchay, Horfield, Fishponds, Eastville B4469 B4058
Start of Motorway J3 Knowle, Bath A4320
Knowle, Bath A4320
Non-motorway traffic		 Road continues as A4032 to Bristol City Centre

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ M32 Bristol Parkway Statistics and options. Motorway Archive. The Motorway Archive Trust. Retrieved on 2007-01-01.
  2. ^ M32 Bristol Parkway. Motorway Archive. The Motorway Archive Trust. Retrieved on 2007-01-01.
  3. ^ "No bus lanes for city's motorway", BBC News, British Broadcasting Corporation, 2007-10-12. Retrieved on 2008-01-01. 
  4. ^ http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=145809&command=displayContent&sourceNode=145792&contentPK=20677169&moduleName=InternalSearch&formname=sidebarsearch

[edit] External links

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