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The A41 is a trunk road between London and Birkenhead, England. Now in parts replaced by motorways, it passes through or near Watford, Kings Langley, Hemel Hempstead, Aylesbury, Bicester, Solihull, Birmingham, West Bromwich, Wolverhampton, Newport, Whitchurch, Chester and Ellesmere Port.
With the opening of the M40 extension in 1990 from junction 8, much of the route was downgraded. The sections between Bicester and the M42 near Solihull in the Midlands have been re-classified B4100, A4177 and A4141.
The route begins at Marble Arch from its junction on the A40 road in London with Portman Street/Gloucester Place (northbound) and Baker Street/Orchard Street (southbound). Named the Finchley Road, the A41 is dual-carriageway through Swiss Cottage and Hendon Way and intersects with the North Circular Road near Brent Cross shopping centre. The road passes through Hendon and after the junction with the A5150, (close to the Metropolitan Police's police college and the RAF Museum). The A41 overlaps the A1 at Five Ways Corner with the section known as Watford Way. It passes through Mill Hill, separating with the A1 at Apex Corner roundabout After crossing the M1, near Elstree, it links the M1 at Junction 4, and then meets the A5 at a roundabout (where the A5 becomes the A5183). The A41 continues alongside the M1 into Hertfordshire. This section is known as Elton Way, as far as the roundabout with the B462.
Running parallel to the M1, it intersects with junction 5 (Berrygrove Interchange). The road continues north, passing over the River Colne, to the east of Watford, crossing the A412 near Garston at "the Dome roundabout". After passing under the junction with the A405, the A41 turns towards the west. At a roundabout, with the A411 to Watford to the south, and the M25 spur straight ahead to join the M25 westbound at junction 19, the A41 continues north through Hunton Bridge crossing the River Gade and the Grand Union Canal to meet the M25 at junction 20. The old route through Kings Langley is now classified A4251. It used to follow the route of the Roman road, Akeman Street, between Berkhamsted and Bicester. The London to Aylesbury section was a similar route to the Sparrows Herne Turnpike Road.
North of the M25, the road is a near motorway standard "A" road with all junctions grade-separated via underpasses or flyovers, but curves and gradients a little steeper. There are no hard shoulders but frequent lay-bys. It climbs through the Chiltern Hills then descends into the valley of the River Bulbourne crossing water meadows just outside Hemel Hempstead at Boxmoor. There are grade-separated junctions with the A414, A4251 (the earlier route of the A41) and A416. The route returns to open country north of here, passing west of Berkhamsted. It passes the National Film Archive. Before Tring, near Wigginton, it crosses the Icknield Way Path and Chiltern Way. An arched footbridge spans the road just near the summit before it passes just east of Tring (for the Ridgeway footpath) and descends the Chiltern scarp into the Vale of Aylesbury.
The Tring bypass was built in 1973 as the first section of the Watford-Aylesbury A41(M) motorway. On 6 July 1987, this section was downgraded to A41.[ citation needed ] The Tring bypass ends with the junction with the B4635, B4009 (the former route through Aston Clinton) and B488.
The A41 from junction 20 of the M25 to the Tring bypass was built in the early 1990s and opened in two sections: the 7 miles (11 km) £23.9 million Berkhamsted bypass opened September 1993 and the 5 miles (8.0 km) £32.7 million Kings Langley bypass opened August 1993.
On 3 October 2003, the dual carriageway section was extended to the 3-mile (4.8 km) £25m Aston Clinton Bypass, which was originally intended to be built at the same time as the two sections further south. It enters Buckinghamshire and the district of Aylesbury Vale. It crosses the Grand Union Canal, and there is a junction with the B489, and finishes at a roundabout, becoming Aston Clinton Road. The road goes straight through Aylesbury, which is a bottleneck. It meets the A4157 at a junction as Tring Road, and the next roundabout is near Aylesbury Grammar School and a Tesco. It meets the A418 ring-road and becomes Exchange Street, then meets the A413 from Wendover at a roundabout and becomes Friarage Road, passing close to a Morrisons and the railway station. The A418 turns to the left and A41 continues straight ahead to become Gatehouse Road, then at the next roundabout, it leaves to left as Bicester Road near the Applegreen Aylesbury Service Station. After four roundabouts, it crosses the River Thame. It then meets a roundabout with access for the new Berryfields development as well as Aylesbury Vale Parkway before passing under a railway line, then through Waddesdon, then passes close to Westcott near the former airfield of RAF Westcott. At Kingswood, it passes the Crooked Billet (now the "Akeman Inn") and Plough and Anchor (now an Italian restaurant) pubs. It enters Oxfordshire and the district of Cherwell, and at Blackthorn it crosses the River Ray and meets a low bridge which was originally a 14-foot (4.3 m) limit but due to bridge strikes, the road was lowered and the bridge now has a 15-foot (4.6 m) limit.
Plans for an Aylesbury bypass exist and are well supported locally but no government decision has been made. [4]
The £5.7m 2-mile (3.2 km) first stage of the Bicester bypass opened in November 1990, with the 2-mile (3.2 km) £3.9m second stage (part of the A421 section to Wendlebury) opened in May 1993, and has many roundabouts. Since 1993, the road now heads south-west where it officially becomes part of the M40 at junction 9, meeting with the A34 (which also overlaps the M40 to Birmingham – to draw traffic off the previous routes). The former route went through Warwick. From here to the M42, the original route is now mainly designated as the B4100 (multiplexing at points with the current A361 and A422 through Banbury, plus the A452 and A425 approaching and through Warwick) followed by the A4177 and A4141, the latter two both excellent wide roads. At junction 5 of the M42, the A41 follows its old course. Further north, the road bypasses Solihull and goes through the city centres of Birmingham and Wolverhampton. This renumbering took place in 1991. The A4141 and B4100 are new designations, while the A4177 is an extension of an existing route.
The road manifests from the junction which opened in November 1976 with the A4141 and M42 near Berry Hall Farm, and crosses the River Blythe and bypasses Solihull. The former route through Solihull is now the B4025 and B425, which passes Solihull School. The A41 has a staggered junction with the B4102 (for Solihull and Catherine-de-Barnes) near the BUPA Parkway Hospital. At Lode Heath, there is crossroads with the B425 (for Solihull Hospital) where the road is the Seven Star Road. The A41 resumes the old route at another junction with the B425, becoming Warwick Road, which is the name of the route all the way into Birmingham. At Worlds End there is the Shell Solihull garage on the left. Next is Ulverley Green and it passes the BP Mereside garage on the right and passes under the Chiltern Main Line (for Leamington) near Olton station, Olton Library and Olton Reservoir. At the junction with the B4514, there is a Tesco petrol station and the road enters the city of Birmingham. The B4514 leads onto Olton Boulevard and can be used to bypass Acocks Green, although there is one section to be completed near Sparkhill. It passes Archbishop Ilsley Catholic School at Acocks Green, then meets the B4146 and B4217 at a roundabout near a Sainsburys. It meets the A4040 ring road at a staggered junction and crosses the Birmingham -Stratford Line near Tyseley station and the Tyseley Locomotive Works. At Sparkhill, it crosses the River Cole and meets the B4145 at a roundabout near Golden Hillock School. At Sparkbrook, it meets the A34 Stratford Road and there is a crossroads with the A4540 and B4126. The two main routes overlap around central Birmingham and meet The Middleway (A4540) inner ring road. The former route of the A41 through inner Birmingham is now the B4100 heading past the National Express Birmingham coach station, and passes near St Chad's RC Cathedral. The A41 previously resumed at Constitution Hill near Snow Hill train station but following downgrading of much of the former Inner Ring Road, resumes in Hockley where it meets the northern section of the A4540. (The section from the A4540 to city centre is another part of the B4100). There is a staggered junction with the A4040 as the road passes through Handsworth (at this point known as Soho Road) which is a particular bottleneck with narrow lanes, on-street parking, bad drivers and several close-set junctions, often very badly congested. Just before The Hawthorns football stadium, home of West Bromwich Albion F.C., it leaves Birmingham and enters the borough of Sandwell. It meets the M5 at junction 1, where it also meets the A4252.
In 2004, there were plans to re-route the road between Birmingham & West Bromwich along the current A457 via Smethwick & up to the M5 at Junction 1 along the current A4252. These plans were scrapped soon after. It bypasses West Bromwich on a dual-carriageway called the Expressway, which opened in 1973. There is a grade separated roundabout with the A4031. The grade separated roundabout opened over 20 years after the Expressway, relieving what had been a major bottleneck. At the next roundabout, the A41 follows a new route with the original route (Old Meeting Street) being designated as the A4196.
The new route opened in 1995 and is called the Black Country New Road, and crosses the West Midlands Metro tram line near Guns Village. There is a roundabout with the B4149 at Swan Village. From the roundabout with the A461 (for Dudley) at Great Bridge, it overlaps the A461 (to Walsall), crosses the Tame Valley Canal, meets the A4037 at a roundabout and goes under the West Midlands Metro near Wednesbury Parkway tram stop. The A461 heads off to junction 9 of the M6 and Walsall. The A41 follows the old route from the next roundabout and enters the borough of Walsall. At the junction with the A4444 (the final phase of the Black Country New Road) it crosses the Walsall Canal.
There are junctions with the A4098 (where the road enters the borough of Wolverhampton) and B4163. The road goes straight through the middle of Bilston, where it meets the dual-carriageway A463 Black Country Route at a busy roundabout. Close by is the Bilston Central tram stop, near Morrisons. There is a junction with the B4484 (for the A454) near The Crescent tram stop. At Priestfield, it meets the B4162, and passes the City of Wolverhampton College Wellington Road Campus (Bilston) near Priestfield tram stop. From here, the West Midlands Metro runs down the centre of the road. There is a signalised junction with the A4126 (trams and buses use the nearside lane towards Wolverhampton) and the road passes under the Wolverhampton loop of the West Coast Main Line at Monmore Green, and crosses the Birmingham Canal. It overlaps the A4150 Wolverhampton Ring Road, then passes West Park Hospital and crosses the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal. It passes through Tettenhall, past Tettenhall College.
After leaving the borough of Wolverhampton, it crosses the River Penk, then runs into Staffordshire passing Perton, Codsall and the golf course at Wrottesley Hall. Next is a junction with the A464 (for Shifnal), and the road enters Shropshire. It crosses the Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury Line on the Albrighton bypass. The road passes close by the RAF Museum at Cosford. After junction 3 of the M54 motorway, the road passes through Tong. The road meets the A5 at a roundabout, which is on the border with Staffordshire. At Weston Heath, there is a junction with the B5314. At the junction of the B4379, the road enters Telford and Wrekin. The 5-mile (8.0 km) £6m Newport bypass opened in early 1985. The former route went through Chetwynd Aston. The A41 meets the A518 for Telford at a roundabout, followed by another roundabout with the A518 for travelling east, and then a roundabout with the A519 and the B5062.
The road rejoins the old route and passes Chetwynd Park. The £1.5m Hinstock Bypass opened in late 1983. The day before the bypass opened for traffic, a Hinstock local named David Williams flew his Saab 91D Safir airplane under the Pixley Lane bridge in an unsanctioned stunt. The road then passes through Standford, Standford Bridge and over the River Meese. It passes High Heath, Shakeford, Crickmery which is near Wistanswick. Nearby is the former wartime fighter base RAF Ternhill, now an army base known as Clive Barracks. The road crosses the River Tern, meets the A53 at a roundabout at Ternhill. After Bletchley Manor, there is 3 miles (4.8 km) of dual carriageway. The road passes through Prees Higher Heath near a former airfield (RAF Tilstock), and meets the A49 at a roundabout near Tilstock. The 3-mile (4.8 km) £13.7m Whitchurch Bypass opened in July 1992, where the road meets the A49.
The final stretch of the road leaves Shropshire and heads north through Cheshire on a modern alignment bypassing the villages of Tushingham cum Grindley and No Mans Heath before reaching a nineteenth century bypass of the stagecoach road through Broxton. The road crosses the A534 at Broxton Roundabout before passing Beeston, Bolesworth and Peckforton Castles. The road bypasses Chester, before running through the suburbs of Ellesmere Port (where the road was downgraded for safety reasons in the early 1990s). It heads to junction 5 of the M53 motorway and the Merseyside county boundary at Hooton. From this junction it is named New Chester Road, passing through Eastham and Bromborough. At Port Sunlight the A41 diverts onto a dual-carriageway section bypassing New Ferry and Rock Ferry before rejoining New Chester Road at Tranmere Oil Terminal. After passing Green Lane railway station, a 2.3 miles (3.7 km) spur of the A41 separates at the southern approach to the Queensway Tunnel, which passes under the River Mersey and enters Liverpool to meet the start of the A59.
The road then passes a junction with the A554 near Hamilton Square railway station, terminating at the bus station at Woodside. The end of the road has views over the Mersey to Liverpool and transport links to Mersey Ferry services.
County | Location | mi [1] | km | Destinations | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Greater London | Westminster | 0.0 | 0.0 | North Audley Street | Southern terminus; no access to A40 |
0.1 | 0.16 | Wigmore Street (A5204) | No access from A41 north-west to A5204 east | ||
0.6 | 0.97 | A501 (Ring Road) to A40 / A4 – Paddington | No access from A41 south-east to A501 east; no information signed north-west | ||
1.3 | 2.1 | Prince Albert Road (A5205 east) – Camden Town | Camden Town signed south-east only; South-eastern terminus of A5205 concurrency | ||
1.4 | 2.3 | A5205 west (St. John's Wood Road) – Paddington, St Johns Wood | No access from A41 south-east to A5205 west; north-western terminus of A5205 concurrency | ||
Camden–Barnet borough boundary | 4.0 | 6.4 | A598 north (Finchley Road) – Finchley, Golders Green | Finchley signed north-west only; Southern terminus of A598 | |
Barnet | 4.3 | 6.9 | A407 (Cricklewood Lane) to A598 – Willesden, Cricklewood, Golders Green | To A598 and Golders Green signed southbound only | |
5.3– 5.7 | 8.5– 9.2 | A406 (North Circular) to M1 / M11 / A10 / A40 – The North, Watford, Wood Green, Wembley | The North and Watford signed north-west only; To M11, A10, and A40 south-east only; grade-separated junction | ||
6.5 | 10.5 | A504 (Station Road / The Burroughs) – Colindale | Information signed south-east only | ||
6.7 | 10.8 | A5150 west – Colindale | Grade-separated junction; no south-east exit | ||
7.6 | 12.2 | A1 south to A406 east (North Circular) – Finchley, Central London | To A406 and Central London signed south-east only; south-east terminus of A1 concurrency | ||
8.8 | 14.2 | A5100 west (The Broadway) / Lawrence Street – Burnt Oak, Edgware | Edgware signed north-west only; eastern terminus of A5100 | ||
9.4 | 15.1 | A1 north (Barnet Way) / A5109 (Selvage Lane) to M25 east – The North, Hatfield, Borehamwood, Edgware, Totteridge | North-west terminus of A1 concurrency | ||
10.9 | 17.5 | A410 west (Spur Road) to A5 – Harrow, Stanmore, Edgware | To A5 and Edgware signed south-east only; eastern terminus of A410 | ||
11.8 | 19.0 | M1 north to M25 – The North, Lufton | Grade-separated junction; north-west exit and south-east entrance | ||
Hertfordshire | Elstree | 12.0 | 19.3 | A5 south-east (Brockley Hill) / A5183 north-west (Elstree Hill South) – Edgware, Elstree | North-western terminus of A5; south-eastern terminus of A5183 |
Hertsmere | 12.9 | 20.8 | A411 (Elstree Road) to A409 – Harrow, Bushey, Barnet | Bushey signed north-west only, Barnet south-east only | |
15.6– 16.0 | 25.1– 25.7 | A4008 to M1 / M25 east – Watford, Bushey | Grade-separated junction; To M25 signed north-west only, Bushey south-east only | ||
Watford | 17.1 | 27.5 | A412 (St Albans Road) to M1 / A405 – North Watford, Garston | To M1 signed north-west only | |
17.8– 18.5 | 28.6– 29.8 | A405 east to M1 – The North, Abbots Langley, Leavesden, St Albans | Grade-separated junction; St Albans signed south-east only; western terminus of A405 | ||
Abbots Langley | 18.7 | 30.1 | M25 east to M40 / M4 – Heathrow Airport, Rickmansworth A411 south – Watford | Rickmansworth signed north-west only; western terminus of A411; M25 junction 19 | |
Abbots Langley–Kings Langley boundary | 20.0 | 32.2 | M25 to M40 / M4 / M1 / M11 – Heathrow Airport, Stansted Airport A4251 north-west (Watford Road) – Kings Langley | South-eastern terminus of A4251; M25 junction 20 | |
Begin freeway | |||||
Dacorum | 22.7– 23.3 | 36.5– 37.5 | A414 east – Hemel Hempstead | Western terminus of A414 | |
24.5– 24.6 | 39.4– 39.6 | A4251 – Bourne End, Berkhamsted, Boxmoor | |||
Bovingdon | 25.2– 25.5 | 40.6– 41.0 | Bourne End Mills Industrial Estate | ||
Berkhamsted | 27.2– 27.5 | 43.8– 44.3 | A416 – Chesham | ||
Wigginton | 31.6– 32.1 | 50.9– 51.7 | A4251 south-east to B4635 – Northchurch, Berkhamsted, Wigginton, Tring | To B4635 and Tring signed north-west only, Berkhamsted and Wigginton south-east only | |
Hertfordshire–Buckinghamshire boundary | Drayton Beauchamp–Tring boundary | 33.7– 34.1 | 54.2– 54.9 | B488 / B4009 / B4635 to B489 – Wendover, Dunstable, Tring | |
Buckinghamshire | Drayton Beauchamp–Buckland | 35.3 | 56.8 | A489 – Marsworth, Pitstone, Ivinghoe, Aston Clinton | South-east exit and north-west entrance |
Aston Clinton | 36.5 | 58.7 | College Road North | ||
Weston Turville | 37.4 | 60.2 | End freeway | ||
Aylesbury | 39.1 | 62.9 | Ring Road (A4157 west) to A418 / A413 | To A418 and A413 signed north-west only; eastern terminus of A4157 | |
39.8 | 64.1 | A418 north-east / A413 north – Leighton Buzzard, Milton Keynes, Buckingham | A413 and Buckingham signed north-west only; south-eastern terminus of A418 / A413 concurrency | ||
40.0 | 64.4 | A413 south (Walton Street) to A4010 – Amersham, Wycombe | North-western terminus of A413 concurrency | ||
41.5 | 66.8 | A418 south-west / Oxford Road (A4156 north-east) to M40 – Oxford, Bicester, Thame, Stone | Only Oxford signed south-east; north-western terminus of A418 concurrency; south-western terminus of A418 | ||
41.1 | 66.1 | Haydon Road (A4157 east) / Bicester Road to A413 / A418 – Buckingham, Leighton Buzzard, Milton Keynes, Watermead | Watermead signed north-west only; western terminus of A4157 | ||
Berryfields | 42.4 | 68.2 | Paradise Orchard (A4199 east) / Sir Henry Lee Cres to A413 – Buckingham | Information signed north-west only; western terminus of A4199 | |
Oxfordshire | Ambrosden–Bicester boundary | 55.9 | 90.0 | A4421 north (Wretchwick Way) / B4100 (London Road) / Gravenhill Road North – Buckingham, Bicester, Aynhoe, Launton | Aynho signed north-west only; southern terminus of A4421 |
Wendlebury | 59.1 | 95.1 | M40 – Midlands, Banbury, London A34 south – Newbury, Oxford | North-western terminus; northern terminus of A34; M40 junction 9 | |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi |
County | Location | mi [2] [3] | km | Destinations | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
West Midlands | Solihull | M42 / M1 / M5 / M6 / M40 – The North, The South West, Coventry, London, Warwick, Stratford A4141 south-east (Warwick Road) – Knowle | South-eastern terminus; north-western terminus of A4141; M42 junction 5 | ||
0.3 | 0.48 | B4025 – Solihull | Grade-separated junction; north-west exit and south-east entrance | ||
Birmingham | 5.0 | 8.0 | A4040 south (Fox Hollies Road) – Hall Green, King's Heath | No access from A41 north-west to A4040 south or from A4040 north to A41 south-east; south-eastern terminus of A4040 concurrency | |
5.1 | 8.2 | A4040 north to A45 – Yardley, Stechford | North-western terminus of A4040 concurrency | ||
6.8 | 10.9 | A34 south (Stratford Road) – Stratford, Shirley, Hall Green | No access from A41 north-west to A34 south or from A34 north to A41 south-east; south-eastern terminus of A34 concurrency | ||
7.7 | 12.4 | A4540 (Ring Road) / Camp Bill (B4100) to M5 / A38(M) / M6 / A38 / A435 / A47 / A45 – Bromsgrove, Redditch, Lichfield, Coventry, Balsall Heath, Highgate | North-western terminus of A34 concurrency; south-eastern terminus of A4540 concurrency | ||
Gap in route around Birmingham | |||||
A4540 / Soho Hill to A38(M) / M6 / M5 / A456 / A45 / A34 – Coventry, Wolverhampton, Kidderminster, Dudley, Walsall | North-western terminus of A4540 concurrency | ||||
8.8 | 14.2 | A4040 south (Boulton Road) – Winson Green, Bearwood | South-eastern terminus of A4040 concurrency | ||
8.9 | 14.3 | A4040 north (Rookery Road) / Queens Head Road to A34 / A38 – Walsall, Sutton Coldfield, Handsworth Wood, Perry Barr | Only Handsworth Wood and Perry Barr signed south-east; north-western terminus of A4040 concurrency | ||
9.7 | 15.6 | A4040 east (Island Road) to A453 – Sutton Coldfield, Handsworth Wood, Perry Barr | No access from A41 north-east to A4040 east | ||
West Bromwich | 10.6 | 17.1 | M5 to M6 / M1 / M42 – The South West, The North West, Worcester, London A4252 south (Kenrick Way) – Oldbury, Smethwick | M5 junction 1; northern terminus of A4252 | |
11.2 | 18.0 | A4031 south – Smethwick, Oldbury | Grade-separated junction; south-eastern exit and north-western entrance; south-eastern terminus of A4031 concurrency | ||
11.5– 11.9 | 18.5– 19.2 | A4031 north – Walsall, West Bromwich | Grade-separated junction; north-western terminus of A4031 concurrency | ||
12.2 | 19.6 | A4196 north (Old Meeting Street) / Carter's Green – West Bromwich, Hill Top | Hill Top signed north-west only; southern terminus of A4196 | ||
13.4 | 21.6 | A461 south-west / George Henry Road – Dudley, Great Bridge, Tipton | Tipton signed north-west only; south-eastern terminus of A461 concurrency | ||
Wednesbury | 14.6 | 23.5 | Leabrook Road (A4037 south) / Atlantic Way – Tipton | Northern terminus of A4037 | |
14.9 | 24.0 | A461 north-east (Dudley Street) / Hallens Drive to M6 / M5 – Walsall, Wednesbury | North-western terminus of A461 concurrency | ||
16.0 | 25.7 | A4444 north (Black Country New Road) / A4038 east (Moxley Road) to M6 – Walsall, Dudley, Darlaston | Southern terminus of A4444; western terminus of A4038 | ||
Bilston | 16.4 | 26.4 | A4098 south (Great Bridge Road) – Great Bridge | Northern terminus of A4098 | |
17.0 | 27.4 | A463 (Black Country Route) / Brook Street to M6 / M5 / A454 – Dudley, Walsall, West Bromwich, Birmingham, Ettingshall, Coseley, Willenhall, Wednesfield | |||
Wolverhampton | 18.6 | 29.9 | A4126 south (Ettingshall Road) / Dixon Street – Ettingshall | Northern terminus of A4126 | |
19.5 | 31.4 | A449 north (Ring Road / A4150) / A454 east (Middle Cross) to M5 / M6 / M54 / A460 – City centre, Telford, Stafford, Cannock, Walsall | South-eastern terminus of A449 / A454 / A4150 concurrency | ||
19.8 | 31.9 | A4123 south-east to M5 / A459 – Birmingham, Dudley, Coseley, Sedgley | North-western terminus of A4123 | ||
20.1 | 32.3 | A449 south (Penn Road) to School Street / A491 – City centre, Kidderminster, Penn, Wombourne, Stourbridge | North-western terminus of A449 concurrency | ||
20.4 | 32.8 | Ring Road (A4150) / Darlington Street to M54 / M6 north / A449 / A460 / A454 – City centre, Connock, Walsall | North-western terminus of A4150 concurrency | ||
20.7 | 33.3 | A454 west (Compton Road) / Bath Road – Bridgnorth, Compton | No access from A41 south-east to A454 west; north-western terminus of A454 concurrency | ||
Staffordshire | Perton–Codsall boundary | 25.4 | 40.9 | A464 west (Holyhead Road) – Shifnal | Eastern terminus of A464 |
Shropshire | Tong | 21.9 | 35.2 | M54 to M6 – Telford, Birmingham | M54 junction 3 |
Shropshire–Staffordshire boundary | Weston-under-Lizard–Shropshire–Sheriffhales boundary | 32.3 | 52.0 | A5 – Telford, Cannock, Weston-under-Lizard | |
Shropshire | Chetwynd Aston | 37.3 | 60.0 | A518 west – Telford, Newport | Newport signed north-west only; south-eastern terminus of A518 concurrency |
Newport | 38.0 | 61.2 | A518 east / Stafford Road – Stafford, Newport | North-western terminus of A518 concurrency | |
38.9 | 62.6 | A519 north / B5062 (Forton Road) – Eccleshall, Newport, Shrewsbury | Southern terminus of A519 | ||
Hinstock | 44.0 | 70.8 | A529 north (Chester Road) – Hinstock, Goldstone | Southern terminus of A529 | |
Ternhill | 49.4 | 79.5 | A53 to A442 – Shrewsbury, Shawbury, Hodnet, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Market Drayton, Telford | ||
Prees Heath | 56.4 | 90.8 | A49 south – South Wales, Shrewsbury | South Wales signed south-east only; south-eastern terminus of A49 concurrency | |
Whitchurch | 58.0 | 93.3 | A525 east / B5476 (Tilstock Road) to A530 – Newcastle, Nantwich, Wem, Whitchurch | South-eastern terminus of A525 concurrency | |
59.5 | 95.8 | A525 west / B5364 (Wrexham Road) to A495 – Wrexham, Oswestry, Whitchurch, Ellesmere | North-western terminus of A525 concurrency | ||
60.3 | 97.0 | A49 north / B5395 (Chester Road) – Warrington, Whitchurch | North-western terminus of A49 concurrency | ||
Cheshire | Broxton | 69.0 | 111.0 | A534 (Broxton Road / Barnhill Road) – Wrexham, Nantwich, Farndon, Holt, Bulkeley | |
Great Boughton–Christleton boundary | 77.4 | 124.6 | A55 west / A5115 west / Caldy Valley Road to A483 – North Wales, Wrexham, Chester, Huntington | Eastern terminus of A5115; M55 east junction 39 | |
78.0 | 125.5 | A51 (Vicars Cross Road) to M6 / M53 / M56 / A483 – Chester, Nantwich, Ellesmere Port, Manchester, North Wales, Wrexham, Northwich, Winsford | To M6, M53, M56, Ellesmere Port and Manchester signed north-west only; To A483, North Wales and Wrexham south-east only | ||
Chester | 79.0 | 127.1 | A56 (Warrington Road) to M53 / M56 / A483 – Chester, Helsby, Frodsham, North Wales, Wrexham | Helsby and Frodsham signed north-west only; To A483, North Wales and Wrexham south-east only | |
Moston | 81.2 | 130.7 | A5116 south (Liverpool Road) – Chester | Northern terminus of A5116 | |
Backford | 82.4 | 132.6 | A5032 north (Whitby Lane) to M53 / M56 – Ellesmere Port | To M53 and M56 signed north-west only; southern terminus of A5032 | |
Ellesmere Port–Backford boundary | 83.3 | 134.1 | A5117 to M53 / M56 / A550 / A5032 – North Wales, Queensferry, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Warrington, Manchester | To M53, A5032 and Ellsmere Port signed north-west only; To M56, Runcorn, Warrington and Manchester south-east only | |
Hooton | 86.8 | 139.7 | A550 south (Welsh Road) – North Wales, Queensferry | Information signed south-east only; northern terminus of A550 | |
Merseyside | Birkenhead | 87.3 | 140.5 | M53 – Wallasey, Liverpool, Ellesmere Port, Wrexham, Warrington | Wrexham and Warrington signed south-east only; M53 junction 5 |
93.8 | 151.0 | A5227 west – Town centre Borough Road (A5227 west) to A5027 / A553 / A552 – Town centre, Wallasey, Hoylake, Heswall | A5227 signed north-west only; To routes, Wallasey, Hoylake and Heswall southwest only; grade-separated junction | ||
A41 north-west to A554 / A5027 – Wallasey | North-west exit and south-east entrance; grade-separated junction | ||||
Birkenhead–Liverpool boundary | 94.0– 96.0 | 151.3– 154.5 | Queensway Tunnel under River Mersey | ||
Liverpool | 96.1 | 154.7 | Byron Street / Dale Street / Whitechapel (A57 / A5038) / William Brown Street to A59 – Southport | North-western terminus | |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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The original (1923) route was Stanmore north-west of London to Oakengates, west of Wolverhampton, in Shropshire, meeting the A5 at both ends.
The A41 was extended by numbering as follows:
The northern extension dates from 1935; in Shropshire, it swapped with a combination of the A464/A529; from Kingswood Common to Nantwich, Cheshire and the original A529 ran from Hinstock to Chester. North of Chester, the A41 replaced part of the A51.
The southern extension dates from after the Second World War using Watford Way which opened in about 1930 as the A5088. In the remaining years after 1935, it was renumbered A500.
The M1 motorway connects London to Leeds, where it joins the A1(M) near Aberford, to connect to Newcastle. It was the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the UK; the first motorway in the country was the Preston Bypass, which later became part of the M6.
The M40 motorway links London, Oxford, and Birmingham in England, a distance of approximately 89 miles (143 km).
The A5, the London-Holyhead trunk road, is a major road in England and Wales. It runs for about 243 miles (391 km) from London to the Irish Sea at the ferry port of Holyhead. In many parts the route follows that of the Roman Iter II route which later took the Anglo-Saxon name Watling Street.
The A6 is one of the main north–south roads in England. It runs from Luton in Bedfordshire to Carlisle in Cumbria, although it formerly started at a junction with the A1 at Barnet in north London, and is described as running from London to Carlisle.
The A34 is a major road in England. It runs from the A33 and M3 at Winchester in Hampshire, to the A6 and A6042 in Salford, close to Manchester City Centre. It forms a large part of the major trunk route from Southampton, via Oxford, to Birmingham, The Potteries and Manchester. For most of its length, it forms part of the former Winchester–Preston Trunk Road. Improvements to the section of road forming the Newbury Bypass around Newbury were the scene of significant direct action environmental protests in the 1990s. It is 151 miles (243 km) long.
The A57 is a major road in England. It runs east from Liverpool to Lincoln via Warrington, Salford and Manchester, and then through the Pennines over the Snake Pass (between the high moorlands of Bleaklow and Kinder Scout), around the Ladybower Reservoir, through Sheffield and past Worksop. Between Liverpool and Glossop, the road has largely been superseded by the M62, M602 and M67 motorways. Within Manchester a short stretch becomes the Mancunian Way, designated A57(M).
The A20 is a major road in south-east England, carrying traffic from London to Dover in Kent. Parts of the route date back to turnpikes established in the early part of the 18th century. The line of the road throughout Kent runs closely in parallel with the M20 motorway.
The A47 is a major trunk road in England linking Birmingham to Lowestoft, Suffolk, maintained and operated by National Highways. Most of the section between Birmingham and Nuneaton is now classified as the B4114. From Peterborough eastwards, it is a trunk road.
The A46 is a major A road in England. It starts east of Bath, Somerset and ends in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, but it does not form a continuous route. Large portions of the old road have been lost, bypassed, or replaced by motorway development. Between Leicester and Lincoln the road follows the course of the Roman Fosse Way, but between Bath and Leicester, two cities also linked by the Fosse Way, it follows a more westerly course.
The A21 is a trunk road in Southern England, one of several which connect London and various commuter towns to the south coast. It provides a link to Hastings, East Sussex and parts of Kent. Half of the distance covered is over gently undulating terrain, with some hills and bends. Often traffic is slow-moving, particularly on weekdays on the short single carriageway stretches; and in summer with holiday traffic. Because of this, people have described the A21 as "a joke" and businesspeople have been reported to "hate coming down the A21". There have been many proposals to upgrade parts of the A21 in response to this.
The A49 is an A road in western England, which traverses the Welsh Marches region. It runs north from Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire via Hereford, Leominster, Ludlow, Shrewsbury and Whitchurch, then continues through central Cheshire to Warrington and Wigan before terminating at its junction with the A6 road just south of Bamber Bridge, near the junction of the M6, M65 and M61 motorways.
The A45 is a major road in England. It runs east from Birmingham past the National Exhibition Centre and the M42, then bypasses Coventry and Rugby, where it briefly merges with the M45 until it continues to Daventry. It then heads to Northampton and Wellingborough before running north of Rushden and Higham Ferrers and terminating at its junction with the A14 in Thrapston.
The A52 is a major road in the East Midlands, England. It runs east from a junction with the A53 at Newcastle-under-Lyme near Stoke-on-Trent via Ashbourne, Derby, Stapleford, Nottingham, West Bridgford, Bingham, Grantham, Boston and Skegness to the east Lincolnshire coast at Mablethorpe. It is approximately 147 miles (237 km) long.
The A4540 is a ring road in Birmingham, England, also known as the Middle Ring Road, or the Middleway. It runs around the centre of the city at a distance of approximately 1 mile (1.6 km). Birmingham City Centre is the area within this ring road. The ring road was planned and designed by Herbert Manzoni. It is now simply known as the Ring Road due to the removal of the old Inner Ring Road.
Known as the Hagley Road in Birmingham, the A456 is a main road in England running between Central Birmingham and Woofferton, Shropshire, south of Ludlow. Some sections of the route, for example Edgbaston near Bearwood, are also the route of the Elan Aqueduct which carries Birmingham's water supply from the Elan Valley.
The A43 is a primary route in the English Midlands and northern South East England, that runs from the M40 motorway near Ardley in Oxfordshire to Stamford in Lincolnshire. Through Northamptonshire it bypasses the towns of Northampton, Kettering and Corby which are the three principal destinations on the A43 route. The A43 also links to the M1 motorway.
The A4150 Wolverhampton Inner Ring Road is a ring road that encircles the city centre of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands, England. The circumference of the road is around 2.1 miles (3.4 km). Technically, the route is listed as an "Inner Ring Road", although only a tiny section of the "Outer Ring Road" was ever constructed with only one of the two designed carriageways built. A second carriageway was built in 2017 along a short stretch between Patshull Avenue and Stafford Road. The section of outer ring road is called Wobaston Road and locally classified by Wolverhampton City Council as U119.
The A405 is a 4.8 miles dual carriageway road in Hertfordshire, England, from the A41 at Leavesden Green, near Watford, to the A414 at Park Street Roundabout near St Albans.
The City of Peterborough in East Anglia has an extensive and well integrated road network, owing partly to its status as a new town. Since the 1960s, the city has seen considerable expansion and its various suburbs are linked by a system of parkways.
Transport in Buckinghamshire has been shaped by its position within the United Kingdom. Most routes between the UK's two largest cities, London and Birmingham, pass through this county. The county's growing industry first brought canals to the area, then railways and then motorways.