M26 motorway

The M26 is a short motorway in Kent, linking the M25 near Sevenoaks to the M20 near West Malling. It runs just eight miles west from the M20’s junction 2a, where it meets the A20, before joining the M25 at junction 5. The motorway was built to connect southern England with the Channel ports in Kent. Its route was planned as part of the London Ringways scheme in the 1960s. Construction began in 1977 and was completed in 1980. The chief engineer was Ian Watts, and the project cost £18 million. The M26’s history reflects changes in motorway planning. Originally, it was meant to be part of Ringway 4 before becoming the M26. The awkward junction 5 with the M25 was shaped by these earlier plans. Until 1986, traffic moving anticlockwise on the M25 had to continue onto the M26. A small section of the motorway was once the A20(M). The project involved 300 workers, including John Oldham, who managed the Dunton Green to Wrotham section. Today, the M26 carries traffic between the M25 and M20, with no exits at its M25 junction. The longest stretch without an exit in the UK is 18 miles. Plans have been discussed for a new junction with the A225 to improve access to Sevenoaks. The motorway has also been considered for holding lorries in case of a no-deal Brexit. Despite its limited length, the M26 plays a key role in Kent’s road network.