M5 motorway

The M5 is a major motorway in England. It runs south-west from the M6 near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. The route passes through Sandwell Valley and forms part of the Birmingham Motorway Box. It continues through Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and Somerset. The motorway intersects with the M4 at Almondsbury Interchange north of Bristol. From there it serves Weston-super-Mare, Bridgwater and Taunton before ending south of Exeter. The M5 follows much of the old A38 road but avoids Bristol city centre. The Almondsbury Interchange is a large four-level stack where the M5 meets the M4. The Avonmouth Bridge often causes delays because of lane restrictions and its sharp central bend. Between junctions 19 and 20 the motorway climbs the hillsides above the Gordano Valley. Brent Knoll and the Mendip Hills appear between junctions 21 and 23, with the Willow Man sculpture marking the landscape. Construction began in the early 1960s with Worcestershire County Council overseeing the first section. The original dual two-lane stretch from junction 4 to the M50 opened in 1962. Later widening added extra lanes and new service areas such as Frankley and Strensham. The motorway was extended south in stages, reaching Exeter in the mid-1970s. Concrete for bridges came from local quarries and major contractors like Costain and Kier built key sections.