M42 motorway - Definition and Overview

For alternate uses, see M42 (disambiguation).

The M42 motorway is a major road in England. The motorway runs north east from Bromsgrove in Worcestershire to just south west of Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire, passing Redditch, Solihull, the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) and Tamworth on the way. After Tamworth the road is downgraded to dual-carriageway status and called the A42.

Along with sections of the M5 and M6, the southern sections of the M42 form an orbital motorway around Birmingham. Much like the M25 around London, there are areas where this orbital system does not work well. One such point is junction 3A,the link between the M42 and the M40, where traffic is often heavy in the rush hour. Junction 6 for the NEC is also a particular problem area when major events are hosted like Crufts and the British motor show.

When the M42 was going through the planning stages in 1977 there was great opposition to the development by the residents of Bromsgrove. Ironically, much of the town's population now depends on this motorway (and the M5) for their commuting needs. Obviously many of the people attracted to the town from the 1980s onwards have come because of the motorway links.

See also: List of motorways in the United Kingdom