M49 motorway - Definition and Overview

The M49 motorway is a small motorway west of Bristol, England, that forms a shortcut between the M5 and the Second Severn Crossing on the M4 motorway. It begins at junction 18a of the M5, and merges with the M4 at junction 22, just before the Second Severn Crossing, cutting journey times for traffic to and from Avonmouth docks, Central and southern Bristol and South West England. The motorway was constructed in the mid-1990s at the same time as the bridge.