A308(M) motorway
A308(M) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
A308(M) highlighted in blue | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by National Highways | ||||
| Length | 0.6 mi (970 m) | |||
| Existed | 1971–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| East end | M4 Junction 8/9 | |||
| M4 motorway A404(M) motorway | ||||
| West end | Maidenhead (Braywick) | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United Kingdom | |||
| Primary destinations | Maidenhead, Windsor, Bracknell | |||
| Road network | ||||
| ||||
The A308(M) is a motorway in Berkshire, England. It is 0.6 miles (0.97 km) long. It forms part of the Maidenhead bypass and runs from the M4 at junction 8/9 to the A308 south of Maidenhead town centre. The A308(M) is generally considered to be Britain's second shortest motorway, after the A635(M) on the Mancunian Way.[1]
History
In 1961[2] the A4(M) was opened and ran from the existing junction 7, through a junction with the A308 and ending at a junction with the A4. In 1963, the Slough bypass was opened[2] to junction 7 and the A4(M) was renumbered M4, junction 8 being with the A308 and junction 9 with the A4.
The proposed route of the M4 was then changed to go south of Reading, instead of north of it. When the M4 was extended in 1971,[2] a new junction was provided to connect with what would become a spur. This new interchange was built too close to the original junction 8, so this had to be closed. A new junction (numbered 8/9 so as not to confuse motorists) was built. The original M4 north of this was renumbered as the A423(M) and in the 1990s this was again reclassified as the A404(M). A new spur, the A308(M), was built to maintain access to the A308 and connected with the A404(M) and the M4 at the same grade separated roundabout.
Junctions
Note: motorway has no junction numbers
| A308(M) motorway | ||
| Eastbound exits | Junction | Westbound exits |
| Road continues as A308 to Maidenhead, Windsor A330 to Ascot and Bracknell (A3095) |
A308 & A330 Terminus |
London, Reading (M4) A308(M), Oxford A404(M) |
| Maidenhead, Windsor A308, Ascot A330, Bracknell A3095 | Start of motorway | |
| Start of motorway Maidenhead (Central) A308(M) |
M4 J8/9 A404(M) |
The West M4(W), London M4(E) High Wycombe A404(M) |
Information above gathered from Advanced Direction Signs April 2011
See also
References
- ^ "BBC Radio 4 – Radio 4 in Four – Ten speedy facts about motorways". BBC. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
- ^ a b c The Motorway Archive – M4 Dates Page Archived 4 January 2007 at the Wayback Machine