Gravelly Hill

Gravelly Hill
Location Map
View gallery (14)
Type  :	Unique
Roads Joined  :	M6 (junction 6), A38(M), A38, A5127
Location  :	Gravelly Hill, West Midlands
County:	Warwickshire
Junctions on the A5127
Dartmouth Circus Streethay Wall Island

The infamous Spaghetti Junction, Gravelly Hill provides the interchange between the M6, A38(M), A38, A5127 and an unclassified road. It forms junction 6 of the M6. Movements are facilitated by means of a complex array of slip roads and a roundabout (called Salford Circus). All movements are possible except between the unclassified road and the A38(M), and between the A38(M) and the southbound A5127.

The nickname Spaghetti Junction is believed to have come from a journalist's remark in the mid 1960s, that described the then under construction junction as "cross between a plate of spaghetti and an unsuccessful attempt at a Staffordshire knot."

Salford Circus, the roundabout underneath the main interchange

Despite its complicated appearance, Gravelly Hill is easy to negotiate because all of the movements are well signposted. Nevertheless, its reputation precedes itself enough to be voted the second most scariest junction in the UK in a 2007 BBC poll, and again as Britain's scariest road by Britannia Rescue, a breakdown firm.

The interchange was one of the last sections of M6 to be completed until the Cumberland Gap extension in 2008. Tenders for construction were announced by the then transport minister, Richard Marsh, in July 1968, with construction starting later in the year. It opened to traffic on 24th May 1972 at a cost of £10.9M (approx 113M in 2011).

The completion of the last section of the M6 through the Midlands had a knock on effect of traffic, much of which diverted from the A5 onto the new motorway. By the late 1970s, urban road building of this style had fallen out of favour, with local MP Robin Hodgson noting that many residents had complained about the increased noise along the whole stretch of M6 in the area. Similarly, Julius Silverman, then MP for Birmingham Erdington, had called for noise screening barriers to be erected around the junction.

In 2012, the junction was used as part of an art exhibition for Birmingham's Fierce Festival.

Routes

Strip Maps

• 

  The current layout of the interchange.

Gravelly Hill

Related Pictures View gallery (14)

Other nearby junctions Birmingham Ashted Circus • Belgrave Interchange • Bickenhill Interchange • Birches Green • Bordesley Circus • Camp Hill Circus • Castle Bromwich Interchange • Catshill Interchange • Coleshill Interchange • Copt Hill Interchange • Curzon Circus • Dartmouth Circus • Five Ways (Birmingham) • Garrison Circus • Gooch Street • Great Barr Interchange • Haden Circus • Heybarne's Circus • Hockley Circus • Holloway Circus • Hopwood Park Interchange • Key Hill Circus • Ladywood Circus • Lancaster Circus • Lister Street • Longbridge Island (Birmingham) • Lucas Circus • Lydiate Ash • Masshouse Circus • Minworth Island • Monkspath Interchange • New Town Row • Oldbury Interchange • Paradise Circus • Park Circus • Poets Corner • Quinton Interchange • Ray Hall • Spitfire Island • Spring Hill • St Chads Circus • St Martins Circus • Stonebridge Interchange • Summer Lane • Swan Island • The Black Horse Junction • The Isaac Tongue Junction • The Norton Crossroads • The Scott Arms • Tyburn House Island • Umberslade Interchange • Warstone Lane • Water Orton Interchange • Wells Green • West Bromwich Interchange • Wheeleys Lane • Yew Tree Island •

Junctions on the M6 M1 (19) Catthorpe • 1 Junction 1 • 2 Ansty • 3 Junction 3 • 3A & 4 Coleshill • 4A Water Orton • 5 Castle Bromwich • 6 Gravelly Hill • 7 Great Barr • 8 Ray Hall 9 Wednesbury • 10 Bentley • 10A Essington • 11 Laney Green • 11A Saredon • 12 Gailey • 13 Dunston • 14 Creswell • 15 Hanchurch • 16 Barthomley 17 Junction 17 • 18 Junction 18 • 19 Junction 19 • 20 Lymm • 21 Woolston • 21A Croft • 22 Winwick • 23 Haydock Island • 24 Junction 24 • 25 Bryn • 26 Orrell 27 Junction 27 • 28 Leyland • 29 Bamber Bridge • 30 Blacow Bridge • 31 Samlesbury • 31A Haighton • 32 Broughton • 33 Hampson Green • 34 Lune Valley 35 Junction 35 • 36 Crooklands • 37 Junction 37 • 38 Tebay • 39 Shap • 40 Skirsgill • 41 Catterlen • 42 Golden Fleece • 43 Rosehill • 44 Kingstown • 45 Guards Mill Former Junctions: 32A Broughton Roundabout • 35A Keer Level Roundabout

Junctions on the A38 Toll Gate House • Carminow Cross • Twelvewoods Roundabout • Island Shop • Menheniot • Trerulefoot Roundabout • Carkeel Roundabout • St Budeaux • Manadon • Marsh Mills • Deep Lane • Lee Mill • Wrangaton Cross • Woodpecker • Marley Head • Dart Bridge • Haldon Hill • Wobbly Wheel • Pearce's Hill • Tiverton Parkway • Waterloo Cross • Maiden Down • Perry Elm Roundabout • Chelston Roundabout • Chelston Interchange • Walford Cross • Huntworth • Cross Rifles Roundabout • Dunball Roundabout • Edithmead • East Brent Roundabout • Churchill Gate Crossroads • Bedminster Bridge • Aztec West • Almondsbury Roundabout • Cross Keys Roundabout • Waterwells Roundabout • Wall's Roundabout • Coombe Hill • Gupshill Roundabout • Twyning • Rashwood • Slideshow Island • Harvester Island • Lydiate Ash • The Black Horse Junction • The Isaac Tongue Junction • Belgrave Interchange • Holloway Circus • Paradise Circus • St Chads Circus • Lancaster Circus • Dartmouth Circus • Park Circus • Gravelly Hill • Salford Circus • Birches Green • The Norton Crossroads • Tyburn House Island • Minworth Island • Langely Mill • Bassetts Pole • Weeford • Swinfen • Streethay • Hillards Cross • Barton Turn • Branston Junction • Clay Mills • Toyota Island • Markeaton Island • Palm Court Island • Little Eaton Roundabout • Pinxton

Article Rating