M6/M42 around Coleshill before the Toll Road?

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Skyline
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M6/M42 around Coleshill before the Toll Road?

Post by Skyline »

Hi guys
Ive been driving up that way more lately and I can’t figure out why M6 J4’s off slip is so long. Does anyone know why it runs more or less parallel to the M6 for so long? Is it anything to do with the introduction of the M6 Toll and the extra movements? Would love to see a map of the area before the M6 Toll was built if there’s one about?
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Truvelo
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Re: M6/M42 around Coleshill before the Toll Road?

Post by Truvelo »

The slip road was lengthened when the M42 was built to avoid weaving. The M6 Toll didn't alter it in any way.
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Steven
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Re: M6/M42 around Coleshill before the Toll Road?

Post by Steven »

Skyline wrote: Thu Oct 14, 2021 22:03 Ive been driving up that way more lately and I can’t figure out why M6 J4’s off slip is so long. Does anyone know why it runs more or less parallel to the M6 for so long? Is it anything to do with the introduction of the M6 Toll and the extra movements? Would love to see a map of the area before the M6 Toll was built if there’s one about?
Assuming you mean the eastbound offslip, as Truvelo says, it was extended when M42 was built.

There's more information on the SABRE Wiki at Coleshill Interchange, and there's piles of maps of the area before M6 Toll on SABRE Maps, though mapping from the time of M42 construction is still in-copyright, so we can't use it.
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From the SABRE Wiki: Coleshill Interchange :


Coleshill Interchange is a large interchange complex to the north east of Birmingham.

It forms junction 3A and junction 4 of the M6, junction 7, junction 7A and junction 7B of the M42, as well as the southeastern terminus of the M6 Toll. Some movements cannot be performed here, which are done at Water Orton Interchange.

The junction 4 roundabout was originally constructed prior to the M6 in the area, meaning that for a while there was

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Skyline
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Re: M6/M42 around Coleshill before the Toll Road?

Post by Skyline »

Cheers guys, i’m going to take a look now.
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jackal
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Re: M6/M42 around Coleshill before the Toll Road?

Post by jackal »

There is almost identical braiding just down the road at M6 J2. The slip road at J4 is longer simply because the loop is so big.
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Re: M6/M42 around Coleshill before the Toll Road?

Post by MFB »

Skyline wrote: Thu Oct 14, 2021 22:22 Cheers guys, i’m going to take a look now.
Download Google Earth Pro and toggle images of the area. There's a satellite view from c.2000 showing how it was all laid out.
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