M40 - A46 - A429
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Ordnance Survey map - Alternative aerial view
Where is it?
M40 junction 15. The London-Birmingham motorway meets the A46, the main road linking Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick and Coventry. This point is the southern end of the Warwick western bypass.
What's wrong with it?
Yes, it's another overloaded roundabout interchange. Nothing unusual there - we have a three-lane motorway sailing through underneath while all hell lets lose up above. A little way further north-east, the A46 has three lanes each way as well, so it seems a little harsh to just bring it to a halt at the roundabout like this.
Why is it wrong?
This junction is an overloaded roundabout interchange with a twist. Yes, the extra entertainment value here is provided by the junction's history. Not so long ago, the A46 just stopped here at a roundabout, meeting the A429 and the Warwick southern bypass. The A46 was grade-separated already to the north, and this roundabout was built with provision for a flyover. You can still see the flared carriageways today.
In 1991, a cash-strapped government opened the M40 through here. Among other cost saving design points, it ate the existing Warwick southern bypass and ploughed under this roundabout, providing even more interchanging traffic and grade separation in the wrong direction (and indeed, for several years, traffic on the M40 underneath was probably lighter than that round the junction itself).
What would be better?
A flyover is still possible, but probably won't happen until the political will exists to close the remaining gap in the A46 dual carriageway north of Stratford. However, it would remove a lot of traffic from this junction and ease the recurring problem of overturned lorries here.
Right to reply
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These are the most recent comments on this junction. You can see all comments if you prefer.
Les is waiting for trouble:
The new bypass is now open, but fairly quiet.
I came south down the A46 onto the M40 North. You are signposted down the new road, over the motorway, left on a hellishly sharp sliproad missing the new island, then onto the main island, then first exit.
I guess this all saves you going all the way around the main island, but I would watch out on the news for the first lorry to fall over on the corner by the new small island.
Rob is feeling relieved:
Flyover for A46 through traffic (Stratford <-> Coventry) is now open, and has reduced dramatically the amount of traffic using the main island. The new small roundabout doesn't seem to be causing issues.
One thing that seems a little odd, is that heading south on the A46 towards the junction, the signs for M40(S) send you left to the main junction whilst those for M40(N) send you over the new flyover, then left, left and left again to join the motorway. Maybe this will seem more logical when the roundabout widening is complete (scheduled for mid this year).
E.M. steers clear:
I would do anything to avoid this island,and always join the A46 Warwick bypass from the Hatton junction instead. I remember it before the M40 and the lights, and have only been on it three times since, on two occasions, unwillingly.
Andy Taylor is anticipating little improvement:
Driving past recently, I noticed the huge quantity of earthworks required to split the southbound A46, but nothing similar on the northbound side. That prompted me to take a look at the plans on the Highways Agency website and there is a stupid little roundabout in the middle of the realigned A46. They have probably saved a few quid by not building a small bridge at the expense of bringing all the through traffic to a halt. The junction should have been built correctly with the A46 passing over the M40 in the first place.
Since then we have had months of roadworks to put traffic lights on the roundabout, followed a few years later by months of roadworks widening the roundabout. These were never going to fix the problem. Now when the current scheme has been finished it will still not be right, and the cost in both construction and delays will have been much higher than getting it right first time.
Dmitriy is stuck in traffic:
As a part of the joke, if you are going to Leamington Spa and come to A46 south of Kenilworth, the direction signs to Leamington lead you to this roundabout (instead of the shorter route to the north). As a result A46 south is queuing for miles in front of this roundabout during rush hour.
