1959 on the M45
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If you don't know what the M45 is or why it exists, take a look at its Motorway Database entry. The short story is that it was opened in 1959, and for the first thirteen years of its existence it was a key part of the route from London to the Midlands and North West. The opening of the M6 made it almost redundant and today it's officially the UK's quietest motorway.
Driving the road is an astounding experience - the road is virtually unchanged since it was opened in 1959, and the lack of traffic and pestering road signs along its route mean you really can enjoy it as some kind of outsized museum piece. This video takes you along its full length, from the A45 at Dunchurch to the M1 southbound. The middle section runs at twice normal speed.
Many thanks to Steven Jukes of Pathetic Motorways, who was driving at the time this was filmed.
- Video captured
- 11 October 2003
- Running time
- 3'09"