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The M180 runs south of the Humber, connecting the wider world (via the M18) to Scunthorpe, the Humber Bridge and beyond. It is most famous for being very lightly used - most of the route is three lanes wide, when the need for even two is, in places, debatable. It would be nice if that third lane could be picked up and moved to somewhere more in need of it.

It was built to relieve the A18 and to service the expanding ports and industrial estates in this part of the world. Into the bargain it provides a good route to the large towns in the area from Doncaster to Grimsby. It is certainly a good thing to be able to pass all those HGVs on their way to the docks and factories. Even so, it doesn't do its job very well, as it gives up at Elsham. The road on from there is the A180 - and is virtually indistinguishable from its motorway counterpart. The end of the motorway in this arbitrary location is inexplicable, though unfortunately no more unusual than, say, the M27 giving up at Portsmouth or the M62 at North Cave.

The M180 is let down slightly by its number - all the other three-digit routes are short-distance spurs (see its little brother the M181). This is, arguably, an important strategic route and, despite its emptiness, is more important than a lot of motorways with more important sounding numbers (M45 and M49 spring to mind as much shorter and less nationally valuable routes).

That this route was built while much more important roads remain unbuilt to this day can be put down to the fact that this is a very flat area. Land here costs next to nothing and plonking down 26 miles of new motorway - especially at 1970s prices - was instant value for very little money.

Factfile

Start	Thorne (M18)
Finish	Elsham (A15, A180)
Passes	Scunthorpe
Length	26 miles
Terminates	None
Spurs	M181
Meets	None

Images

Views of the M180 from on and off the road. If you have a photo to contribute, contact me.

Construction Timeline

When the various parts of the M180 were built, listed in chronological order.

Open	Jct	Section
1977	J4-5	Brigg Bypass
1978	J1-2	Thorne → Sandtoft
1978	J2-3	Sandtoft → Scunthorpe Bypass
1978	J3-4	Scunthorpe Bypass

Exit List

All the junctions and destinations along the route.

Junction		Westbound								Eastbound
(M18 J5)		Doncaster Sheffield M18 (M1 , A1(M) ) Goole Leeds Manchester M18 (M62 ) Doncaster North		M18		WEST		M18		N/A
		7 miles, 3 lanes								1 mile, 3 lanes
1				A18 (A614)				A614 A18		Thorne Hatfield A18 (A614)
										6 miles, 3 lanes
2		Goole Epworth Crowle A161		A161				A161		Epworth Crowle A161
		5 miles, 3 lanes								5 miles, 3 lanes
3		Scunthorpe (W) M181						M181		Scunthorpe M181
		7 miles, 2 lanes								7 miles, 2 lanes
4		Lincoln A15 Scunthorpe (A18)		A15				A15 (A18)		Lincoln A15 Scunthorpe (E) Brigg (A18)
		7 miles, 3 lanes								7 miles, 3 lanes
5		N/A		A15 (A18)		A180 EAST		A15		Barton Humber Bridge Hull A15 Humberside (A18) Grimsby Cleethorpes Immingham A180