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Factfile Images Timeline Exit List
The M45 provides access halfway to part of Coventry from one direction on the M1. Consequently is it, perhaps, not the most used motorway in Britain. But its historical significance is much greater: it was the original northern spur from the M1. Take a look at the M10 page for the story. Since the M6 came it has fallen from grace: once part of the signposted route from London to Birmingham and Coventry, today it's just "Coventry (S)". Its appearance is fittingly delapidated these days.
Once upon a time this was very basic, merging straight into the M1 at one end, and taking a non-stop route to a roundabout at the other. This left A45 traffic passing through Dunchurch. In the 1980s, a cheap fix was found by building sliproads down to the A45 east of the village. Oddly, considering the terminal roundabout is grandly numbered junction 1, this junction has no number. Perhaps "0A" was too embarassing to put on signs.
Factfile
| Start | Kilsby (M1) |
|---|---|
| Finish | Dunchurch (A45) |
| Passes | None |
| Length | 8 miles |
| Terminates | None |
| Spurs | None |
| Meets | None |
Images
Views of the M45 from on and off the road. If you have a photo to contribute, contact me.
Northbound on the M1 approaching the M45. Given that the original bridge here was built to this width, a five lane carriageway plus hard shoulder must have been quite something in 1959. It's also quite excessive given how little traffic now exits onto the M45.
Photo by Dave Ryan
Eastbound, approaching the only real junction on the M45. It was actually added in the 1980s to allow the motorway to bypass Dunchurch.`
Photo by Steven Jukes
Construction Timeline
When the various parts of the M45 were built, listed in chronological order.
| Open | Jct | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 1959 | Entire motorway |
Exit List
All the junctions and destinations along the route.
| Junction | Westbound | Eastbound | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coventry Rugby A45 Dunchurch B4429 |
WEST A45  |
B4429 |
N/A |  |
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     |
  |
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8 miles, 2 lanes  |
 2 miles, 2 lanes |
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| A45 |  |
B4429 | Daventry A45 |
|
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 |
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| 6 miles, 2 lanes |
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| (M1 J17) | N/A | M1 |
 EAST |
M1 |
The SOUTH Northampton M1  |
|
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