M48 motorway


The M48 is a long motorway in Great Britain, which connects Gloucestershire, England, and Monmouthshire, Wales, via the Severn Bridge. This road used to be the M4, and as a result is anomalously numbered: as it lies to the north of the current M4 and to the west of the M5, it is in the Motorway Zone 5. It is one of only three motorways in Wales.

Route

Travelling from east to west, after leaving the M4 at Awkley, junction 21, near Olveston in England, the M48 begins by heading north-west towards Aust, junction 1. It crosses the Severn and Wye rivers. Entering Wales, the M48 heads south-west after junction 2, passing to the south of Chepstow, past Crick and continuing in a south-westerly direction, passing Caldicot and Rogiet. The motorway rejoins the M4 at Undy, junction 23 to the east of Magor.
Junction 2 can be reached via the A466, which leads to the A48. The junction gives access to the Wye Valley, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. When travelling either east or west on the M4, the M48 is the more direct route for Chepstow and Caldicot.

History

The M48 was opened as part of the M4 in 1966.
Before this date traffic between South West England and South Wales was either transported on a motorail service through the Severn Tunnel, used the Aust Ferry or travelled through Gloucester to pass north of the Severn Estuary. The route became increasingly busy and in 1984 a report was commissioned. After four years of construction, the Second Severn Crossing was opened in 1996 and was designated M4. The original stretch of motorway was designated M48 and continues to link England and Wales. Since 17 December 2018, the crossing has been toll-free.

Services

are at junction 1, formerly called Aust Services when originally opened, and may also be accessed via the A403 from Avonmouth. There is a footpath leading from the services to allow pedestrians to cross the bridge. When the M4 was diverted over the Second Severn Crossing, it was anticipated that these services may close. The original building offered views of the River Severn. It was sold and operations continue in a new, smaller development on an adjacent site nearer the motorway junction.

Junctions

Data from driver location signs are used to provide distance and carriageway identifier information. Where a junction spans several hundred metres and start and end points are available, both are cited.