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Birmingham Aston Expressway

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The Birmingham Aston Expressway, also known as the A38(M) is only 2miles in length and forms part of the A38 route running through the Midlands on its way to Bodmin in Cornwall. Prior to the opening of the M5 motorway in the 1960's and 70's, the A38 was the then main holiday route into Somerset, Devon and Cornwall.

The expressway is somewhat unusual when compared to other motorways as it consists of seven lanes and operates without any form of central reservation. This allows the road to operate using either three of four lanes during heavy traffic flow periods. In the morning rush hour traffic entering Birmingham will normally benefit from the use of four lanes with traffic leaving the city having the use of two lanes, with one lane always closed to traffic, thus operating as a type of central buffer and safeguard between the two directions of travel. During the evening rush hour the lane usage is reversed. At all other times the road normally operates with three lanes in each direction.

Overhead signing provides all the information necessary to advise drivers on lane availability, with all seven lanes, in whatever form of operation they are being used, carrying a maximum speed limit of 50 mph. Unfortunately, however, with no permanent speed cameras on the A38 (M) drivers do tend to drive somewhat in excess of this figure. In saying this accidents on this road are almost unknown, which is no doubt attributed to the common sense of the drivers who use it. In saying this motorcyclists are banned from using the red-surfaced central lane, which also contains a water drainage channel, now matter how it is being used. This decision regarding this ban followed a fatal accident which happened to a motorcyclist when one of the surface drainage covers was accidently dislodged.

Construction work on the expressway began in the late 1960's with the demolition and clearing of a number of late 19th and early 20th century slums and was constructed and opened along with the section of the M6 which it links to at the well known Gravelly Hill or Spaghetti Junction, in 1972.  The road runs from the A5127 and passes under Spaghetti Junction where traffic from the A38 links to it, followed shortly afterwards by traffic leaving the north and south bound M6. The road then enters a tidal flow section and was the first road in the United Kingdom to introduce such a system which allows the far better management of traffic flows, with lane usage being controlled, following regular traffic update, by overhead signs as mentioned previously. The other important feature of the road is that it provides quick and easy access to the City of Birmingham and also to its middle and inner ring road system.

When leaving the city, continued access to the A38 is by use of the well signed slip-road which takes one over the A38(M) - A5127 link and then drops down to the A38 dual carriageway to Lichfield. Well signed slip roads are also necessary for access to either the north or south running M6.  

Although Spaghetti Junction and the A38, A5127 and A38 (M) links are seen by many drivers as somewhat notorious, the road signs are fairly easy to follow and it is really a matter of driving, like at all other times, with due care and attention.

Be safe.


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