M69 motorway
Encyclopedia
The M69 is a lightly used 15.7 miles (25.3 km) dual three lane dual carriageway
motorway in Leicestershire
and Warwickshire
, England
connecting Leicester
and Coventry
. It opened in 1977.
, which was subsequently downgraded. Until the A14 road was built in the early-1990s, the M6 provided access only to the southbound carriageway of the M1.
The M69 was built as a 3 lane motorway in order to carry a large number of vehicles to and from the M6. This was because the National Exhibition Centre
was originally going to be built at the M1/M69 junction.
and then continues northeast past Bulkington
and west of Wolvey
before turning more easterly to run south of Hinckley
. It then crosses the Birmingham to Peterborough railway line
before ending on the southwestern edge of Leicester.
The motorway has no services
.
south to join the M69. The M1 would also be widened to dual 4 lane or dual 5 lane between junctions 21 and 21a.
and Leicester City
. These two clubs are rivals in the M69 derby, and since the completion of the motorway they have played each other at least twice in most of their subsequent football seasons.
Dual carriageway
A dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...
motorway in Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
and Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
connecting Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
and Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
. It opened in 1977.
History
The motorway, also know at the time as the 'Coventry – Leicester Motorway' was completed in 1977 following a public inquiry in 1972. It replaced the A46 roadA46 road
The A46 is an A road in England. It starts east of Bath, Somerset and ends in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, but it does not form a continuous route. Large portions of the old road have been lost, bypassed, or replaced by motorway development...
, which was subsequently downgraded. Until the A14 road was built in the early-1990s, the M6 provided access only to the southbound carriageway of the M1.
The M69 was built as a 3 lane motorway in order to carry a large number of vehicles to and from the M6. This was because the National Exhibition Centre
National Exhibition Centre
The National Exhibition Centre is an exhibition centre in Birmingham, England. It is near junction 6 of the M42 motorway, and is adjacent to Birmingham International Airport and Birmingham International railway station. It has 20 interconnected halls, set in grounds of 628 acres making it the...
was originally going to be built at the M1/M69 junction.
Route
Starting at the northeastern suburbs of Coventry at junction 2 of the M6, the motorway crosses the Coventry CanalCoventry Canal
The Coventry Canal is a navigable narrow canal in the Midlands of England.It starts in Coventry and ends 38 miles north at Fradley Junction, just north of Lichfield, where it joins the Trent and Mersey Canal...
and then continues northeast past Bulkington
Bulkington
Bulkington is a large village and former parish in the Nuneaton and Bedworth district of Warwickshire, UK. In the 2001 census it had a population of 6,303. It is located around north-east of Coventry, just east of the towns of Nuneaton and Bedworth and south-west of Hinckley...
and west of Wolvey
Wolvey
Wolvey is a village and parish in Warwickshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,741.The village, originally on the main route between Leicester and Coventry, is now on the B4065 and B4109 roads and is located on the Warwickshire/Leicestershire border in an outlying...
before turning more easterly to run south of Hinckley
Hinckley
Hinckley is a town in southwest Leicestershire, England. It has a population of 43,246 . It is administered by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council...
. It then crosses the Birmingham to Peterborough railway line
Birmingham to Peterborough Line
The Birmingham to Peterborough Line is a cross-country railway line in the United Kingdom, linking Birmingham to Peterborough, via Nuneaton and Leicester....
before ending on the southwestern edge of Leicester.
The motorway has no services
Motorway service area
In the UK motorway service areas, also known as service stations, are places where drivers can leave a motorway to refuel, rest, or take refreshments. The vast majority of motorway services in the UK are owned by one of three companies: Moto, Welcome Break and RoadChef. Extra are also developing a...
.
M1/M69 Junction
There is an aspiration to construct a new slip road and road bridge for traffic traveling southbound on the M1M1 motorway
The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
south to join the M69. The M1 would also be widened to dual 4 lane or dual 5 lane between junctions 21 and 21a.
In popular culture
Since the completion of the M69 motorway linking Coventry and Leicester, the motorway's number has given its name to the derby between the two football clubs playing in each city - Coventry CityCoventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
and Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
. These two clubs are rivals in the M69 derby, and since the completion of the motorway they have played each other at least twice in most of their subsequent football seasons.
Junctions
| M69 motorway | |||
| Northbound exits* | Junction | Southbound exits* | Coordinates |
| Leicester Leicester Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest... A5460 (A563) Northampton Northampton Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is... M1 M1 motorway The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the... |
J3 Terminus |
Start of motorway | 52.6011°N 1.19604°W |
| The NORTH The North The North may refer to:* a geographical section of the world * the wealthy and technologically advanced nations of the world, as contrasted with the nations comprising the South... , Nottingham Nottingham Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group... M1 |
No exit | ||
| No exit | J2 | Hinckley B4669 | 52.54017°N 1.31698°W |
| Nuneaton Nuneaton Nuneaton is the largest town in the Borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth and in the English county of Warwickshire.Nuneaton is most famous for its associations with the 19th century author George Eliot, who was born on a farm on the Arbury Estate just outside Nuneaton in 1819 and lived in the town for... A5 Hinckley Hinckley Hinckley is a town in southwest Leicestershire, England. It has a population of 43,246 . It is administered by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council... B4109 |
J1 | Nuneaton A5 Hinckley B4109 |
52.51516°N 1.36123°W |
| Start of motorway | M6 J2 | Coventry Coventry Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although... (North), Birmingham Birmingham Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a... The SOUTH The South -Geography:* Southern United States* South of England* South of France* South Italy* South Korea* Republic of Ireland* South Province * Global South, the developing nations of the world-Other uses:* The South , by Victor Erice... , Rugby Rugby, Warwickshire Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county... (Kettering Kettering Kettering is a market town in the Borough of Kettering, Northamptonshire, England. It is situated about from London. Kettering is mainly situated on the west side of the River Ise, a tributary of the River Nene which meets at Wellingborough... A14) M6 M6 motorway The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to... Coventry (Central) A4600 Ansty Ansty, Warwickshire Ansty is a village and civil parish just outside the outskirts of Coventry, about northeast of the city centre. Ansty was part of the County of the City of Coventry until that county was dissolved in 1842.... B4065 |
52.43724°N 1.42341°W |
| Coventry (North), Birmingham The SOUTH, Rugby (Kettering A14) M6 Coventry (Central) A4600 Ansty B4065 Non-motorway traffic |
Road continues as A46 A46 road The A46 is an A road in England. It starts east of Bath, Somerset and ends in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, but it does not form a continuous route. Large portions of the old road have been lost, bypassed, or replaced by motorway development... (to M40 M40 motorway The M40 motorway is a motorway in the British transport network that forms a major part of the connection between London and Birmingham. Part of this road forms a section of the unsigned European route E05... ) via Coventry (South) and Leamington Spa Leamington Spa Royal Leamington Spa, commonly known as Leamington Spa or Leamington or Leam to locals, is a spa town in central Warwickshire, England. Formerly known as Leamington Priors, its expansion began following the popularisation of the medicinal qualities of its water by Dr Kerr in 1784, and by Dr Lambe... |
||
- Note: M69 runs south-westerly / north-easterly for the entire route.