The M40
The M40 is a motorway which links London and Birmingham. It was built between 1967 and 1988 and has transport links with Oxford, Warwick and High Wycombe.
History[]
The motorway was built in many stages. The first section was the High Wycombe bypass which opened in 1967. This forms now what is Junctions 4 and 5. The Beaconsfield bypass was completed by 1971, and the Gerrards Cross bypass. Junctions 5 to 8 were finished by 1974. This meant that the motorway stretched from London to Oxford.
In 1988, work resumed and the "missing link" between Oxford and Birmingham was built. This meant that there was a direct link to Birmingham and the M42 from London. The motorway went through Warwickshire and Cherwell Valley.
When the motorway opened fully, it carried a low volume of traffic than first expected. This was thought to be because there was no service areas on the motorway, which discouraged drivers of HGVs from using the motorway.
Today, there are three service areas running on the motorway, Oxford Services, Cherwell Valley Services and Warwick Services.
Exit list[]
| M40 Motorway | ||
| Eastbound exits | Junction | Westbound exits |
| Road continues as A40 to London | J1 | Slough A412 Uxbridge A4020 Non motorway traffic |
| Slough A412 Uxbridge A4020 |
Start of Motorway | |
| Watford, Rickmansworth, Slough, Heathrow Airport M25 | J1a | Watford, Rickmansworth, Slough, Heathrow Airport M25 |
| Beaconsfield, Amersham, Slough A355 | J2 | Beaconsfield, Amersham, Slough A355 |
| No access | J3 | Loudwater and High Wycombe (East) A40 |
| High Wycombe, Marlow, Maidenhead A404 | J4 | High Wycombe, Marlow A404 |
| High Wycombe (West), Stokenchurch A40 | J5 | Stokenchurch A40 |
| Watlington, Princes Risborough B4009 | J6 | Thame, Watlington, Princes Risborough B4009 |
| No access | J7 | Thame, Wallingford, A329 |
| No access | J8 | Oxford, Cheltenham A40 |
| Thame, Aylesbury A418 Oxford (A40) |
J8a | Thame, Aylesbury A418 Oxford (A40) |
| Oxford services | ||
| Bicester, Aylesbury A41 Oxford, Newbury A34 |
J9 | Bicester A41 Oxford, Newbury A34 |
| Northampton A43 B430 |
J10 | Northampton A43 B430 |
| Cherwell Valley services | ||
| Banbury A422 Daventry A361 |
J11 | Banbury A422 Chipping Norton A361 |
| Gaydon B4451 | J12 | Gaydon B4451 |
| Warwick Services | ||
| No access | J13 | Leamington, Warwick A452 B4100 |
| Leamington A452 | J14 | No access |
| Warwick A429 Stratford, Coventry A46 (M69) |
J15 | Warwick A429 Stratford, Coventry A46 (M69) |
| Henley A3400 | J16 | No access |
| Start of Motorway | J3a (M42) | THE NORTH, Birmingham M42 |
| THE SOUTH WEST, Redditch and M5 M42 | ||
External links[]
| Motorways | |
|---|---|
| Single-digit motorways: | M1 • M2 • M3 • M4 • M5 • M6 • M8 • M9 |
| Two-digit motorways | M10 • M11 • M18 • M20 • M23 • M25 • M26 • M27 • M32 • M40 • M42 • M45 • M48 • M49 • M50 • M53 • M54 • M55 • M56 • M57 • M58
M60 • M61 • M62 • M65 • M66 • M67 • M69 • M73 • M74 • M77 • M80 • M90 |
| Three-digit motorways | M180 • M181 • M271 • M275 • M602 • M606 • M621 • M876 • M898 |
| Converted A-roads | A1(M) • A3(M) • A38(M) • A48(M) • A57(M) • A58(M) • A64(M) • A66(M) • A74(M) • A167(M) • A194(M) • A308(M) |