M69 motorway
Template:Short description Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox road
The M69 is a Template:Convert dual three-lane dual carriageway motorway in Leicestershire and Warwickshire, England. It runs between junction 21 of the M1 near Leicester and junction 2 of the M6 near Coventry. It opened in 1977.
History
The motorway, also known at the time as the 'Coventry – Leicester Motorway'<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> was completed in 1977 following a public inquiry in 1972.<ref name="ma">The Motorway Archive – M69 Template:Webarchive</ref> It took traffic from the A46, which was subsequently downgraded.
In May 1970 in the last month of the Labour government, the Transport secretary decided to go ahead with the M69. The first route was given on 19 November 1971.<ref>Hinckley Times Friday 26 November 1971, page 20</ref> In 1972 it was expected to open in 1974.<ref>Hinckley Times Friday 24 March 1972, page 19</ref> The public enquiry was on October 3 1972 at Hinckley Council Offices.<ref>Hinckley Times Friday 29 September 1972, page 12</ref><ref>Hinckley Times Friday 6 October 1972, page 20</ref> A spur was planned for Braunstone, part of the Leicester Orbital Road.
In April 1973 the route fixed, to start in early 1974, to be finished by late 1975. In March 1974 construction was deferred.<ref>Hinckley Times Friday 5 April 1974, page 20</ref> In July 1974, construction would start in early 1975.
Construction
The contract for Template:Convert from Burbage to Enderby was given in January 1975 to Alfred McAlpine. The Template:Convert section from the A5 to the M1 opened on 21 December 1976. It was to open the day before, but snow had stopped white lines being laid.
In April 1975 a £12.5Template:Nbspmiles contract was given to Dowsett Engineering for the Anstey section. It was fully opened on 12 July 1977 by John Horam at the Wolvey Road bridge in Bulkington, in Warwickshire.<ref>1977 opening ATV report</ref>
Route
Starting at the north-eastern suburbs of Coventry at junction 2 of the M6, the motorway crosses the Coventry Canal and then continues north-east past Bulkington and west of Wolvey before turning more easterly to run south of Hinckley (junction 2, known locally as 'Reacharound Island' because of the limited slip roads). It then crosses the Birmingham to Peterborough railway line terminating in the vicinity of suburban Enderby and Braunstone to the south-west of Leicester junction 3, where it meets the M1 with continuation along the A5460/A563 towards Leicester.
The M69 has no motorway service area given that this function is fulfilled at present by Leicester Forest East services and Corley services in close proximity to the start and end points of this relatively short motorway.
Proposed developments
Template:Main There is an aspiration to construct a new slip road and road bridge for traffic travelling southbound on the M1 to join the M69.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Plans for a service station were announced in November 2023, to be located at junction 1 at the Stretton Baskerville roundabout. Welcome Break's application will be the first service station for the route.<ref>Amy Phipps & Julia Breens (11 November 2023). Plans for first service station on M69 near Burbage. BBC. Retrieved 14 November 2023.</ref> The route has been without services for over 50Template:Nbspyears and currently has a Template:Convert unserviced stretch, which exceeds the government's maximum recommendation of Template:Convert between heavy goods vehicle stations.<ref>Bid to build new motorway service station in Leicestershire would be first for M69 after almost 50 years. Leicester Mercury (11 November 2023). Retrieved 14 November 2023.</ref>
Junctions
| County | Location | mi | km | Junction | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warwickshire | Coventry | 0 | 0 | M6 J2<ref group=coord>Template:Coord</ref> | Template:Jct – Birmingham, Manchester Template:Jct – Coventry Template:Jct – Coventry |
road continues south as A46 |
| — | 6.2 | 10.0 | 1<ref group=coord>Template:Coord</ref> | Template:Jct – Tamworth, Rugby B4109 – Hinckley |
||
| Leicestershire | 8.9 | 14.3 | 2<ref group=coord>Template:Coord</ref> | B4669 – Hinckley, Sapcote | No Northbound entrance or Southbound exit | |
| Leicester | 15.7 | 25.3 | M1 J21<ref group=coord>Template:Coord</ref> | Template:Jct – Nottingham, Northampton, London Template:Jct – Leicester |
<references group=coord/> See alsoReferencesExternal linksTemplate:Attached KML Template:Commons category Template:UK motorways Template:Motorways and Trunk Roads in England |