M32 motorway
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 Looking towards the junction with the M4 |
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| Route information | |
| Length: | 4.6 mi (7.4 km) |
| Existed: | 1966 – present |
| History: | Constructed 1966–75 |
| Major junctions | |
| From: | Hambrook |
  J19 → M4 motorway |
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| To: | Bristol |
| Road network | |
The M32 is a motorway in South Gloucestershire and Bristol, England. It provides a link from Bristol city centre to the M4 and is part of the Bristol Parkway. At about 4.6 miles (7.4 km), it is one of Britain's shortest motorways. Most of the road has four lanes, though there is a climbing lane for 440 yards (400 m) north of Junction 2, and the short section between Junction 1 and the M4 has six lanes.
Route
The northern end of the M32 is at junction 19 of the M4, near Winterbourne Down. This was originally a grade separated roundabout junction, but has been modified in such a way that traffic joining the M4 need no longer give way at the roundabout. However any M4 traffic wishing to U-turn must now do so at junction 1, M32. The road then runs south between Filton in the west and Frenchay in the east. After meeting junction 1 it passes to the east of Horfield, Lockleaze and Easton. Junction 2 is located by Eastville Park. South of here, the road has a 60 mph (97 km/h) speed limit. It then continues further south and terminates at junction 3 north of St Pauls. The road continues as the A4032 into the centre of Bristol.
History
Originally called Hambrook Spur (from the M4 to Bristol), the motorway was constructed between 1966 and 1975[1] and opened to traffic in stages:
- M4 Junction 19 to Junction 1 opened in 1966.
- Junctions 1 to 2 opened in 1970.
- Junctions 2 to 3 opened in 1975.
It was originally planned to be a key radial link through to the hub of a network of radial and ring roads within a rectangle encompassing Bristol. Of this three convenient sides were the M4 (north eastern side), the M5 (north western side) and the tidal reaches of the River Avon (south western side),[2] the south eastern side not being defined by landmarks.
Recent developments
Bus lane
A bus lane was constructed in 2008 on the southbound carriageway of the A4032, Newfoundland Way, the short road which links the end of the M32 at Junction 3 with the Cabot Circus development. The lane starts just south of Junction 3, at an offside merge, and runs for 370 yards (340 m), adjacent to the central reservation. It becomes a general running lane for its final 165 yards (151 m) to a signal controlled junction, which is part of the new road layout for Cabot Circus. The hard shoulder and the remaining width of carriageway were rebuilt as two narrowed running lanes for general traffic, and a lower 30 mph (48 km/h) speed limit was imposed on both southbound and northbound carriageways of this section.[3]
Junctions
Data from driver location signs are used to provide distance and carriageway identification information.[4] Where a junction spans several hundred metres, both the start and end locations are given.
| M32 motorway junctions | |||||
| miles | km | Northbound exits (A carriageway) | Junction | Southbound exits (B carriageway) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.0 | 8.0 | London, Swindon M4(E) South Wales M4(W) Midlands, South West (M5) |
Terminus M4 J19 |
Bristol, Fishponds, Horfield M32 Start of motorway |
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| Ring Road, Filton, Kingswood (A4174) | |||||
| 4.5 4.3 |
7.3 6.9 |
Ring Road, Filton, Kingswood A4174 | J1 | Ring Road, Filton, Kingswood A4174 | |
| 1.9 1.7 |
3.0 2.7 |
Stapleton & Frenchay Horfield & Fishponds |
J2 | Fishponds, Horfield B4469 | |
| 0.9 0.7 |
1.4 1.1 |
Start of motorway | J3 Terminus A4032 |
A4320 Bath (A4) | |
| Frenchay, Stapleton M32 (M4,M5) | Road continues as A4032 to City Centre | ||||
Notes
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Information above gathered from Advanced Direction Signs May 2011[citation needed]
References
- ^ "M32 Bristol Parkway Statistics and options". Motorway Archive. The Motorway Archive Trust. Retrieved 1 January 2007.
- ^ "M32 Bristol Parkway". Motorway Archive. The Motorway Archive Trust. 2009. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^ "Greater Bristol Bus Network Major Scheme Business Case (section 2B.2.5)". West of England Partnership. p. 5. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^ Driver Location Signs, M5 J18-11, M4 J22-15 (map) – Highway Authority, 2009
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: M32 motorway |
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