- Almondsbury Interchange
The Almondsbury Interchange in
South Gloucestershire , is one of theUnited Kingdom 's largest motorwaystack interchange s. The interchange is one of only three four-level stacks in the UK, spanning a range of 0.5 km by 0.5 km. It is the interchange for the M5 at junction 15 and M4 at junction 20, and is situated at the northern fringes ofBristol close to the village ofAlmondsbury , theAztec West industrial estate, andBradley Stoke .Almondsbury Interchange was the first four-level interchange in the United Kingdom. [cite web | url= http://www.iht.org/motorway/stats.htm#first | work= The Motorway Archive | title= Oldest, widest, longest, highest | accessdate= 2007-10-04] It was designed by Freeman Fox and Robert Earley. [cite book | last = Baldwin | first = Peter | coauthors = Robert Baldwin | title = The Motorway Achievement | publisher = Thomas Telford | date = 2003 | pages = 406 | isbn = 0727731963 ] The interchange was built by Richard Costain Ltd, with work commencing in May 1964. The bridge was opened by the Queen on
8 September 1966 . [cite web | url= http://www.iht.org/motorway/m4lswscheme.htm#s2 | work= The Motorway Archive | title= M4, Aust (J21) to Wickham (J14). | accessdate= 2007-10-04]The interchange is often a traffic hot-spot, especially in the morning and evening rush hours. [cite web | url= http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/projects/5619.aspx | work= The Highways Agency | title= Almondsbury Interchange Safety Fence Upgrade | accessdate= 2008-08-05] It is overlooked by the RAC Tower. Traffic travelling northbound on the M5 intending to use the
Second Severn Crossing (or those on the crossing wishing to use the M5 southbound from Avonmouth onwards) can bypass the interchange by using theM49 motorway .See also
*
M5 motorway
*M4 motorway References
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