M32 motorway

UK motorway routebox
motorway= M32
length-mi= 4
length-km= 7
direction= Northeast - Southwest
start= Hambrook
destinations= None
end= Bristol
opening-date= 1966
completion-date= 1975
junctions=

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 approximately 5 miles (8 km) long, it is one of Britain's shortest motorways. It is generally 2 lanes wide, though heading northbound it widens to 3 lanes as it approaches the A4174 ring road.

Route

Starting at Junction 19 of the M4, near Winterbourne Down. This was formerly a grade separated roundabout but has been modified so that traffic cannot do a complete 360 degrees. 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 (100 km/h) speed limit. It then continues further south and terminates at Junction 3 north of St Pauls. The road continues as the A4032 trunk road into the centre of Bristol.

History

The motorway was constructed between 1966 and 1975 [cite web |url=http://www.iht.org/motorway/m32brisstat.htm |title=M32 Bristol Parkway Statistics and options |work=Motorway Archive |publisher=The Motorway Archive Trust |accessdate=2007-01-01] 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 one of two motorways into Bristol cite web |url=http://www.iht.org/motorway/m32bristol.htm |title=M32 Bristol Parkway |work=Motorway Archive |publisher=The Motorway Archive Trust |accessdate=2007-01-01] . The decision to construct the motorway was contentious as it ran in a valued green belt corridor that reached into the cityFact|date=February 2007.

Plans

Bristol City Council had proposed the introduction of a High Occupancy or bus lane on the motorway. However the Highways Agency chose to retain control of the road, stopping the council's plans.cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/7042681.stm |work=BBC News |title=No bus lanes for city's motorway |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |accessdate=2008-01-01 |date=2007-10-12] . This plan has since been resurrected, and a 3 mile Bus Only lane of the M32 will be built 'sometime' in the Summer of 2008 [http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=145809&command=displayContent&sourceNode=145792&contentPK=20677169&moduleName=InternalSearch&formname=sidebarsearch]

Junctions

ee also

*A4174

References

External links

* [http://www.cbrd.co.uk/motorway/m32/ CBRD Motorway Database - M32]
* [http://pathetic.org.uk/current/m32/ Pathetic Motorways - M32]
* [http://www.iht.org/motorway/m32bristol.htm The Motorway Archive - M32]