The
A38 is a major A-class
trunk roadA trunk road, trunk highway, or strategic road is a major road—usually connecting two or more cities, ports, airports, etc.—which is the recommended route for long-distance and freight traffic...
in England.
Though formally known as the Exeter - Leeds Trunk Road, it actually runs from
BodminBodmin is a town in Cornwall, United Kingdom, with a population of 12,778 . It was the county town of Cornwall, until the Crown Courts moved to Truro, which is also the administrative centre. It was in Triggshire and the district of North Cornwall. Its mayor is Cllr Robert "Bob" Micek...
in
CornwallCornwall is a county of England in the United Kingdom, forming the tip of the south-western peninsula of Great Britain. It is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Taken with the...
to
MansfieldMansfield is a town in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the county, lying on the River Maun, from which the name of the town is derived. It is the main town in the Mansfield local government district...
in
NottinghamshireNottinghamshire is an English county in the East Midlands, which borders South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire...
. It is 292 miles (470 km) long. It was formerly known as the
Leeds - Exeter Trunk Road, when this description also included the A61.
Between Worcester and Birmingham the current A38 follows the line of a Saxon
salt roadA Salt Road is any of the prehistoric and historical trade routes by which essential salt has been transported to regions that lacked it ....
; and between
LichfieldLichfield is a city and civil parish in Staffordshire, England. One of seven civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly 25 km north of Birmingham and 200 km northwest of London....
and
DerbyDerby is a city in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
, it includes part of the line of the Roman road,
Icknield StreetIcknield Street or Ryknild Street is a Roman road in Britain that runs from the Fosse Way at Bourton on the Water in Gloucestershire to Templeborough in South Yorkshire...
. Prior to the opening of the
M5 motorwayThe M5 is a motorway in England. It runs from a junction with the M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Bromwich and west of Birmingham through Sandwell Valley...
in the 1960s and 1970s, the A38 formed the main "holiday route" from the
MidlandsThe English Midlands, or the Midlands is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
to
SomersetSomerset is a county in South West England. The county town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county. The ceremonial county of Somerset borders the counties of Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west...
,
DevonDevon is a large county in England. The county is also referred to as Devonshire, although that is an unofficial name, rarely used inside of the county itself and often indicating a traditional or historical context. The county shares borders with Cornwall to the west and Dorset and Somerset to...
and Cornwall.
Bodmin to Birmingham
The road starts on the eastern side of
BodminBodmin is a town in Cornwall, United Kingdom, with a population of 12,778 . It was the county town of Cornwall, until the Crown Courts moved to Truro, which is also the administrative centre. It was in Triggshire and the district of North Cornwall. Its mayor is Cllr Robert "Bob" Micek...
at a junction with the
A30The A30 is an old trunk road which runs from central London to Land's End, the westernmost point of the mainland of southern Great Britain , and is sometimes called the Great South West Road. At 284 miles long, it is the third longest 'A' road in the United Kingdom, behind the A1 and A38...
before traversing the edge of the town to meet the A30 again. It travels through the picturesque Glynn Valley to
DobwallsThe village of Dobwalls is located in south-east Cornwall, three miles from Liskeard.Formerly on the A38, a bypass was identified as necessary in the 1960s, and was opened on 19 December 2008....
and
LiskeardLiskeard is an ancient stannary and market town at the head of the Looe valley in the ancient hundred of West Wivelshire in southeast Cornwall, England, United Kingdom....
, which are bypassed by a dual carriageway. This bypass now contains the most sophisticated
bat bridgeA bat bridge is a structure of varying construction crossing a new or altered road to aid the navigation of bats following the destruction of a hedgerow, and to cause the bats to cross the roadway at a sufficient height to avoid traffic...
yet constructed in the UK. The A38 continues through the Cornish countryside where it passes
SaltashSaltash is a town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a population of about 17,000. It lies in the southeast of Cornwall, facing Plymouth over the River Tamar. It was in the Caradon district until March 2009 and is known as "the gateway to Cornwall". Saltash means ash tree by the salt mill...
and through the
Saltash TunnelThe Saltash Tunnel is a road tunnel on the A38 at Saltash in Cornwall, UK and was opened in 1988.The central lane operates as a reversible lane to cope with holiday traffic and the speed limit is 30 mph. The tunnel is used by more than 38,000 motorists per day and is 410 m long...
. Immediately after the tunnel the
River TamarThe Tamar is a river in South West England, that forms most of the border between Devon and Cornwall . At its mouth, the Tamar flows into the Hamoaze where it joins with the River Lynher before entering Plymouth Sound...
is crossed using the
Tamar BridgeThe Tamar Bridge is a major road bridge at Saltash in southwest England carrying traffic between Cornwall and Devon. When it opened in 1961 it was the longest suspension bridge in the United Kingdom...
where the route resumes dual carriageway status. The section from Plymouth to Exeter is called the 'Devon Expressway', it forms the southern border of
Dartmoor National ParkDartmoor is an area of moorland in the centre of Devon, England. Protected by National Park status, it covers .The granite upland dates from the Carboniferous period of geological history. The moorland is capped with many exposed granite hilltops , providing habitats for Dartmoor wildlife. The...
, and serves as a southward extension of the
M5 motorwayThe M5 is a motorway in England. It runs from a junction with the M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Bromwich and west of Birmingham through Sandwell Valley...
. It is long and was completed in the early 1970s.
A junction to the south of
ExeterExeter is a city and district in Devon, England; it is the county town of Devon. Exeter is located approximately northeast of Plymouth, and southwest of Bristol, on the River Exe. The city has a population of 111,076 according to the 2001 Census....
represents a third meeting point of the A38 with the A30, from which point the A38 multiplexes with the M5 before re-emerging from junction 27 near Waterloo Cross, north of Exeter. From junction 27 the A38 heads north via
WellingtonWellington is a small industrial town in rural Somerset, England, situated seven miles south west of Taunton in the Taunton Deane district, near the border with Devon, which runs along the Blackdown Hills to the south of the town...
,
TauntonTaunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....
,
BridgwaterBridgwater in Somerset, England, is a market town, the administrative centre of the Sedgemoor district, and the leading industrial town in the county.Bridgwater is located on the major communication routes through South West England....
and
BristolBristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London, and east of Cardiff.With an estimated population of 416,400 for the unitary authority in mid-2007, and a surrounding urban area with an estimated 561,500 residents, it is England's sixth, and...
. From Waterloo Cross to Birmingham, the road is paralleled by the M5, where the A38 has reverted to taking local traffic only. South of Bristol, the road was diverted to cater for an extension of the runway at
Bristol International AirportBristol International Airport , located at Lulsgate Bottom in North Somerset, is the commercial airport serving the city of Bristol, England and the surrounding area. In 2003, the airport drew 45% of its passengers from the former county of Avon area, 13% from Devon, 10% from Somerset and 10% from...
.
From Bristol, it continues north via
GloucesterGloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
,
TewkesburyTewkesbury is a town in Gloucestershire, England. It stands at the confluence of the River Severn and the River Avon, and also minor tributaries the Swilgate and Carrant Brook...
,
WorcesterWorcester is a city and county town of Worcestershire, in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some 30 miles southwest of Birmingham, 29 miles north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people...
and
BromsgroveBromsgrove is a town in Worcestershire, England. The town is about north east of Worcester and south west of Birmingham city centre. It had a population of 29,237 in 2001 and is in Bromsgrove District....
to
BirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands county of England. Birmingham is the second-most populous British city, with a population of 1,006,500 ....
. Between Worcester and Birmingham the A38 followed the line of an identified Saxon
Salt roadA Salt Road is any of the prehistoric and historical trade routes by which essential salt has been transported to regions that lacked it ....
, one of six leading out of Droitwich. At Bromsgrove, it meets the
M42The M42 motorway is a major road in England. The motorway runs north east from Bromsgrove in Worcestershire to just south west of Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire, passing Redditch, Solihull, the National Exhibition Centre and Tamworth on the way. The section between the M40 and M6 road forms...
and the B4096 at junction 1 at
Lickey EndLickey End is a village and civil parish in the Bromsgrove District of Worcestershire, England. It is situated just north of Bromsgrove, to the south-east of the junction of the A38Birmingham Road and the M42 motorway, and has a population of 2,764...
.
It passes through Upper Catshill and meets the
M5The M5 is a motorway in England. It runs from a junction with the M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Bromwich and west of Birmingham through Sandwell Valley...
at junction 4 near
Lydiate AshLydiate Ash is a hamlet, consisting of a few houses and the road gritting depot for Bromsgrove District Council.area of North Worcestershire, England. It is in the district of Bromsgrove, to the south-west of Birmingham....
. This was the northern end of the M5 for many years in the 1960s, with traffic transferring onto the A38, which was diverted at this point to link with the M5. From here to
EdgbastonEdgbaston is an area in the city of Birmingham in England. It is also a formal district, managed by its own district committee. The constituency includes the smaller Edgbaston ward and the wards of Bartley Green, Harborne and Quinton....
, the road is mostly dual carriageway. The former single carriageway section through Northfield has recently been replaced by a bypass; however the section between
Selly OakSelly Oak is a district in south-west Birmingham, England. It is also a local authority electoral ward, and a local council constituency.The suburb of Selly Oak is bordered by Bournbrook and Selly Park to the north-east, Edgbaston and Harborne to the north, Weoley Castle and Weoley Hill to the...
and
BournbrookBournbrook is a district in south-west Birmingham, England. The area is in the Selly Oak local authority electoral ward, and also comes under the Selly Oak local council constituency....
still has a single carriageway.
In the centre of Birmingham, a section of the road becomes the Aston Expressway
A38(M) motorwayThe A38, also known as the Aston Expressway, is a motorway in Birmingham, England. It is 2 miles long and was opened on May 24, 1972. It forms part of the much longer A38 route....
, running from the north-eastern side of the
Inner Ring RoadThe A4540 is a Ring Road in Birmingham, England, also known as the Middle Ring Road, or the Middleway. There are proposals to make it a red route. It runs around the centre of the city at a distance of approximately one mile. Birmingham City Centre is the area within this ring road...
through
AstonAston is an Inner-City area of the City of Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England. Lying to the north-east of the Birmingham City Centre, Aston constitutes an electoral ward within the council constituency of Ladywood.-History:...
to the junction with the
M6 motorwayThe M6 motorway is the longest motorway in the United Kingdom. It runs from junction 19 of the M1 in Catthorpe near Rugby in central England, passes between Coventry and Nuneaton, through Birmingham, Walsall and Stafford and near the major cities of Wolverhampton and Stoke-on-Trent...
at
Gravelly Hill InterchangeGravelly Hill Interchange, better known by its nickname Spaghetti Junction, is junction 6 of the M6 motorway where it meets the A38 Aston Expressway in Birmingham, United Kingdom....
, better known as
Spaghetti Junction.
Birmingham to Mansfield
From Birmingham the road bypasses
Sutton ColdfieldSutton Coldfield is a town in the City of Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England. Sutton is located about from central Birmingham, in the northeast of the city, with a population of 105,452 recorded in the 2001 census...
and
LichfieldLichfield is a city and civil parish in Staffordshire, England. One of seven civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly 25 km north of Birmingham and 200 km northwest of London....
, before taking up the route of the Roman road,
Ryknild StreetIcknield Street or Ryknild Street is a Roman road in Britain that runs from the Fosse Way at Bourton on the Water in Gloucestershire to Templeborough in South Yorkshire...
, (also spelt
Icknield or
Rykneld), as far as
DerbyDerby is a city in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
. At
WychnorWychnor is a civil parish in Staffordshire, England, situated in the East Staffordshire local government district adjoining Alrewas and Barton-under-Needwood. It is situated on the A38, formerly the Roman road Ryknild Street, and contains the hamlet of Wychnor Bridges where the A38 crosses the...
, the road crosses the
River TrentThe River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire between Biddulph and Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent is...
and enters the district of
East StaffordshireEast Staffordshire is a local government district with borough status in Staffordshire in England. It has two main towns, Burton upon Trent, famous for its breweries, and Uttoxeter, for its racecourse....
. At Barton Turn, near the B5016 junction, the road runs right alongside the Cross Country Route for around . This railway line follows the line of the A38 from Derby to Plymouth. From Alrewas to Burton, the path called The Way for the Millennium follows the northbound carriageway.
From Clay Mills, the road passes through the district of
South DerbyshireSouth Derbyshire is a local government district in Derbyshire, England. It contains a third of the National Forest, and the council offices are in Swadlincote....
, passing the grade separated junction with the A5132 for
WillingtonWillington is a village in the district of South Derbyshire, in the East Midlands region of England. The village's population is approximately 2700 .-Geography:...
. There is the Derby with Burton services at the
BurnastonBurnaston is a village located in Derbyshire, just south of the city of Derby.Since 1992, it has been dominated by the huge Toyota car plant - one of several British car plants built by Japanese carmakers as part of cost-saving measures to avoid such expenses as import duties and shipping...
A50The A50 is a major trunk road in England. It runs from Warrington to Leicester; however it used to be a much longer route.-Current route:...
interchange. The road enters the City of Derby borough a half-mile north of the
LittleoverLittleover is a large suburb of Derby, England situated between Rose Hill, Normanton, Sunny Hill, South Derbyshire and Mickleover about three miles south west of Derby city centre.-History:The history of the name of Littleover is simple...
interchange. For nearly four miles, the A38 forms part of Derby's outer ring road, including three roundabouts: Kingsway (or
Grand Canyon) for the A5111;
MarkeatonMarkeaton is a village within Derby in the East Midlands of England.The name possibly means Boundary - Island Village, which had stood at this site since Medieval times....
for the
A52The A52 is a major road in the East Midlands, England. It runs east from the junction with the A53 at Newcastle-under-Lyme near Stoke-on-Trent via Ashbourne, Derby, Stapleford, Nottingham, West Bridgford, Bingham, Grantham, Boston and Skegness before terminating on the east Lincolnshire coast at...
; and
Little EatonLittle Eaton is a village in the English county of Derbyshire. It is situated on the former route of the old A61 , just north of the Derby section of the A38. At the southern exit to the village from the A38, there is a Little Chef...
(or
Abbey Hill) for the A61 and B6179. The section of road between Kingsway roundabout to just north of Markeaton is urban in nature and thus subject to a speed limit.
Originally terminating in Derby at the junction of
Babington Lane with
St Peter's Street (formerly the A6), The road enters the district of Amber Valley where it passes Drum Hill just north of Little Eaton and is crossed at this point by the
Midshires WayThe Midshires Way a long distance footpath and bridleway that runs for through Middle England from Bledlow in Buckinghamshire to Stockport, Greater Manchester.- External links :*...
and Centenary Way. There is a junction for the B6179 to Ripley and
BelperBelper is a town and civil parish in the local government district of Amber Valley in Derbyshire, England.It is eight miles north of Derby, on the A6, by the River Derwent, and has a population of 20,548 in 8,790 households . It has regular bus services to Derby and to the north, to Ripley and...
. At Alfreton, there is a grade separated junction (GSJ) with the A61, A615 and B6179. The section from Alfreton to the M1, the Alfreton-
South NormantonSouth Normanton is a medium-sized ex-mining village two miles east of Alfreton, Derbyshire and approximately 100 meters higher above sea level than Alfreton Town.The historic industries of the village were agriculture, stocking, spinning and mining....
Bypass, opened as the A615 in the late 1960s. This section has a GSJ with the B600 for
SomercotesSomercotes is a hamlet in the parish of Alfreton in the English county of Derbyshire.Somercotes is close to the borders of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire and is two miles south of Alfreton. It is a former mining village and was once surrounded by more than five mines. Previously, in the...
and the Cotes Park industrial estate, and where it crosses the Nottingham spur of the
Midland Main LineThe Midland Main Line is a major railway line in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system.The 'Modern' line links London St. Pancras International to Sheffield station in northern England via Luton, Bedford, Kettering, Leicester, Derby, Nottingham and Chesterfield.Historically the...
it enters the district of
BolsoverBolsover is a local government district in Derbyshire, England. Its main town is Bolsover.There are fourteen town and parish councils within the district.In addition to the town councils of Old Bolsover and Shirebrook, there are the parish councils of:...
.
As a 1970s upgrade to the route of the A61 north of Derby (which became the B6179), the A38 bypasses
RipleyRipley is a town in the Amber Valley area of Derbyshire in England.- Earliest History :Not much information is available as to when Ripley was founded, but it existed at the time of the Domesday Book, when it was held by a man called Levenot....
passing through former opencast mining land, before joining end-on with the former A615 Alfreton bypass at Watchorn Intersection. The road crosses the
M1The M1 is a major north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
at junction 28. Into
NottinghamshireNottinghamshire is an English county in the East Midlands, which borders South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire...
, the road bypasses
Sutton-in-AshfieldSutton-in-Ashfield is a town in the Ashfield district of Nottinghamshire, England, with a population of around 40,000. It is situated four miles west of Mansfield, close to the Derbyshire border.-Geography:...
, dropping to a single carriageway configuration of 1980s construction, including multiple traffic light controlled junctions – such as the Mansfield, Ashfield Regeneration Route ("MARR"). The final section of the A38 from Sutton, past
King's Mill HospitalKing's Mill Hospital is a hospital situated in Sutton-in-Ashfield, UK. The next nearest hospital is Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham, where patients may be sent in the event that King's Mill cannot provide sufficient facilities....
into
MansfieldMansfield is a town in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the county, lying on the River Maun, from which the name of the town is derived. It is the main town in the Mansfield local government district...
is purely urban in nature and is single carriageway, joining the A6009 in Mansfield Town Centre at the end of the route from Cornwall to the North Midlands.
History
When first designated in 1922, the A38 ran from the centre of Plymouth to Derby. It was later extended west from Plymouth on the former route of the A389 over the
Torpoint FerryThe Torpoint Ferry is a car and pedestrian chain ferry crossing the Hamoaze, a stretch of water at the mouth of the River Tamar, between Devonport in Plymouth and Torpoint in Cornwall...
to a junction with the A30 at Bodmin. When the Tamar Bridge was opened in 1961, the A38 was rerouted on the former line of the
A374The A374 is a main road in the United Kingdom, one of six A-roads making the boarder crossing between Devon and Cornwall. It is the most southerly of the A37x group of roads, starting and ending its journey with the A38 trunk road, from the outskirts of Plymouth in Devon to the Trerulefoot...
, through Tideford, over the new bridge and through
CrownhillCrownhill is an area of northern Plymouth, in the English county of Devon.- Overview :It was originally known as Knackersknowle, meaning "the hill of the knacker's yard"...
, joining the old route at Plympton. The old route of the A38, via Torpoint and the centre of Plymouth, was redesignated the A374.
The A38 was extended north from Derby to the M1 motorway and Mansfield in 1977, partly on the former line of the A615.
Cornwall
The
LiskeardLiskeard is an ancient stannary and market town at the head of the Looe valley in the ancient hundred of West Wivelshire in southeast Cornwall, England, United Kingdom....
bypass, stretching for 10 km from the west of Liskeard to
TrerulefootTrerulefoot is a small hamlet located on A38 trunk road approximately half way between the towns of Saltash and Liskeard, in the county of Cornwall, England. The village has a farm shop, two cafés and a petrol filling station....
, opened in June 1976.
A public inquiry was held for the
DobwallsThe village of Dobwalls is located in south-east Cornwall, three miles from Liskeard.Formerly on the A38, a bypass was identified as necessary in the 1960s, and was opened on 19 December 2008....
bypass in February 2005, which was expected to cost £32 million. The bottleneck was removed when the bypass, linking the existing Liskeard bypass to the current single carriageway section through the Glynn Valley opened in the Winter of 2008. A campaign to open this road was started by villagers in Dobwalls in 1930, but planning for building the road was not granted until 2006, the work starting on 15 November that year.
In a separate improvement within the Glynn Valley, the
Highways AgencyThe Highways Agency is an executive agency, part of the Department for Transport in England. It has responsibility for managing the core road network in England...
stabilised an 840m section of the road near
Bodmin Parkway railway stationBodmin Parkway railway station is a station on the Cornish Main Line and serves the nearby town of Bodmin, Cornwall, United Kingdom. The station is west of ....
. The work, which commenced in October 2007, was carried out to sure-up the verge which had been built on an
embankmentTo keep a road or rail line straight and/or flat, and where the comparative cost or practicality of alternate solutions is prohibitive, the land over which the road or rail line will travel is built up to form an embankment. An embankment is therefore in some sense the opposite of a cutting, and...
supported by dry stone walling and the root systems of large trees. It was completed in May 2008 seeing the installation of kerbing, road drainage gulleys, safety barriers as well as increasing the verge width to allow for a new surface water drainage system.
Devon
The A38 in Devon runs between
Tamar BridgeThe Tamar Bridge is a major road bridge at Saltash in southwest England carrying traffic between Cornwall and Devon. When it opened in 1961 it was the longest suspension bridge in the United Kingdom...
outside Plymouth and junction 31 of the M5, where the motorway ends; this section is known as the
Devon ExpresswayThe Devon Expressway is a 40-mile dual carriageway which is incorporated into the A38 road. It is mainly a two-lane dual carriageway which runs between Exeter and Plymouth serving as a continuation of the M5 motorway...
. It then runs concurrently with the M5 until junction 27, where it splits and enters Somerset independent but parallel to the M5.
During the mid 1960s, small sections of the route between Plymouth and Exeter were upgraded to dual carriageway, such as those at Dean Prior and Heathfield. This was followed by the construction of Plympton bypass in 1970-71, with the majority of realignment, such as the Ivybridge and Buckfastleigh bypasses, being completed during 1973-74. The route, now known as the Devon Expressway, was largely complete by 1975, with the final section between Kennford and the M5 opening in 1977, coinciding with the completion of the M5 during the same year. Whilst many of the sections were newly consturcted realignments, some sections such as the Ashburton and Kennford bypasses were upgraded from the original 1930s single carriageway bypasses. The Parkway, the section of dual carriageway through the suburbs of Plymouth between the Tamar Bridge and Marsh Mills, was constructed in 1983-84, along a route which had been reserved for this road since 1943. This was followed by the construction of a flyover over Marsh Mills roundabout in 1992, providing a non stop route between the Plympton bypass and the Parkway.
The viaducts carrying the A38 over the
River PlymThe River Plym is a river in Devon, England. Its source is 450m above sea level on Dartmoor, in an upland marshy area called Plym Head. From the upper reaches which contain antiquities and mining remains the river flows roughly southwest and enters the sea near to the city of Plymouth, where the...
, which after the construction of the Marsh Mills flyover became the Exeter bound sliproads, were built in 1969-1970 as part of the Plympton bypass. They were replaced in the 1990s due to suffering from
Alkali Silica ReactionThe Alkali-Silica Reaction is a reaction which occurs over time in concrete between the highly alkaline cement paste and reactive non-crystalline silica, which is found in many common aggregates....
, and the project, completed in February 1996 at a cost of £12.25million, involved the world's largest sideways bridge slide at the time for the , 5,500 tonne bridge. This required the road to be closed for only 48 hours, which won it an
AAThe Automobile Association is a British company providing car insurance, breakdown cover, loans and motoring advice. It was a former motoring association that became a private limited company in 1999, and is owned by two private equity firms....
National Motoring Award in 1996 for innovation and minimisation of traffic congestion.
Presently, the route between Plymouth and the end of M5 is all dual carriageway, and branded the
Devon ExpresswayThe Devon Expressway is a 40-mile dual carriageway which is incorporated into the A38 road. It is mainly a two-lane dual carriageway which runs between Exeter and Plymouth serving as a continuation of the M5 motorway...
, being the primary route that links Plymouth to the rest of the country.
Beyond the end of M5, the road runs concurrently with and as the M5 until junction 27. The original route between Exeter and junction 27 of the M5 (Waterloo Cross) was downgraded to become the B3181 when the M5 was opened in 1977
Somerset
From Junction 27 to East Brent, the A38 runs broadly parallel to the M5: the junctions 22-27 are mostly spurs connecting to the road and all no further than 1.5 miles from it. The A38 running around
Wellington, SomersetWellington is the capital of New Zealand, at the southwestern tip of the North Island between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range. The Wellington urban area is the major population centre of the southern North Island and is New Zealand's third most populous urban area with residents. There are ...
, through the county seat of
TauntonTaunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....
,
North PethertonNorth Petherton is a small town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated on the edge of the eastern foothills of the Quantocks, and close to the edge of the Somerset Levels.The town has a population of 5,190...
and
HighbridgeHighbridge may mean:Places in the UK:*Highbridge, Cumbria, England*Highbridge, Hampshire, England*Highbridge, Somerset, a market town, England**Highbridge and Burnham railway station*Highbridge, Scotland, a bridge in the Scottish Highlands...
. Beyond Highbridge and junction 22, the road departs the motorway and resumes primary status, going through
WinscombeWinscombe is a village in North Somerset, England, close to the settlements of Axbridge and Cheddar, on the western edge of the Mendip Hills, south-east of Weston-super-Mare and south-west of Bristol...
and
Lower LangfordLower Langford is a village in the unitary authority of North Somerset, England. It is located on the western edge of the Mendip Hills about east of Weston-super-Mare. It was a village built around the estate of Sidney Hill who was the original inhabitant of the village-School:Churchill C.E.V.C...
. This route is the suggested route for accessing the South of Bristol and
Bristol International AirportBristol Airport may refer to:* Bristol International Airport, serving Bristol, England, United Kingdom .* Bristol Airport , in Bristol, New Brunswick, Canada ....
from the South West.
The centre of
BridgwaterBridgwater in Somerset, England, is a market town, the administrative centre of the Sedgemoor district, and the leading industrial town in the county.Bridgwater is located on the major communication routes through South West England....
was a notorious bottle neck on the "holiday route" as traffic from both the A38 and the
A39The A39 is an A road in south west England. It runs south-west from Bath in Somerset through Wells, Glastonbury, Street and Bridgwater. It then follows the north coast of Somerset and Devon through Williton, Minehead, Porlock, Lynmouth, Barnstaple, Bideford, Stratton, Camelford, Wadebridge and St...
had to negotiate through the town centre in order to cross the
River ParrettThe River Parrett is a river flowing through the counties of Dorset and Somerset in South West England. It has its source in the Thorney Mills springs in the hills around Chedington in Dorset, and flows north west through Somerset and the Somerset Levels to its mouth at Burnham-on-Sea where it...
. The construction of a new reinforced concrete road bridge, the Blake Bridge, which opened in March 1958 as part of a southern bypass took much of the traffic away from the centre of Bridgwater. The opening of the M5 in 1974 further reduced the traffic pressure. This is complemented by a link road (Western Way) linking the A38 and the A39 north and west of the town respectively.
Much of the A38 through Somerset was built as single carriageway, with some three-lane passing points. However, the construction of the M5 through Somerset, in the early 1970s, led to the building of links between the A38 and the M5 in the form of new roundabouts on the A38 linking into adjacent junctions on the M5. Short sections of the A38 were rebuilt in dual carriageway either side of these new roundabouts, such as junctions, 22, 23, 24 and 25.
Greater Bristol Area
The A38 serves
Bristol International AirportBristol Airport may refer to:* Bristol International Airport, serving Bristol, England, United Kingdom .* Bristol Airport , in Bristol, New Brunswick, Canada ....
to the south west of the city, and enters the city itself at Highridge, along Bedminster Down and into Bedminster. It runs through the Bristol city centre before leaving northwards through
Stokes CroftStokes Croft is a road in the north of Bristol, England which forms part of the A38 through the city. It borders the districts of Kingsdown and St Pauls and comes under the BS1 postcode....
and along
Gloucester RoadThe Gloucester Road, Bristol is a major road that connects the City Centre of Bristol with Gloucester. It was originally called Horfield Road and it is part of the A38. It starts at a junction with Cheltenham Road which is spanned by a railway viaduct carrying the Severn Beach Line across the road...
. It runs past Bristol Filton Airport to meet the M5 again at junction 15. Thereafter it runs through
AlmondsburyAlmondsbury is a large village near junction 16 of the M5 motorway, in South Gloucestershire, England.-Description:The village is split by a steep hill. At the bottom of the hill is Lower Almondsbury where a pub and hotel, The Bowl Inn, is situated....
and by-passes
Thornbury-Placenames:Australia*Thornbury, Victoria*Thornbury railway station, MelbourneCanada*Thornbury, OntarioEngland*Thornbury, Devon*Thornbury, Herefordshire*Thornbury, South Gloucestershire**Thornbury Castle*Thornbury, West YorkshireNew Zealand...
to enter Gloucestershire.
The route south of the city, despite serving the airport, is single carraigeway and suffers from heavy volume of traffic at peak times, and congestion along Bedminster Down. Drivers from the south are advised by road signs not to follow the A38 into the city, but to use the A3029 Winterstoke road to enter from the west, as this route has a greater capacity. As part of the "Greater Bristol Strategic Transport Study", a link road is under consideration to the south of Bristol. This is in part due to the congestion at Winterstoke Road and Barrow Gurney (both very busy, especially the latter where the road can only accommodate travelling at one direction at a given time); and the incomplete Bristol Ring Road (A4174).
The route to the north of the city is also very busy: it runs as a single carriageway up to the junction with the
A4174 ring roadThe A4174 is a major road in England which runs around the northern and eastern edge of Bristol, mainly in South Gloucestershire, and through the southern suburbs of Bristol...
at
FiltonFilton is a town in South Gloucestershire, England, situated on the northern outskirts of the city of Bristol, about from the city centre. Filton lies in Bristol postcode areas BS7 and BS34. The town centres upon Filton Church, which dates back to the 12th century and is a grade II listed building...
, and where it runs as Gloucester Road is a busy shopping parade. Beyond the ring road, it runs as a dual carriageway pass Bristol Filton Airport, which contains bases for Royal Mail, Airbus, Rolls Royce and others. Beyond the junction with M5 it runs as a broad single carriageway, again parallel to the M5 in route towards Gloucester.
Gloucestershire
The A38 was rerouted along the Gloucester Bypass when it was built, and the old route through the city became the A430. In 2007 the Gloucester South Western Bypass opened to traffic, costing £43 million. Though it is numbered A430 and not technically part of the A38, traffic wishing to continue on the A38 on the other side of the city is signed to use the bypass, rather than the existing A38.
West Midlands
The Northfield bypass, taking traffic away from the congested town centre opened on 11 April 2007. A bypass of the narrow section from
Selly OakSelly Oak is a district in south-west Birmingham, England. It is also a local authority electoral ward, and a local council constituency.The suburb of Selly Oak is bordered by Bournbrook and Selly Park to the north-east, Edgbaston and Harborne to the north, Weoley Castle and Weoley Hill to the...
to
BournbrookBournbrook is a district in south-west Birmingham, England. The area is in the Selly Oak local authority electoral ward, and also comes under the Selly Oak local council constituency....
is under construction.
Staffordshire
The Lichfield Eastern Bypass opened in 1972
The £4.1 million Sutton Coldfield Bypass opened in 1974, and the £2.6M Lichfield Eastern Bypass in 1972. The section from Lichfield to
AlrewasAlrewas is a large village and civil parish within Lichfield District, in Staffordshire, England. It lies on the A38 road, approximately 5 miles north of the City of Lichfield...
was dualled in 1958. The £500,000 section from Alrewas to Wychnor Farm near
Wychnor HallWychnor Hall is an early 18th century country house near Burton on Trent, Staffordshire. Formerly owned by the Levett family, descendants of Theophilus Levett, Steward of the city of Lichfield in the early eighteenth century, the hall has been converted to a Country Club. It is a Grade II listed...
, and the £150,000 section from Wychnor Farm to Barton Turn both opened in 1962.
The further section of the route was improved to dual carriageway standard, including the £350,000 section from
Barton TurnBarton Turn is a village in Staffordshire, England....
(near
Barton-under-NeedwoodBarton-under-Needwood is a large village in Staffordshire, England. It is situated a mile from the A38 between Burton upon Trent and Lichfield. It has a population of about 5000 people , most of whom commute to Burton or Lichfield or further afield to places such as Derby or Birmingham-...
) to
BranstonBranston is a village in Staffordshire, England.Branston was originally a small village beside the River Trent and lies to the south of Burton upon Trent. It spread in the 19th century along the main Burton to Lichfield road, which is now the dual carriageway A38. There is much 19th- and...
in February 1964, bypassing
Burton upon TrentBurton upon Trent, also known as Burton-on-Trent or simply Burton, is a large town straddling the River Trent in the east of Staffordshire, England. Its associated adjective is "Burtonian".Burton is best known for its brewing heritage...
in June 1967 (costing £2.6M, which stretched from
BranstonBranston is a village in Staffordshire, England.Branston was originally a small village beside the River Trent and lies to the south of Burton upon Trent. It spread in the 19th century along the main Burton to Lichfield road, which is now the dual carriageway A38. There is much 19th- and...
to Clay Mills and actually shortened the route – now the A5121 - by one mile), and in recent years many of the
at-grade junctionsthumb|right|300px|An unusual at-grade intersection with mixed [[transportation modalities|modalities]] at [[London]] [[Heathrow Airport]], [[England]]...
have been upgraded or stopped-up. Later in June 1968, the section from the Staffordshire boundary at Clay Mills to the proposed Mickleover link was dualled – completing the dual-carriageway from Lichfield to
FindernFindern is a village in south Derbyshire. Although a railway runs through it, there is no station, the nearest stations are Willington, Pear Tree and Derby...
.
Derbyshire
In March 1969, the 'Allestree Link Road', from the A6 at
AllestreeAllestree is a suburb and ward of the city of Derby, a unitary authority area, in Derbyshire, England. It is the northernmost ward and is situated on the A6 road, about north of Derby city centre....
to the former A61 was opened, crossing the
River DerwentThe Derwent is a river in the county of Derbyshire, England. It is 50 miles long and is a tributary of the River Trent which it joins south of Derby. For most of its length, the river flows through the Peak District....
and
Midland Main LineThe Midland Main Line is a major railway line in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system.The 'Modern' line links London St. Pancras International to Sheffield station in northern England via Luton, Bedford, Kettering, Leicester, Derby, Nottingham and Chesterfield.Historically the...
.
Further improvements in the late 1960s and 1970s saw construction of the £5.2M
MickleoverMickleover is a village located two miles west of the city centre and is the most westerly village of the City of Derby in the United Kingdom.-History:...
bypass to the south-west of Derby opened on 19 February 1975. Although the government had approved the section through
AllestreeAllestree is a suburb and ward of the city of Derby, a unitary authority area, in Derbyshire, England. It is the northernmost ward and is situated on the A6 road, about north of Derby city centre....
as early as 1974, before the Mickleover bypass had been completed, this section had a lot of objections from nearby residents, delaying its construction (from the A52 to the A6). It was opposed directly by Derby Borough Council and the former
Derby Higher Education CollegeThe University of Derby is a university in the city of Derby, England. The main campus is on Kedleston Road, Allestree in the north-west of Derby close to the A38 opposite Markeaton Park...
. The £17M road was eventually opened on 7 September 1983, known as
Queensway. An extension of the A38 northwards, crossing the
M1The M1 is a major north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
at Junction 28, and ending in
MansfieldMansfield is a town in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the county, lying on the River Maun, from which the name of the town is derived. It is the main town in the Mansfield local government district...
was built. The £3M
Little EatonLittle Eaton is a village in the English county of Derbyshire. It is situated on the former route of the old A61 , just north of the Derby section of the A38. At the southern exit to the village from the A38, there is a Little Chef...
-
HolbrookHolbrook is a village in Derbyshire at the southern end of the Pennines around five miles north of Derby, England.-History:Holbrook lies about two miles to the north-east of Duffield, the parish of which it was a part, being within Duffield Frith...
Improvement opened on 3 October 1977.
The £12M 10 mile (16 km)
RipleyRipley is a town in the Amber Valley area of Derbyshire in England.- Earliest History :Not much information is available as to when Ripley was founded, but it existed at the time of the Domesday Book, when it was held by a man called Levenot....
-
SwanwickSwanwick is a village in Derbyshire, England, an urban district of Alfreton, part of the Amber Valley district, with a population of 4,198 ....
Bypass was opened by
Eric VarleyEric Graham Varley, Baron Varley, PC was a British politician and former Cabinet Minister on the right wing of the Labour Party....
(MP for Chesterfield) on 21 October 1977, although the section from Alfreton to the
Hartshay Hill roundabout with the
A610The A610 is an A-road in England, which runs from Nottingham to Ambergate, where it joins the A6....
had been opened unofficially since 5 September 1977.
Nottinghamshire
To the east of Junction 28 of the M1, the road used to be the A615 until October 1977. The alignment of this road is relatively modern as the dangerous junction with Berristow Lane was improved to grade-separated in the late 1990s, incorporating access to a busy shopping centre.
Notable locations
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Southern end of A38 |
BodminBodmin is a town in Cornwall, United Kingdom, with a population of 12,778 . It was the county town of Cornwall, until the Crown Courts moved to Truro, which is also the administrative centre. It was in Triggshire and the district of North Cornwall. Its mayor is Cllr Robert "Bob" Micek...
, CornwallCornwall is a county of England in the United Kingdom, forming the tip of the south-western peninsula of Great Britain. It is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Taken with the...
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Dobwalls Bypass |
CornwallCornwall is a county of England in the United Kingdom, forming the tip of the south-western peninsula of Great Britain. It is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Taken with the...
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Tamar Bridge The Tamar Bridge is a major road bridge at Saltash in southwest England carrying traffic between Cornwall and Devon. When it opened in 1961 it was the longest suspension bridge in the United Kingdom...
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CornwallCornwall is a county of England in the United Kingdom, forming the tip of the south-western peninsula of Great Britain. It is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Taken with the...
& DevonDevon is a large county in England. The county is also referred to as Devonshire, although that is an unofficial name, rarely used inside of the county itself and often indicating a traditional or historical context. The county shares borders with Cornwall to the west and Dorset and Somerset to...
border |
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Former southern end of the Cullompton bypass |
SomersetSomerset is a county in South West England. The county town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county. The ceremonial county of Somerset borders the counties of Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west...
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Spaghetti Junction Gravelly Hill Interchange, better known by its nickname Spaghetti Junction, is junction 6 of the M6 motorway where it meets the A38 Aston Expressway in Birmingham, United Kingdom....
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BirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands county of England. Birmingham is the second-most populous British city, with a population of 1,006,500 ....
, West MidlandsThe West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a population of 2,591,300. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire...
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Northern end of A38 |
Mansfield Mansfield is a town in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the county, lying on the River Maun, from which the name of the town is derived. It is the main town in the Mansfield local government district...
, NottinghamshireNottinghamshire is an English county in the East Midlands, which borders South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire...
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See also
- A5127
The A5127 is a major road in England which runs between Birmingham and Lichfield, Staffordshire. For much of the route the road follows the old route of the A38 which has since been moved in order to by-pass places such as Erdington and Sutton Coldfield and form a relief road from Birmingham city...
— road following the former route of the A38 in north Birmingham.
- Gloucester Road, Bristol
The Gloucester Road, Bristol is a major road that connects the City Centre of Bristol with Gloucester. It was originally called Horfield Road and it is part of the A38. It starts at a junction with Cheltenham Road which is spanned by a railway viaduct carrying the Severn Beach Line across the road...
- Settlements on the A38
The A38 is a major trunk road running from the south-east of Bodmin in Cornwall to Mansfield in Nottinghamshire. At 292 miles, it is the longest 'A' road entirely within England.-Cornwall:* Bodmin* Two Waters Foot* Doublebois* Dobwalls...
- Great Britain road numbering scheme
The Great Britain road numbering scheme is a numbering system used to classify and identify all roads in Great Britain. Each road is given a single letter, which represents the road's category, and a subsequent number, with a length of between 1 and 4 digits. Originally introduced to arrange...
External links