UK Motorways, but not the M1 Trivia Quiz

Answer: M2

The M25 has junctions with the M1, M3, M4, M11, M20, M23, M26, M40 and A1(M).

It does not intersect with the M2, which runs 26 miles southeastwards through Kent from the outskirts of the town of Strood near Rochester. The motorway crosses the North Downs, bypassing Chatham, Maidstone and Gillingham, before ending shortly after passing Faversham. Opened in stretches between 1963 and 1965, there is one service area, Medway Services, located between junctions 4 and 5.

Answer: Portsmouth

Opened in 1976, the M275 begins at junction 12 of the M27 and runs just two miles southwards into the City of Portsmouth. The famous "Sails of the South" landmark stands between the "In" and "Out" carriageways and motorists entering the city enjoy scenic views of Portsmouth's historic harbour.

Of the alternatives, the slightly longer (3 miles) M271 runs from the M27 into Southampton's dock area. Motorists travelling along the south coast on the M27 need to join the M3 heading towards London in order to reach Winchester. The M27 ends just a few miles west of Southampton, so those heading for Bournemouth will continue on the A31 across The New Forest.

Answer: Rugby

Located just north of the Watford Gap Services, the M45 can be accessed only by traffic travelling northbound on the M1. It runs just eight miles before exiting onto the A45 near the village of Thurlaston to the southwest of Rugby.

The M45 is one of the oldest UK motorways, dating back to 1959, when the M1 only went as far north as Junction 18. The intention was to funnel some of the London-Birmingham traffic off of the motorway onto an alternative route. The opening of the M6 in 1972 rendered the M45 redundant, hence its relatively low traffic volume compared to other motorways today.

Answer: M6

The A74(M) is part of the European E05 route, which covers 1,900 miles from Glasgow, though England (via Birmingham and Southampton) and France (via Paris and Bordeaux) to Madrid in central Spain.

The A74(M) runs from the Abington Services at the southern end of the M74 south of Glasgow to just south of the Gretna Green Services, where it crosses the border into England and becomes the M6.

Answer: M5

The Cullompton Services are located just north of Exeter on the M5. Travelling further north along the 163-mile motorway, you will pass Sedgemoor Services just south of Bristol, the Michaelwood Services just before reaching Gloucester and the Strensham Services to the south of Worcester.

With a total of ten service areas along its route (one just over every 16 miles), the M5 has one of the highest concentrations of services on UK motorways. Only the longer M1 (11 in 194 miles) and the M6 (12 in 232 miles) have more services areas.

Answer: M62

Running 107 miles from Hull on the east coast to the outskirts of Liverpool, the M62 is the major roadway across the Pennines. Relatively flat on the sections between Liverpool and Manchester, and between Leeds and Hull, the M62 across the Pennines is anything but: construction of this section was very slow, taking from 1963 until 1970.

The road reaches its highest point at a cutting through Windy Hill near Saddleworth Moor in the Peak District National Park.

Answer: Grimsby

Beginning at Junction 5 of the M18 in Doncaster in South Yorkshire, the M180 runs 25 miles eastwards, via a junction with the M181 into Scunthorpe before finishing on the outskirts of Grimsby. The final junction is close to Humberside Airport, located in the village of Kirmington in North Lincolnshire. Hull is easily accessible from here via the Humber Bridge.

Answer: Glasgow International Airport

Formerly known as Abbotsinch Airport, Glasgow International is located in Paisley, Renfrewshire, six miles west of Glasgow city centre. Road access from Glasgow or Edinburgh is via Junctions 28 and 29 from the M8.

The M898 joins the M8 at Junction 30 and runs just a half mile to the multi-span, cable-stayed, box girder Erskine Bridge which crosses the River Clyde, the Forth & Clyde Canal and the North Clyde railway line. The bridge connects Renfrewshire with West Dunbartonshire.

Answer: Lancaster

Just 1.3 miles in length, the A601(M) opened in 1960 as part of the Lancaster Bypass. The short southbound section of the A601(M) is the only single-carriageway motorway in the UK. The northbound section terminates at the junction with the A6 for Kendal, Morecambe and Carnforth.

The designation of the A601(M) is also unusual, as you might expect it to be the A601 operating as a motorway. The A601, though, is the Derby inner ring road, located off the A6 more than 100 miles further south.

Answer: M40

Construction of the M40 began in 1967, but its full 90 miles was not completed until 1991. It now began at Uxbridge in West London, intersects with Junction 15 of the M25 just northwest of Heathrow Airport, and then runs in a generally northwesterly direction until it becomes the M42 on the southeastern outskirts of Birmingham.