Welcome!
What is this all about then?
Pathetic Motorways is dedicated to those motorways within the United Kingdom and Ireland that do not get the limelight. Those that are relatively short, or perhaps relatively unknown, as well as motorways that were planned, but never actually constructed.
It's designed to combine fun with some serious historical research about the motorway network, including some ideas and plans that never got off the ground.
How are the motorways arranged?
Into six different categories:
- Current - unusual motorways that are still extant
- Former - motorways that, well, aren't motorways any more!
- Secretive - motorways that aren't obvious, mostly because they don't appear with their numbers on maps.
- Unbuilt - planned motorways that never managed to see construction teams
- Lost - motorways that have lost their original numbers. Sometimes this is because the number itself has changed, sometimes because they're now part of something bigger.
- Unfinished - those other motorways that have unbuilt sections, usually extensions.
You can also visit the summary page containing information about all the motorways featured on this site, and if you're a new visitor, the FAQ should answer some of your questions!
If you've been here before, you might have missed Features, which is a small but growing section - this is where you'll find the Might Have Been Map...
What's new around here then?
The latest additions to Pathetic Motorways are:
- In "Unbuilt" - the almost forgotten Manchester Outer Ring Road (southern section), along with an update to the A6(M).
- In "Secretive" - the controversial Walton Summit Motorway sees some updates.