A18(M) Tudworth Link

Where is it?

Well, it's not actually anywhere.

Eh? What on earth are you on about now?

It's one of those rare beasts: a "Lost Motorway".

Ah, you mean like the A40(M) and M41 in London, where the road's now a normal A-road?

Nope, it really doesn't exist anymore. About half of it has been turned into M180, and of the rest, only the eastbound carriageway is in use as the exit sliproad from M180 junction 1.

As for the old westbound carriageway: it's completely abandoned.

Can you show me that on a map?

An aerial photo show the whole thing in a much better way.

Thanks to Tony Frost, we also have a scanned image of the A18(M) from the beginning of its life in 1972, available here.

I've also acquired one from right at the end of its life in 1979, available here.

Was this a pathetic motorway?

Well, it was only about a mile long, and it only lasted for about six years, so...

What's left there now?

A surprising amount! - look at the Photo Gallery to see what I mean.

Thanks to David Miller, who has been and taken some more images. They are available in this Photo Gallery.

Are there any other resources about the A18(M) on the web?

Yes, there is! Brad Jackson wrote a eulogy to the A18(M).

Can I comment on this motorway?

Of course! Contact me and I'll put them here!

Have any other visitors commented?

Yes, Paul Farrow writes:

Drove back from Manchester to Lincoln the other day (could have easily taken the A57 but chose the long way round to see this mysterious piece of motorway history).

I saw an old pair of poles on the A18(M) carriageway. I've heard of publicity surrounding new motorway schemes being covered up for fear of bad publicity, but seeing a defunct motorway covered up is quite different, if you see what I mean!

I was interested in the line (see overhead photo/maps) that represented the old stretch of A18, that now forms part of a track leading to the farm near the roundabout junction, and leads across the M180 westbound motorway joining up with the last stretch of A18 road. When I viewed it for myself I was surprised that the old A18 line was so narrow on both sides of the M180. Were A-roads really that narrow in those days? You would wonder how that stretch of road could have coped with today's size and volume of traffic!

A18(M)

Tudworth Link

County:

Yorkshire

Length:

1 miles

1.6 km

Built:

1972

Status:

Former

Map Links:

Might Have Been Map

Present Day Map

On other websites:

SABRE Files