M54 motorway
| M54 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
M54 highlighted in blue | ||||
At junction 5 in Telford, the first completed stretch of the motorway, 2008 | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by National Highways | ||||
| Length | 23.0 mi (37.0 km) | |||
| Existed | 1975–present | |||
| History | Constructed 1975–1983 | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| East end | Essington | |||
| J10a → M6 motorway | ||||
| West end | Wellington | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United Kingdom | |||
| Counties | Staffordshire, Shropshire | |||
| Primary destinations | Wolverhampton, Telford | |||
| Road network | ||||
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The M54 is a 23-mile-long (37 km) east-west motorway in the counties of Shropshire and Staffordshire, England. It is also referred to as the Telford motorway, after the road's primary westbound destination, the town of Telford. It cost £65 million to construct, and is two-lane dual carriageway for the majority of its length, with sections of three-lane.
The M54 spur connects the M6 motorway near Essington, Staffordshire with the A5 trunk road at Wellington, Shropshire. The motorway forms part of the strategic route to North Wales, roughly following the path of the Roman Watling Street and the A5 north-westwards, towards the port of Holyhead. It is the only motorway in Shropshire, and forms a vital part of the county's road network. In 2007, the motorway handled an annual average daily traffic of between 50,300 (J2–3) and 41,800 (J4–5) vehicles.