Ineffective interchanges, ghost slipways, old airfields, a colliery, bizarre footbridges and a newly restored diving tower that can't actually be used - Perfection!
When you've finished showing us the motorways I'd love to see you explore some of the non-motorway locations you find in your journeys too. Love your content!
Hello, How the devil are you. I hope you're enjoying the M4.. As you'll see, we ran out of daylight, it rained most of the day and traffic was crap. It was certainly a challenging day out but we got there. Part 2 will be out next week so if you haven't already, get subscribing so you don't miss it. Some are asking why the random GTA5 clip.. yeah this didnt work out as well as I'd hoped.. In GTA5, when the game needs to go from day to night for a mission, you get a quick time lapse... as the video quickly goes from day to night I kind of stole that idea. Was a bit crap in hindsight but it's done now :D Thanks for watching, commenting, liking and generally being a wonderful bunch. Enjoy the rest of your week!
I am that old I remember before the M4 was completed, a trip to Bristol used to take hours, but maybe it was partly due to the 1967 VW Beatle 1200 only doing 65mph.
I’m a long distance driver to but 3.5t I’ve definitely learned a lot from John and these fantastic videos. My wife calls me boring 😂 She has no idea 😂 Edit… shit 😖… Too**
@@grahamlive The best was last week, we went to Scotland for a few nights and I got talking to a bloke in a pub and we were on about the A1 and the A50 His wife and mine were enthralled 😂😂
"I quite enjoy the drive out of London along the M4. Firstly, you're heading out of London..." 😂 While I came to your channel all that time ago out of curiosity, I stay for your utterly dessicated sense of humour. Love it.
Beautiful! As a regular M4 user in the late 80’s to mid 90’s, this was a blast from the past. You didn’t mention the very serious accident in 1991 between J 14/15 east bound … I had passed through at around 6am in thick fog, and arrived at work in Farringdon around 8.30am … the team were both worried and shocked as the accident and 10 fatalities /51 injuries was all over the news, with reports of the carriageway melting from the fires … I was ignorant of this until arriving at work! Added fun-fact - this accident happened very near to the village (Lambourn) my dad was evacuated to during the war, after the house he lived in at Hillingdon had the roof blown off my enemy aircraft … Further fun fact - I now live in the Hawkes Bay, New Zealand! So seeing your shenanigans on Britain’s motorways are just fab! I can reconnect with my memories and youth! Looking forward to part 2!
That bus lane on the M4 was also used as an Olympic lane during the 2012 games; only traffic serving the games (diplomats, athletes and their entourages, etc) were allowed to use it. That explains why those signs with arrows and all three lanes saying "M4" above them are there; the offside lane was marked with an arrow and an Olympic symbol. As for junction 8/9, I've had sat-navs call it "junction eight ninths".
I don’t know how you manage to keep your audio so consistent from shot to shot. Keeping your tone so level and matching . Love your videos it’s amazing how much there is to say about our road system when you know what you’re talking about.
the bus lane doesn't increase travel times. The bus lane, while it ran, would've been the highest capacity lane of all of them- a bus is only the length of 2 cars and the gap between them, yet holds at least 20 passengers. So, the majority of people actually have their journeys speed up, which encourages more people to take public transport, which means less cars on the road. I understand that car enthusiasts are reluctant to see investment in public transport, but more people on buses means, for one, you have nice empty roads, and secondly you only need to drive when you want to. (There's better educated people than me saying the same thing, though. Not Just Bikes, for example.) Thus, a bus lane was probably a good investment to make. Taking a lane from car traffic isn't an issue because in return you get much increased capacity. Personally I think it'd be a good thing to do to most motorways, at least those that see traffic jams, as it allows the buses to get past a traffic jam. The reason it was pulled up? probably either the buses tended to go via other routes and so it was underutilised, or a bunch of car users complained and a politician had it pulled up, to try to get motorists to vote for them. However, usually projects like that go better than this one did. However, the bus should be on the on-ramp side so it can easily enter and exit. Unless the bus uses separate slip roads, which some systems do use.
I didnt say the bus lane increased travel time to be fair. Whatever the reasoning, this is a clear misuse of public funds and no investment is a good one if you remove it shortly after. It's a straight up waste of money that probably could be used for far better things.
Not enthusiasts crap public transport,About 5 miles away loads of offices were built 65/75 only a few parking spaces for the bosses or managering directer,Everyone one else use the buses well cheap 13 pence for miles subsidised by the council,But Thatcher came along with her father's grocery shop mentality and privatised them losing the subsidiary and decreasing the amount of buses,So people "resort to car's" and now the parking,So had to pay to park while at work decreasing people's wages further on unnecessary ownership of cars and their parking,Car companies were happy oil companies,Garages and the local council in parking revenue except the office workers and we are still there now with onboard WiFi and charging sockets for phone and computer,Fancy coloured display at bus displaying bus time usually mirror the paper one in the crappy shelter,So who wants to use a bus
Fab episode. You can date any building in the UK by its materials and 'see' how towns grew. For instance, on the M4, a market town will have local Cotswold stone in the heart of the town, then, with the canal arriving you get slate, then, with the railway you get brick. You can keep going all the way up to the present date from these cues. Serious detail about the original Severn bridge, it was workers peeing in the box section when it was being built that led to the corrosion problems. There was nothing wrong with the construction or the materials, it was the addition of considerable quantities of urine that led to doom.
Wow Jon can’t believe you missed out the recently upgraded Jn16, or the M32 Jn19 and M5 interchange (Jn 20). FYI RAF Welford also included US Nuclear weapon stockpiles, but not sure if that’s the case today. Also there is a proposed junction between 18 and 19 which is to link the Bristol ring road near to where you see the DPD depot but there is a lot of local residence opposition to this so it’s unclear if this will ever get built but it was expected to relieve congestion at the M32 junction (19). 19 also used to be a proper roundabout, before closing a side of it so traffic is no forced onto the A4174 if you need to use the junction to change direction, you can still see the evidence of its roundabout past and used to be the only roundabout with motorway regulations that I was aware of.
Blimey, that was manic! When I was a kid my mother used to drive us the length of the M4 every half term to visit relatives (she's of Welsh origin) then when I first passed my driving test I seemed to be doing that same journey every couple of months taking my mother and grandmother to the funerals of all the aunts and great aunts (and some great, great aunts) that we'd spent the previous years visiting.
Crikey! Sounds like my family … Welsh family from the valleys … family trips, then courting a young welsh lady, inevitable funerals and also the odd welsh stage WRC trip (every year during the 90’s and early 00’s) … even several business trips to Monmouth late 00’s, prior to migrating to the other side of the world! Small world, aye!
I love your videos... very well researched and presented. I was especially intrigued by the curly wurly bridge and the listed diving platform at Coate Water Nature Reserve, so I took myself down there in the snow yesterday. I live in Cirencester and normally avoid Swindon like the plague, but I must say I was thoroughly impressed by Coate Water, the curly wurly and the diving platform. Loved them all! Took loads of pics and will return when the weather improves. Many thanks for encouraging me to visit a place on my doorstep that I would otherwise have probably missed 👍
I used to commute from Langley (Berkshire) to central London via the Green Line coach. The coach always had between 30 and 50 commuters on it and the bus lane allowed us to jump the queue to get onto the Chiswick Flyover. I know car drivers don't like it when buses jump the queue but I would argue it's fair enough when the bus is taking dozens of cars off the road at peak time. I don't know if the cost of putting the bus lane in was justified, but it didn't increase car journey times (in fact it reduced them slightly) and it did help make commuter coaches a practical alternative to driving. All I know is the cost of taking the bus lane out once it was there cannot possibly be justified.
2:58 “there are only three 4-stack interchanges on the network, one on the M23, one here on the M4..”. But you completely missed another one on the M4 itself where it crosses the M5 at Almondsbury! Also. There’s another 4-stacker on the M25, where it meets the M1. It may be missing a couple of slip roads but it’s still 4 stacks.
@@AutoShenanigans It was - and still is(!!!) - used for sheep. I've waited and watched the sheep being taken over the bridge on one sunday morning run!
I used to love going on the Chiswick flyover as a kid, in the early 1970's. Occasionally, I'd 'go to work with dad' on a Saturday morning. He was a site manager for a civil engineering company, and any day out with him was an adventure. Sometimes, he'd drive 100 miles just to see if a machine had been delivered on time, and was working, or we'd go to a site, and watch chimneys being demolished, or he'd have to take measurements on site, with a theodolite, and I'd stand holding the measuring poles. No laser measures in 1971. A theodolite, some graduated poles, and a notebook. As we lived in Suffolk, and a lot of his work was in Kent, Sussex, Hampshire, and often, Dorset, we'd cut through London. Dad loved driving, and, I suspect, never believed the 'Straight Line' maxim, as he'd go all over the show, in his Ford Cortina Mk.II (white with red seats). A lot of the time, we'd go over the Chiswick flyover. And it was thrilling - being high up, with interesting industrial buildings either side - I loved it. And so, I expect, did my dad.
The A329(M) is very useful if you live in Bracknell or Wokingham and you want to go to Reading. It's usually quiet and you can do the trip in a few minutes. I remember vaguely that there was an accident during construction of the Winnersh interchange due to a scaffolding collapse and a couple of workers were killed.
If you ever revisit the history of the M4 Jon, see if you can find out about the massive diversion road that diverted the whole motorway, to motorway standard, back inthe 80s / 90s near the 8/9 Maidenhead junction. I distinctly remember it diverted north in a massive loop into a field before rejoining the main carriageway again, with some very tight exit and entry curves. I cant remember exactly where it was, again pretty sure it was between 10 and 8/9, but I do have a vague recollection of it being something to do with flood management and the construction of a new bridge, but cant find any info about it and goole earth shows no remnants. Carry on the excellent work.
I grew up in Newport so know the M4 intimately ... thanks for pointing out the M4 features in England. One of the buildings close to the raised section of the M4 in Chiswick, London was the HQ for the contractor, Turrif, who was working on the North Sea Gas conversions on all the fires and cookers across the UK in 1960's. They made a big mess of the conversions and so every time we passed it my mother would comment on that company!
Been waiting for this and really enjoyed it. I'm bang in the middle of the M3&M4 near Wokingham. Regarding the M31 5:20, You can leave the M3 at junction 3 and use the A322 that goes directly to the A329m & M4 junction 10 which really serves the same purpose as what this M31 Motorway would have done by the sounds of it. The A322 also goes directly from the A3 as well. It seems to be the go to route for truckers to get from the M3 to M4. Or, you can leave the M3 at junction 6 for Basingstoke and take either the A33 or the A339 which takes you directly the M4 junctions 11 or 13 respectively. Also glad you mentioned the abandoned bridge between junctions 10&11. Was hoping you would.
Lets not kid ourselves a two lane road which runs through Bracknell which is hit by traffic lights every 200m will in anyway do what the M31 would have done for the traffic around Bracknell and more importantly on the M25
Lets not kid ourselves a two lane road which runs through Bracknell which is hit by traffic lights every 200m will in anyway do what the M31 would have done for the traffic around Bracknell and more importantly on the M25
More to do with local councils and private companies penny pinching,A good example the A303 runs past stone henge,This was brought to my attention my a a American years ago a place of mystique and quietness disturbed by a "stupid road" and he's right just a few million would have put that or a bypass a mile away for a bit of "Hush" just like a library
The "Curley Whirly Bridge" is for the footpath from the Coate Water park to Chisledon. The Coate Water Reservoir was for the Marlborough branch of the Rail network from Swindon, via Swindon's Old Town Branch. The path is the old rail line route that runs near the ESSO garage on the A346 and along side it towards Marlborough.
I remember cycling up that bridge when I was about 7 and being so happy once I got to the top. It's quite funny to see it on a thumbnail of a video on my for you page XD
I live a stone's throw away from Junction 8/9. Fun bit of Trivia - Google Maps audio directions clearly struggles with the /, and calls it Junction Eight Ninths
Toll dosnt exist anymore because the bridge is now paid off. The toll was only to recoup the money spent on building the bridge. Was a cool day when they removed the booths
1:10 Re: the speed limit - the Mancunian Way currently has an 18-month temporary 30mph limit with what seems to be the intention of making this permanent next year, although it's classed as the A57(M) so I'm not sure whether you'd count it. It's elevated with no hard shoulder, the same as the Chiswick Flyover, but it has so many entrances and exits in only 2 miles that it's often slower than 30mph anyway.
Before the Prince of Wales bridge the old M4 ( M48 now ) bridge could close often for high winds and it was and still is a long way round . I worked for a company based in Magor who's toll bridge costs for their haulage fleet was eye watering .
I guess you’re saving the other 4 stack motorway for the M5 episode then, as you glossed over it to get to the M4/M48 piece ;) After watching a few of your videos and hearing about the ghost sliproads, I did check whether that’s what it was between 18/19, so I’m glad they were featured and their purpose explained! Other interesting fact about the M4 (for me at least) is there as several fake trees along it, mainly east of J13. They seem to be radio masts of some sort, but would be interested to find out more about them! Shame it was dark at the end, the walk along the wall Severn Beach is quite nice. Great for mindfulness if you need!
RE: the 40mph limit on the M4 in Chiswick, I believe there's a lower speed limit on the M32 as it gets into central Bristol, where it's limited to 30mph for a short time before it ends and becomes an A road
Love the channel! Especially all the bits about the old airfields. You could probably go off on a whole separate thread exploring the old airbases of the Uk.
I've been looking forward to the M4 episode for a while 👍🏻 Used to love coming into London as a kid years ago and on the elevated section, the Lucozade bottle in lights that emptied as it filled the glass! Thanks for explaining the Junction 8/9 thing. My son asked me about that a few months ago when we were on that section and I couldn't properly answer him. I can now so cheers for that 👍🏻😁 Was on the M4 a few months ago after many years away from it. The changes and "smart" motorway nonsense have rendered it nothing like I remember it from years ago. Looking forward to part 2. Thanks guys 👍🏻
I found this interesting video on my recommended today. Do I live in the UK? No. Have I ever rode on a UK motorway? No. Was the video fascinating? Absolutely. As an expressway junkie, I love watching videos like this!
The first time I ever drove across the old Severn bridge toll free I got caught doing 58 in 50 mph roadworks. So my first ever free crossing since I began driving in 1977 cost me £89.
The Curly Wurly bridge is roughly where the old Midland and South Western Junction railway headed down to Marlborough from Swindon. The old railway was turned into a footpath after it was closed and the bridge was put in to carry foot traffic across the motorway.
Another very interesting episode. I've only ever seen things like the 'curly wurly bridge' from the carriageway, so good to see them from a different perspective. I once had a game of football on the westbound carriageway of the M4, as the motorway was closed in both directions for hours, and it was a nice summers day.
Where you have Junction 8/9, that wasn't there in the 60's and early 70's M4 curved up to the now A404(M) and the M4 stopped at the junction 9A junction. The A404(M) to the A4 roundabout call the Thicket roundabout, name after the National Trust woods nearby. This road was is a new addition many years ago. In the Thicket woods is a road called the Dutch Camp Rd, this is were the Dutch army set up Camp in WW2. I grew up in nearby Cox Green from 1966 when I was 5.
Hi! Forgive me but I have to say.... I grew up around Chiswick.. and in the 90's we definitely did a lot more than 40mph on that flyover on our motorbikes, mostly on one wheel.. It was one of, if not the, greatest roads on the planet at night.. Heston services was the getaway point from the motorway cops in their Volvo T5s, and we knew the position of all 3 of the motorway cameras around there! :p Thanks for bringing back some nice memories today, John.
I crossed that bridge(Prince of Wales) the day it opened. Having spent the previous six months crossing bus the old bridge.. I woke up half way across as my mate was driving my car home as I was ‘ball bagged’ after completing a military course.. and I crossed it last night on my way to London from Swansea.. such is the excitement that is my life…
I'd like to see Narrator John drafted in to commentate on state occasions (Royal Weddings, Coronations, Remembrance Sunday etc.). It would provide an attractive alternative to the plodding, and often obsequious, presentations we normally get served.
Been living local to, and driving under, the ghostbridge between J10 & J11 for 27 years and never realised it was abandoned. Another random one, right at M4 J12, Theale High Street road was supposed to run through Theale High Street, then tunnel under the M4 and link to Pincents Lane on the other side. It's obvious when looking at the satellite imagery. Even the bridge that crosses over the M4 is named High Street. But the tunnel never materialised... ... which is a shame as IKEA Reading now exists and it would have been an ideal access infrastructure.
The final 4- level stack interchange is also on the M4 - at Almondsbury near Bristol, and you went past it. I considered it a treat as a child to be driven round that.
I remember the M4 being built just past swindon, and as a child was told the "curley wurley " bridge was built like that so the local farmer could drive sheep over the motorway. Its also very close to where the MSWJR rly would have crossed the road!
And it's still used today to drive sheep over the M4 between Chiseldon and the field at the back of Coate Water :) I've followed the sheep over the bridge before on a run!
Great job Jon, having lived in Chippenham with parents in London, many trips spent doing up and down the M4 and didn’t realise I missed so much. Curly whirly bridge is infamous but never new about the train depot. Look forward to next week
I always wondered if that chimney was part of a colliery. The area has alot of mining heritage. At Membury Airfield a C47 Dakota is being restored to flying status. Called "Night Fright" it originally flew from there in WW2 with the USAAF.
Hi John, another great video, I really enjoy your snippets of local history and events along the routes - it's a lovely swift and no-nonsense ride from beginning to end, very well done!
The lowest speed limit imposed on a motorway is actually the A57(M) (mancunian way) at 30mph, temporarily brought in february 2022 from 50mph to reduce the high number of accidents. Although it’s only a temporary measure at this moment, it’s likely the new speed limit will remain permanent due to the reduction of collisions 👍🏻
Was waiting for this one and see what you would find at Junc 14 and 15 as I live in Swindon. Have cycled and ran ( in the loosest sense) up and down the circly worly bridge and Coate Water is one of my favourite spots in the area. Nice drone footage of the restored diving platform
Love the piece on the M31! Thank you so much for raising awareness of this. I live nearby and its such a waste seeing M4 J10 sitting there as a partially unrolled cloverleaf in all its glory, just waiting to become the M31 to finally fix the M25 near Heathrow once and for all 😢 hears hoping someone watching this video is a traffic engineer who didn’t know about this proposed motorway, who may restart this scheme in the next decade or two
Last time I drove to South Wales I was coming from South East London via the M25 and my sat nav took me down the M3, A322, and A329(M) joining the M4 at junction 10. Even though there are a couple of sets of traffic lights and a couple of roundabouts it's still often quicker than sticking with the heavily congested M25 between the M3 and M4.
@@philwoodward5069 yes that’s right, and all of Bracknell has now been dualled the whole way through. However many of the junctions along the way are suffering very heavily. Soon they’ll be pushing for a bypass (which the M31 would have provided, and thus along with the M25 near Heathrow being a carpark day and night, and that National Highways rejected upgrading that stretch of the M25 to a smart motorway, it makes the idea of an M31 even more likely. The M3 J3 is a mess as well, with the low quality design of the A322 approaching it and at grade traffic lights literally 100m from the M3 junction 🤦🏼♂️the M31 would bypass all of this and relieve the M3
I used to live in Brentford where the flyover 'flies over' when there was hardly any of the tall buildings there! It freaked me out a bit when I came back after some time living in the sticks...
Curly Wurly Bridge. Been under it 1,000's of times and never knew. There is also and exit/entrance just north of Castle Combe (j17 to j18) where it was rumoured the Royals could get on and off if needed And RAF Welford used to be supplied by the railway from Newbury. During a rail strike in the 70's the US Base Commander was unable to move bombs. He expected the railway to still move bombs when on strike. When he was told no way, he got the line removed. Gulf war and the B52's out of Fairford were supplied with bombs from this base by road. Right, back to the M4...
I know where you mean. I’ve always wondered what that little road was for. Goes up to the Fosse Way, up to Westonbirt and along to Highgrove. J17 and J18 are my two local junctions.
The M4, It's been a well travel motorway during my working life, along with the M25,M3 M23, others have also been used, not worried I don't have to anymore. Great. Bob
Membury TV transmitter actually closed in 1983 - I remember it being announced on Central. Lethanhill closed on the same day. 1985 was the absolute end for 405 lines, though.
Having grown up less than a mile away from coate water country park, I can indeed confirm the locals call this the curly wurly bridge. And zooming down it on a bicycle is still one of the most fun things to do in the area!
0:16 I think you missed out on an opportunity to stand a bit further to the right and hold up a bit of paper that said "Shenanigans" in front of the back of that recovery vehicle.
I doubt the highways agency hold the Curly wurly bridge in high regard, they've demolished the one of the same name on Atherstone bypass. Replaced with a carbuncle
Interesting facts for the Welsh Stretch: The only reason the dreaded Brynglas tunnels exist, which have caused great suffering for M4 travelers for decades is because a railway line ran across the hill it goes through, so there could be no cutting. Shortly after it opened they closed the railway line so could have had a cutting after all....... the trackbed is now a local road which runs over the Eastern Portal Bassaleg junction is very dangerous, the one slip road carries both on AND off traffic many fatal accidents here over the years from going the wrong way up the M4...... it's also on a bind brow, oh and a blind corner (yes, on a motorway) No Junction 30, the posh people of North Cardiff in Lisvane put a stop to that filthy nonsense Coryton interchange - the UKs longest motorway roundabout - 1.8 miles around. Interestingly, if you stay in the middle lane and keep going round that'll take you to every turn off - very handy as my sister is scared of it The viaduct bridge after J36 Sarn is an upside down arch shape- very fancy for it's time - most people assume they're just driving at ground level Port Talbot is insane, they basically built a motorway through an urban area, before it was a 50 limit you could leave the motorway at 70mph and within 30 yards be in a residential street going past peoples front doors. One shot slip roads too where you go from the local 30 limit up a ramp and into the motorway traffic. Not as wild now but still pretty hairy. Lots more I've missed I'm sure
@@AutoShenanigans did it weekly, 3 hrs was the fastest , maybe a little less in a out of service national express coach ( I cadged a lift on the duplicate into London that was going back empty so just me). A leyland leopard that had been modded so it actually went uphill, as a result on the flat it was a rocket, had a stop at membury which didnt happen on the service coach. Had one going back that lost a wiper arm off the nearside , which made the journey fun.
Great video, grew up around J10 so recognise a lot of this route from going places with my parents. At 5:37 the town of Earley (now east Reading) is pronounced like 'early' despite the spelling!
I've only been to London once earlier this year, and even from the back of the taxi I recognize that M4 section going through the hi-rises at the start of the motorway even though I had no idea we were on the M4. We even talked about why the #3 lane had random red paint on it as we were driving along. The taxi driver had some choice words on the matter... Great video as always!
Hey John, how the devil are you? Are you having a good week? I love that introduction! I just want to tell you that I absolutely love this channel and I’ve watched all of your videos now! This is my favourite channel and I really enjoy the secrets of the motorway. Keep up the good work.
A spiral bridge like that has just been demolished and replaced over the A5 near Atherstone. It was a footbridge and the locals called it the curly wurly bridge
You need to come to the North. West. We have started shat loads of things and never finished them..junctions 2 or 3 are now being built but they are going absolutely their original destination.....Good work any way sir
Smart motorways are a fundamentally good idea. The conversion of hard shoulder to permanent running lane, not so much. On the M1 back in the day, hard shoulder was used as a running lane only when the VSL was at 50 or below. Peak traffic flow seems to happen at a well-observed 50, with laminar flow characteristics.
They are not a fundamentally good idea unless you care more about people getting to work 10mins earlier than you do about a few people dying. See how great an idea you think they are when your wife phones you and tells you she’s stopped in lane 1 with your baby in the back of the car and doesn’t know what to do.
@@yeknommonkey you are confusing smart motorways with all-lane running. Smart motorways includes VSLs, which are an excellent idea because they smooth traffic flow and increase effective capacity at peak times due to laminar vs. turbulent flow. At low speeds, 50 or less, all-lane running is also not a huge issue - remember that dual carriageways have a 70 limit and no hard shoulder. The stupid part is converting the hard shoulder to a permanent running lane even when the limit is 70, and that is not "smart motorways" so much as "stupid government", or rather, government wanting an increase in capacity without going through all that tedious spending-money-to-add-capacity business.
50mph fastest - true dat... For about 15 years they were upgrading the M3 between bracknell and the m25, I commuted along it for the whole of that time, including 4 or 5 extra trips in the afternoons. It was variously held at 50mph with average speed checks - read VERY well observed. My commute was not just slightly faster, about 5mins faster when they had the 50mph in place, but the consistency was the key... it was ALWAYS the same commute time. The compression and lowdown was at the same place same time, and I remember that there was almost never a crash or other incident to add the typical 9hrs to the commute when that happens. Compare that to the M4 at 70, every 3rd commute (and yes, I've been counting, when you are late to work so often you can't help but keep a tally) some moron crashes and adds hours to the journey in. Every 6th commute in the evening is affected too. I'd take that 50mph average speed check on conjested zones, e.g. where the m4 goes past reading or nears the m25 any day.
It’s a shame the M4 bus lane didn’t work out, motorway bus lanes can work even when it reduces the amount of car lanes, but it’s position as a third lane was definitely iffy. Often removing a car lane is fine if the amount of bus traffic makes up for it, but it doesn’t seem like that’s the case here. I think I would move it to the first lane and make it a HOV3+/Bus/Service/Taxi lane to allow high speeds for less wasteful road users.
Had a look down the comments but not sure it’s been said about the red sections on the start of the M4. It was originally a taxi lane which was too get taxis from Heathrow into central London quicker and yes it’s a stupid idea. This was also converted into the Olympic lanes during the olympics, obviously. It was to ship vip’s quickly from Heathrow into central London and out to the Olympic village in the east After the olympics is was kept as a taxi lane for a very short while then being opened to normal traffic
I love the fact you missed out on Junctions 15 & 16, I mean Swindon! everyone, especially those of us from the rest of Wiltshire loves to miss out Swindon!
5:48 The Welford dump exit is still rather cryptically sign-posted as 'Works', but until recently the sign had the (correct) red outline for an MoD facility. It's almost as if some DfT official got high on the Guildford Rules -- "The words can be vague, but it'll bloody well have the right colour scheme!"
Suggestion. I've always been curious about all those little triangles/circles of land that are created when a motorway junction is made. Are they accessible? Who owns them? Is there an army of people maintaining them? Presumably they have to be as boring as possible so as not to distract drivers. 🤷♂️
It's a lovely stretch when the motorway splits to either Leeds or Hull, in parts it's arrow straight, no big conurbations around so at night you can get beautiful views of starry skies. Done that journey a few times and at night I was sometimes the only vehicle on it!
@@ChristopherWoods and you get the fun bit going over the top where the farm is, and the perpetually broken bit between Wakefield and Huddersfield where they just can’t seem to make the smart motorway be smart.
Daventry also has a "Curly Whirly" pedestrian bridge linking the old Staverton road where the bypass cut through. it curls to gain height due to the short distance between the bypass and the housing estates main road. It got pulled down by a truck carrying an excavator that had its boom raised decades ago and the bypass was closed for months while the bridge was repaired and the road beneath was lowered to give extra clearance.
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
Do I live in the UK? No. Do I drive in the UK? No. Have I ever been to the UK? No. Do I like watching these videos? Yes.
Amazing to hear, thanks for watching.
Where do u live?
@@goldcut3281 he lives in Antarctica
@@AutoShenanigans same here
am from the netherlands and love your vids to
Do I live in the uk? Yes. Do I drive in the uk? No.
Ineffective interchanges, ghost slipways, old airfields, a colliery, bizarre footbridges and a newly restored diving tower that can't actually be used - Perfection!
I live near the curly wurly bridge. Crosses over the M4 to a lovely village called Hodson
When you've finished showing us the motorways I'd love to see you explore some of the non-motorway locations you find in your journeys too. Love your content!
Wow that restored diving tower (at a cost of £100,000), you cannot use is, well.. It makes me feel erm, less dumb 😂
Hello, How the devil are you. I hope you're enjoying the M4.. As you'll see, we ran out of daylight, it rained most of the day and traffic was crap. It was certainly a challenging day out but we got there. Part 2 will be out next week so if you haven't already, get subscribing so you don't miss it. Some are asking why the random GTA5 clip.. yeah this didnt work out as well as I'd hoped.. In GTA5, when the game needs to go from day to night for a mission, you get a quick time lapse... as the video quickly goes from day to night I kind of stole that idea. Was a bit crap in hindsight but it's done now :D Thanks for watching, commenting, liking and generally being a wonderful bunch. Enjoy the rest of your week!
Ok can't wait 😁
can you have a look at the A69 please mate
I am that old I remember before the M4 was completed, a trip to Bristol used to take hours, but maybe it was partly due to the 1967 VW Beatle 1200 only doing 65mph.
As someone who used to commute Bristol to East London on a weekly basis, I sympathise completely lol.
If I knew you were this local, I'd have kept an eye out for you!
loving these videos, as a truck driver its nice to get an answer to all these things i see daily, thanks for all the effort mate!
No worries mate thanks for watching!
I’m a long distance driver to but 3.5t
I’ve definitely learned a lot from John and these fantastic videos.
My wife calls me boring 😂
She has no idea 😂
Edit… shit 😖… Too**
@@Dan23_7 Wives eh? Mine is the same. 😊
@@grahamlive The best was last week, we went to Scotland for a few nights and I got talking to a bloke in a pub and we were on about the A1 and the A50
His wife and mine were enthralled 😂😂
@@Dan23_7 I bet they were. Lol. 😂😂😂
I love the way you put quotes around "upgraded to smart motorway". Whoever dreamt that idea up should be charged with manslaughter.
As a HGV driver many years ago, I love this channel. Its more a trip down memory lane than a secrets of the network
"I quite enjoy the drive out of London along the M4. Firstly, you're heading out of London..." 😂 While I came to your channel all that time ago out of curiosity, I stay for your utterly dessicated sense of humour. Love it.
Good to have you, thanks for watching!
Beautiful! As a regular M4 user in the late 80’s to mid 90’s, this was a blast from the past. You didn’t mention the very serious accident in 1991 between J 14/15 east bound … I had passed through at around 6am in thick fog, and arrived at work in Farringdon around 8.30am … the team were both worried and shocked as the accident and 10 fatalities /51 injuries was all over the news, with reports of the carriageway melting from the fires … I was ignorant of this until arriving at work! Added fun-fact - this accident happened very near to the village (Lambourn) my dad was evacuated to during the war, after the house he lived in at Hillingdon had the roof blown off my enemy aircraft …
Further fun fact - I now live in the Hawkes Bay, New Zealand! So seeing your shenanigans on Britain’s motorways are just fab! I can reconnect with my memories and youth! Looking forward to part 2!
That bus lane on the M4 was also used as an Olympic lane during the 2012 games; only traffic serving the games (diplomats, athletes and their entourages, etc) were allowed to use it. That explains why those signs with arrows and all three lanes saying "M4" above them are there; the offside lane was marked with an arrow and an Olympic symbol.
As for junction 8/9, I've had sat-navs call it "junction eight ninths".
I don’t know how you manage to keep your audio so consistent from shot to shot. Keeping your tone so level and matching . Love your videos it’s amazing how much there is to say about our road system when you know what you’re talking about.
Was thinking the same, good editing and consistency. Shame the TV can't do this with adverts....
The London section does feel like a car racing game. Glad to hear someone else feels the same. ❤😂
that small detail of the bus lane is so important on the planning. I can't believe that none thought about it. xD
Mancunian way A57(M) is the lowest motorway speed limit at 30mph, reduced from normal motorway speed due to a serious accident a few years back
It doesn't help that bits of it keep collapsing...
Curly wurly bridges were generally built for farmers to get their livestock from one side to the other when the motorway cut through their land.
the bus lane doesn't increase travel times. The bus lane, while it ran, would've been the highest capacity lane of all of them- a bus is only the length of 2 cars and the gap between them, yet holds at least 20 passengers.
So, the majority of people actually have their journeys speed up, which encourages more people to take public transport, which means less cars on the road. I understand that car enthusiasts are reluctant to see investment in public transport, but more people on buses means, for one, you have nice empty roads, and secondly you only need to drive when you want to.
(There's better educated people than me saying the same thing, though. Not Just Bikes, for example.)
Thus, a bus lane was probably a good investment to make. Taking a lane from car traffic isn't an issue because in return you get much increased capacity. Personally I think it'd be a good thing to do to most motorways, at least those that see traffic jams, as it allows the buses to get past a traffic jam.
The reason it was pulled up? probably either the buses tended to go via other routes and so it was underutilised, or a bunch of car users complained and a politician had it pulled up, to try to get motorists to vote for them.
However, usually projects like that go better than this one did.
However, the bus should be on the on-ramp side so it can easily enter and exit. Unless the bus uses separate slip roads, which some systems do use.
I didnt say the bus lane increased travel time to be fair. Whatever the reasoning, this is a clear misuse of public funds and no investment is a good one if you remove it shortly after. It's a straight up waste of money that probably could be used for far better things.
@@AutoShenanigans good point
Yes, they should've put a bit more thought into bus lane placement beforehand, rather than cutting it a few years later
It was a Zil lane pure and simple. It benefitted no one as there was hardly ever a bus on it. It was, however, open to Prescott's Jags ...
Probably means increase travel time for the cars
Not enthusiasts crap public transport,About 5 miles away loads of offices were built 65/75 only a few parking spaces for the bosses or managering directer,Everyone one else use the buses well cheap 13 pence for miles subsidised by the council,But Thatcher came along with her father's grocery shop mentality and privatised them losing the subsidiary and decreasing the amount of buses,So people "resort to car's" and now the parking,So had to pay to park while at work decreasing people's wages further on unnecessary ownership of cars and their parking,Car companies were happy oil companies,Garages and the local council in parking revenue except the office workers and we are still there now with onboard WiFi and charging sockets for phone and computer,Fancy coloured display at bus displaying bus time usually mirror the paper one in the crappy shelter,So who wants to use a bus
Fab episode. You can date any building in the UK by its materials and 'see' how towns grew. For instance, on the M4, a market town will have local Cotswold stone in the heart of the town, then, with the canal arriving you get slate, then, with the railway you get brick. You can keep going all the way up to the present date from these cues.
Serious detail about the original Severn bridge, it was workers peeing in the box section when it was being built that led to the corrosion problems. There was nothing wrong with the construction or the materials, it was the addition of considerable quantities of urine that led to doom.
wow..great info!
Absolutely fascinates me how much history is right next to our roads that we miss... Looking forward to part 2!
Wow Jon can’t believe you missed out the recently upgraded Jn16, or the M32 Jn19 and M5 interchange (Jn 20). FYI RAF Welford also included US Nuclear weapon stockpiles, but not sure if that’s the case today. Also there is a proposed junction between 18 and 19 which is to link the Bristol ring road near to where you see the DPD depot but there is a lot of local residence opposition to this so it’s unclear if this will ever get built but it was expected to relieve congestion at the M32 junction (19). 19 also used to be a proper roundabout, before closing a side of it so traffic is no forced onto the A4174 if you need to use the junction to change direction, you can still see the evidence of its roundabout past and used to be the only roundabout with motorway regulations that I was aware of.
Blimey, that was manic!
When I was a kid my mother used to drive us the length of the M4 every half term to visit relatives (she's of Welsh origin) then when I first passed my driving test I seemed to be doing that same journey every couple of months taking my mother and grandmother to the funerals of all the aunts and great aunts (and some great, great aunts) that we'd spent the previous years visiting.
Crikey! Sounds like my family … Welsh family from the valleys … family trips, then courting a young welsh lady, inevitable funerals and also the odd welsh stage WRC trip (every year during the 90’s and early 00’s) … even several business trips to Monmouth late 00’s, prior to migrating to the other side of the world! Small world, aye!
Blummin brilliant as always. Keep going!!
Nice one guys! Hope you are well, much love x
I love your videos... very well researched and presented. I was especially intrigued by the curly wurly bridge and the listed diving platform at Coate Water Nature Reserve, so I took myself down there in the snow yesterday. I live in Cirencester and normally avoid Swindon like the plague, but I must say I was thoroughly impressed by Coate Water, the curly wurly and the diving platform. Loved them all! Took loads of pics and will return when the weather improves. Many thanks for encouraging me to visit a place on my doorstep that I would otherwise have probably missed 👍
I used to commute from Langley (Berkshire) to central London via the Green Line coach. The coach always had between 30 and 50 commuters on it and the bus lane allowed us to jump the queue to get onto the Chiswick Flyover. I know car drivers don't like it when buses jump the queue but I would argue it's fair enough when the bus is taking dozens of cars off the road at peak time.
I don't know if the cost of putting the bus lane in was justified, but it didn't increase car journey times (in fact it reduced them slightly) and it did help make commuter coaches a practical alternative to driving. All I know is the cost of taking the bus lane out once it was there cannot possibly be justified.
2:58 “there are only three 4-stack interchanges on the network, one on the M23, one here on the M4..”. But you completely missed another one on the M4 itself where it crosses the M5 at Almondsbury! Also. There’s another 4-stacker on the M25, where it meets the M1. It may be missing a couple of slip roads but it’s still 4 stacks.
Yep, I came here to "complain" that you'd missed the "4 stack" at J 20 / J 15 M5 (unless planning to cover it then!)
I was always told the curly wurly bridge was used for cows since they can’t go up steps or large gradients.
Sounds plausible for sure!
Agree.
@@AutoShenanigans It was - and still is(!!!) - used for sheep. I've waited and watched the sheep being taken over the bridge on one sunday morning run!
The Curly Wurly bridge is also part of national cycle route 45 and is almost impossible to go down on a bicycle without making a "wheeeee!" noise.
I used to love going on the Chiswick flyover as a kid, in the early 1970's. Occasionally, I'd 'go to work with dad' on a Saturday morning. He was a site manager for a civil engineering company, and any day out with him was an adventure. Sometimes, he'd drive 100 miles just to see if a machine had been delivered on time, and was working, or we'd go to a site, and watch chimneys being demolished, or he'd have to take measurements on site, with a theodolite, and I'd stand holding the measuring poles. No laser measures in 1971. A theodolite, some graduated poles, and a notebook.
As we lived in Suffolk, and a lot of his work was in Kent, Sussex, Hampshire, and often, Dorset, we'd cut through London. Dad loved driving, and, I suspect, never believed the 'Straight Line' maxim, as he'd go all over the show, in his Ford Cortina Mk.II (white with red seats). A lot of the time, we'd go over the Chiswick flyover. And it was thrilling - being high up, with interesting industrial buildings either side - I loved it. And so, I expect, did my dad.
The A329(M) is very useful if you live in Bracknell or Wokingham and you want to go to Reading. It's usually quiet and you can do the trip in a few minutes.
I remember vaguely that there was an accident during construction of the Winnersh interchange due to a scaffolding collapse and a couple of workers were killed.
If you ever revisit the history of the M4 Jon, see if you can find out about the massive diversion road that diverted the whole motorway, to motorway standard, back inthe 80s / 90s near the 8/9 Maidenhead junction. I distinctly remember it diverted north in a massive loop into a field before rejoining the main carriageway again, with some very tight exit and entry curves. I cant remember exactly where it was, again pretty sure it was between 10 and 8/9, but I do have a vague recollection of it being something to do with flood management and the construction of a new bridge, but cant find any info about it and goole earth shows no remnants. Carry on the excellent work.
Right idea abolishing tolls for the second Severn crossing, are you listening Dartford?!
Ha ha, no chance!!
I grew up in Newport so know the M4 intimately ... thanks for pointing out the M4 features in England. One of the buildings close to the raised section of the M4 in Chiswick, London was the HQ for the contractor, Turrif, who was working on the North Sea Gas conversions on all the fires and cookers across the UK in 1960's. They made a big mess of the conversions and so every time we passed it my mother would comment on that company!
Been waiting for this and really enjoyed it. I'm bang in the middle of the M3&M4 near Wokingham. Regarding the M31 5:20, You can leave the M3 at junction 3 and use the A322 that goes directly to the A329m & M4 junction 10 which really serves the same purpose as what this M31 Motorway would have done by the sounds of it. The A322 also goes directly from the A3 as well.
It seems to be the go to route for truckers to get from the M3 to M4.
Or, you can leave the M3 at junction 6 for Basingstoke and take either the A33 or the A339 which takes you directly the M4 junctions 11 or 13 respectively.
Also glad you mentioned the abandoned bridge between junctions 10&11. Was hoping you would.
Lets not kid ourselves a two lane road which runs through Bracknell which is hit by traffic lights every 200m will in anyway do what the M31 would have done for the traffic around Bracknell and more importantly on the M25
Lets not kid ourselves a two lane road which runs through Bracknell which is hit by traffic lights every 200m will in anyway do what the M31 would have done for the traffic around Bracknell and more importantly on the M25
Love junction 8/9, mainly because Google maps can't cope with it and treats it as a fraction!
"At junction eight ninths, take the second exit"!
I really like how this channel brings attention to the hilarious inefficiently eccentric features of British motorway design...
More to do with local councils and private companies penny pinching,A good example the A303 runs past stone henge,This was brought to my attention my a a American years ago a place of mystique and quietness disturbed by a "stupid road" and he's right just a few million would have put that or a bypass a mile away for a bit of "Hush" just like a library
On a Sunday these videos are just right. Informative, amusing and I look forward to them!
Agree mate , there’s a few good channels upload on a Sunday in a similar vein .
Awesome.. glad to hear, thanks for watching.
The "Curley Whirly Bridge" is for the footpath from the Coate Water park to Chisledon. The Coate Water Reservoir was for the Marlborough branch of the Rail network from Swindon, via Swindon's Old Town Branch. The path is the old rail line route that runs near the ESSO garage on the A346 and along side it towards Marlborough.
I remember cycling up that bridge when I was about 7 and being so happy once I got to the top. It's quite funny to see it on a thumbnail of a video on my for you page XD
I live a stone's throw away from Junction 8/9. Fun bit of Trivia - Google Maps audio directions clearly struggles with the /, and calls it Junction Eight Ninths
Toll dosnt exist anymore because the bridge is now paid off.
The toll was only to recoup the money spent on building the bridge.
Was a cool day when they removed the booths
1:10 Re: the speed limit - the Mancunian Way currently has an 18-month temporary 30mph limit with what seems to be the intention of making this permanent next year, although it's classed as the A57(M) so I'm not sure whether you'd count it. It's elevated with no hard shoulder, the same as the Chiswick Flyover, but it has so many entrances and exits in only 2 miles that it's often slower than 30mph anyway.
Before the Prince of Wales bridge the old M4 ( M48 now ) bridge could close often for high winds and it was and still is a long way round . I worked for a company based in Magor who's toll bridge costs for their haulage fleet was eye watering .
Until the tolls were abolished in 2018 (end), crossing the estuary via ferry or bridge had required the payment of a toll for some 400 years!
I guess you’re saving the other 4 stack motorway for the M5 episode then, as you glossed over it to get to the M4/M48 piece ;)
After watching a few of your videos and hearing about the ghost sliproads, I did check whether that’s what it was between 18/19, so I’m glad they were featured and their purpose explained!
Other interesting fact about the M4 (for me at least) is there as several fake trees along it, mainly east of J13. They seem to be radio masts of some sort, but would be interested to find out more about them!
Shame it was dark at the end, the walk along the wall Severn Beach is quite nice. Great for mindfulness if you need!
RE: the 40mph limit on the M4 in Chiswick, I believe there's a lower speed limit on the M32 as it gets into central Bristol, where it's limited to 30mph for a short time before it ends and becomes an A road
And for a teeny tiny bit of the M1 just as where it begins, there is a 30mph speed limit
I remember the pouring lucozade bottle ad with a time display don't know if it's still there ?
I believe it's in gunnersbury park.
Just checked, it's in the museum there.
I seriously LOVE this series!
Awesome, thanks dude!
This is one of my favourite channels on RUclips by far. 🇬🇧 👍🏻
Nice one thanks!
Love the channel! Especially all the bits about the old airfields. You could probably go off on a whole separate thread exploring the old airbases of the Uk.
Exactly my thoughts too, that would be super interesting!
I've been looking forward to the M4 episode for a while 👍🏻
Used to love coming into London as a kid years ago and on the elevated section, the Lucozade bottle in lights that emptied as it filled the glass!
Thanks for explaining the Junction 8/9 thing. My son asked me about that a few months ago when we were on that section and I couldn't properly answer him.
I can now so cheers for that 👍🏻😁
Was on the M4 a few months ago after many years away from it. The changes and "smart" motorway nonsense have rendered it nothing like I remember it from years ago.
Looking forward to part 2.
Thanks guys 👍🏻
The M31 is a golden opportunity missed and an example of how to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory - in a manner of speaking!
I found this interesting video on my recommended today. Do I live in the UK? No. Have I ever rode on a UK motorway? No. Was the video fascinating? Absolutely. As an expressway junkie, I love watching videos like this!
It's a huge compliment to appeal to non UK residents :) Thanks a lot!
The first time I ever drove across the old Severn bridge toll free I got caught doing 58 in 50 mph roadworks. So my first ever free crossing since I began driving in 1977 cost me £89.
Was your granny rude to a gypsy by any chance?
holy fuck thats a steep fine for 1977
This is a series I’ve wanted for such a long time, will watch whole series when I have a minute
The Curly Wurly bridge is roughly where the old Midland and South Western Junction railway headed down to Marlborough from Swindon. The old railway was turned into a footpath after it was closed and the bridge was put in to carry foot traffic across the motorway.
Ahhh, I was always told an angry farmer requested it for his cows. I was young and naive haha
Another very interesting episode. I've only ever seen things like the 'curly wurly bridge' from the carriageway, so good to see them from a different perspective.
I once had a game of football on the westbound carriageway of the M4, as the motorway was closed in both directions for hours, and it was a nice summers day.
Where you have Junction 8/9, that wasn't there in the 60's and early 70's M4 curved up to the now A404(M) and the M4 stopped at the junction 9A junction. The A404(M) to the A4 roundabout call the Thicket roundabout, name after the National Trust woods nearby. This road was is a new addition many years ago. In the Thicket woods is a road called the Dutch Camp Rd, this is were the Dutch army set up Camp in WW2. I grew up in nearby Cox Green from 1966 when I was 5.
He covered this in an video. Strangely addictive
Hi! Forgive me but I have to say.... I grew up around Chiswick.. and in the 90's we definitely did a lot more than 40mph on that flyover on our motorbikes, mostly on one wheel.. It was one of, if not the, greatest roads on the planet at night.. Heston services was the getaway point from the motorway cops in their Volvo T5s, and we knew the position of all 3 of the motorway cameras around there! :p Thanks for bringing back some nice memories today, John.
I like hearing these little anecdotes, it's what its all about! cheers mate
@@AutoShenanigans Cheers :)
M32 in Bristol has 40 mph speed limit as well
I crossed that bridge(Prince of Wales) the day it opened. Having spent the previous six months crossing bus the old bridge.. I woke up half way across as my mate was driving my car home as I was ‘ball bagged’ after completing a military course.. and I crossed it last night on my way to London from Swansea.. such is the excitement that is my life…
I'd like to see Narrator John drafted in to commentate on state occasions (Royal Weddings, Coronations, Remembrance Sunday etc.). It would provide an attractive alternative to the plodding, and often obsequious, presentations we normally get served.
You're videos are some of my most looked forward to of the week. I think their great.
Your ... they're
You're welcome.
Been living local to, and driving under, the ghostbridge between J10 & J11 for 27 years and never realised it was abandoned.
Another random one, right at M4 J12, Theale High Street road was supposed to run through Theale High Street, then tunnel under the M4 and link to Pincents Lane on the other side. It's obvious when looking at the satellite imagery. Even the bridge that crosses over the M4 is named High Street. But the tunnel never materialised...
... which is a shame as IKEA Reading now exists and it would have been an ideal access infrastructure.
The final 4- level stack interchange is also on the M4 - at Almondsbury near Bristol, and you went past it. I considered it a treat as a child to be driven round that.
or is it on the M5.. ;-)
@@AutoShenanigans Awkward sod. (PS that tweet saying similar is also me.)
I remember the M4 being built just past swindon, and as a child was told the "curley wurley " bridge was built like that so the local farmer could drive sheep over the motorway. Its also very close to where the MSWJR rly would have crossed the road!
And it's still used today to drive sheep over the M4 between Chiseldon and the field at the back of Coate Water :) I've followed the sheep over the bridge before on a run!
Great job Jon, having lived in Chippenham with parents in London, many trips spent doing up and down the M4 and didn’t realise I missed so much. Curly whirly bridge is infamous but never new about the train depot. Look forward to next week
I always wondered if that chimney was part of a colliery. The area has alot of mining heritage. At Membury Airfield a C47 Dakota is being restored to flying status. Called "Night Fright" it originally flew from there in WW2 with the USAAF.
Oh thats cool.. I hope they get it in the air!
Hi John, another great video, I really enjoy your snippets of local history and events along the routes - it's a lovely swift and no-nonsense ride from beginning to end, very well done!
Nice one buddy thanks for watching
The lowest speed limit imposed on a motorway is actually the A57(M) (mancunian way) at 30mph, temporarily brought in february 2022 from 50mph to reduce the high number of accidents. Although it’s only a temporary measure at this moment, it’s likely the new speed limit will remain permanent due to the reduction of collisions 👍🏻
Measure to compensate for the retarded drivers causing crashes. 😒
It's much safer now to be fair some of the one junctions are virtually twenty yards long
Was waiting for this one and see what you would find at Junc 14 and 15 as I live in Swindon. Have cycled and ran ( in the loosest sense) up and down the circly worly bridge and Coate Water is one of my favourite spots in the area. Nice drone footage of the restored diving platform
We didnt have the weather for it but Coate water would be great on a sunny day.
Love the piece on the M31! Thank you so much for raising awareness of this. I live nearby and its such a waste seeing M4 J10 sitting there as a partially unrolled cloverleaf in all its glory, just waiting to become the M31 to finally fix the M25 near Heathrow once and for all 😢 hears hoping someone watching this video is a traffic engineer who didn’t know about this proposed motorway, who may restart this scheme in the next decade or two
Last time I drove to South Wales I was coming from South East London via the M25 and my sat nav took me down the M3, A322, and A329(M) joining the M4 at junction 10. Even though there are a couple of sets of traffic lights and a couple of roundabouts it's still often quicker than sticking with the heavily congested M25 between the M3 and M4.
Sshh!! The A329/A322 is still a great cut through, missing out the western M25 traffic jam
@@philwoodward5069 yes that’s right, and all of Bracknell has now been dualled the whole way through. However many of the junctions along the way are suffering very heavily. Soon they’ll be pushing for a bypass (which the M31 would have provided, and thus along with the M25 near Heathrow being a carpark day and night, and that National Highways rejected upgrading that stretch of the M25 to a smart motorway, it makes the idea of an M31 even more likely. The M3 J3 is a mess as well, with the low quality design of the A322 approaching it and at grade traffic lights literally 100m from the M3 junction 🤦🏼♂️the M31 would bypass all of this and relieve the M3
I used to live in Brentford where the flyover 'flies over' when there was hardly any of the tall buildings there! It freaked me out a bit when I came back after some time living in the sticks...
Curly Wurly Bridge. Been under it 1,000's of times and never knew. There is also and exit/entrance just north of Castle Combe (j17 to j18) where it was rumoured the Royals could get on and off if needed And RAF Welford used to be supplied by the railway from Newbury. During a rail strike in the 70's the US Base Commander was unable to move bombs. He expected the railway to still move bombs when on strike. When he was told no way, he got the line removed. Gulf war and the B52's out of Fairford were supplied with bombs from this base by road. Right, back to the M4...
I know where you mean. I’ve always wondered what that little road was for. Goes up to the Fosse Way, up to Westonbirt and along to Highgrove. J17 and J18 are my two local junctions.
The M4, It's been a well travel motorway during my working life, along with the M25,M3 M23, others have also been used, not worried I don't have to anymore. Great. Bob
Membury TV transmitter actually closed in 1983 - I remember it being announced on Central. Lethanhill closed on the same day. 1985 was the absolute end for 405 lines, though.
Having grown up less than a mile away from coate water country park, I can indeed confirm the locals call this the curly wurly bridge.
And zooming down it on a bicycle is still one of the most fun things to do in the area!
Took a while to work it out, but Earley is pronounced the same as early. There have been weirder misspellings though!
Was about to type this!
0:16 I think you missed out on an opportunity to stand a bit further to the right and hold up a bit of paper that said "Shenanigans" in front of the back of that recovery vehicle.
4:48 "Junction 10 is where the A329(M) and the M40 meet at the Winnersh Interchange." Wrong motorway, Jon, wrong motorway.
I doubt the highways agency hold the Curly wurly bridge in high regard, they've demolished the one of the same name on Atherstone bypass. Replaced with a carbuncle
Interesting facts for the Welsh Stretch:
The only reason the dreaded Brynglas tunnels exist, which have caused great suffering for M4 travelers for decades is because a railway line ran across the hill it goes through, so there could be no cutting. Shortly after it opened they closed the railway line so could have had a cutting after all....... the trackbed is now a local road which runs over the Eastern Portal
Bassaleg junction is very dangerous, the one slip road carries both on AND off traffic many fatal accidents here over the years from going the wrong way up the M4...... it's also on a bind brow, oh and a blind corner (yes, on a motorway)
No Junction 30, the posh people of North Cardiff in Lisvane put a stop to that filthy nonsense
Coryton interchange - the UKs longest motorway roundabout - 1.8 miles around. Interestingly, if you stay in the middle lane and keep going round that'll take you to every turn off - very handy as my sister is scared of it
The viaduct bridge after J36 Sarn is an upside down arch shape- very fancy for it's time - most people assume they're just driving at ground level
Port Talbot is insane, they basically built a motorway through an urban area, before it was a 50 limit you could leave the motorway at 70mph and within 30 yards be in a residential street going past peoples front doors. One shot slip roads too where you go from the local 30 limit up a ramp and into the motorway traffic. Not as wild now but still pretty hairy.
Lots more I've missed I'm sure
Let’s not forget the village of Groes by Port Talbot
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groes,_Port_Talbot
@@owenwatts4333 Very interesting, thank you. Nowadays we can't even get a new bit around Newport because the birds might not like it
Great info.. most of which I've missed !
Thanks for giving a few things to look out for on some frankly not so interesting drives between Cardiff and London 😄
That's a long commute... sod that!
@@AutoShenanigans did it weekly, 3 hrs was the fastest , maybe a little less in a out of service national express coach ( I cadged a lift on the duplicate into London that was going back empty so just me). A leyland leopard that had been modded so it actually went uphill, as a result on the flat it was a rocket, had a stop at membury which didnt happen on the service coach. Had one going back that lost a wiper arm off the nearside , which made the journey fun.
@@AutoShenanigans lmao I’m not commuting it 😅, just there fairly often and it’s somehow still cheaper to drive than take the train
Great video, grew up around J10 so recognise a lot of this route from going places with my parents. At 5:37 the town of Earley (now east Reading) is pronounced like 'early' despite the spelling!
I give up with UK town pronunciations :D
I've only been to London once earlier this year, and even from the back of the taxi I recognize that M4 section going through the hi-rises at the start of the motorway even though I had no idea we were on the M4. We even talked about why the #3 lane had random red paint on it as we were driving along. The taxi driver had some choice words on the matter... Great video as always!
I'm glad we were able to provide some answers :D Taxi drivers have strong words to say about everything :D
This an oddly addictive and typical British type of channel. Somehow I seem to have become a subscriber 😂😂
Welcome along!! Good to have you.
I WAS WONDERING WHY I KNEW THE BACKGROUND MUSIC SO WELL! ITS THE GTA 5 LOADING MUSIC
Hey John, how the devil are you? Are you having a good week? I love that introduction! I just want to tell you that I absolutely love this channel and I’ve watched all of your videos now! This is my favourite channel and I really enjoy the secrets of the motorway. Keep up the good work.
Yeah I'm not bad ta.. thanks for watching! appreciate it.
@@AutoShenanigans You’re welcome! Have a good week 🙂
A spiral bridge like that has just been demolished and replaced over the A5 near Atherstone. It was a footbridge and the locals called it the curly wurly bridge
My guy 8:04 that GTA Online loading screen music is giving me flashbacks
9:25 thats los santos what the hell is going on!
Most ìnformative and fascinating presentation. Thankyou xxx
You need to come to the North. West. We have started shat loads of things and never finished them..junctions 2 or 3 are now being built but they are going absolutely their original destination.....Good work any way sir
Where at, m55?
@@ENLSN77 yes mate
Smart motorways are a fundamentally good idea. The conversion of hard shoulder to permanent running lane, not so much. On the M1 back in the day, hard shoulder was used as a running lane only when the VSL was at 50 or below. Peak traffic flow seems to happen at a well-observed 50, with laminar flow characteristics.
They are not a fundamentally good idea unless you care more about people getting to work 10mins earlier than you do about a few people dying. See how great an idea you think they are when your wife phones you and tells you she’s stopped in lane 1 with your baby in the back of the car and doesn’t know what to do.
@@yeknommonkey you are confusing smart motorways with all-lane running. Smart motorways includes VSLs, which are an excellent idea because they smooth traffic flow and increase effective capacity at peak times due to laminar vs. turbulent flow. At low speeds, 50 or less, all-lane running is also not a huge issue - remember that dual carriageways have a 70 limit and no hard shoulder. The stupid part is converting the hard shoulder to a permanent running lane even when the limit is 70, and that is not "smart motorways" so much as "stupid government", or rather, government wanting an increase in capacity without going through all that tedious spending-money-to-add-capacity business.
50mph fastest - true dat... For about 15 years they were upgrading the M3 between bracknell and the m25, I commuted along it for the whole of that time, including 4 or 5 extra trips in the afternoons. It was variously held at 50mph with average speed checks - read VERY well observed. My commute was not just slightly faster, about 5mins faster when they had the 50mph in place, but the consistency was the key... it was ALWAYS the same commute time. The compression and lowdown was at the same place same time, and I remember that there was almost never a crash or other incident to add the typical 9hrs to the commute when that happens. Compare that to the M4 at 70, every 3rd commute (and yes, I've been counting, when you are late to work so often you can't help but keep a tally) some moron crashes and adds hours to the journey in. Every 6th commute in the evening is affected too. I'd take that 50mph average speed check on conjested zones, e.g. where the m4 goes past reading or nears the m25 any day.
It’s a shame the M4 bus lane didn’t work out, motorway bus lanes can work even when it reduces the amount of car lanes, but it’s position as a third lane was definitely iffy. Often removing a car lane is fine if the amount of bus traffic makes up for it, but it doesn’t seem like that’s the case here. I think I would move it to the first lane and make it a HOV3+/Bus/Service/Taxi lane to allow high speeds for less wasteful road users.
There are bus lanes in the central median along parts of the M2 Hills Motorway between Windsor and Beecroft roads in Sydney, Australia.
That GTA music at the end was excellent
Had a look down the comments but not sure it’s been said about the red sections on the start of the M4.
It was originally a taxi lane which was too get taxis from Heathrow into central London quicker and yes it’s a stupid idea.
This was also converted into the Olympic lanes during the olympics, obviously. It was to ship vip’s quickly from Heathrow into central London and out to the Olympic village in the east
After the olympics is was kept as a taxi lane for a very short while then being opened to normal traffic
Great info, thanks!
I’ve been waiting for this especially as I’m from Swindon!
Same. Except for the being from Swindon bit
I love the fact you missed out on Junctions 15 & 16, I mean Swindon! everyone, especially those of us from the rest of Wiltshire loves to miss out Swindon!
5:48 The Welford dump exit is still rather cryptically sign-posted as 'Works', but until recently the sign had the (correct) red outline for an MoD facility. It's almost as if some DfT official got high on the Guildford Rules -- "The words can be vague, but it'll bloody well have the right colour scheme!"
Your videos give me Jay Foreman vibes, and I mean that in the highest regard! Love the vids keep up the good content, we love it!
Awesome, thanks for watching mate.
I live about a mile from the curly wurly bridge and still haven't walked over it yet, on my list for this year.
Suggestion.
I've always been curious about all those little triangles/circles of land that are created when a motorway junction is made.
Are they accessible?
Who owns them?
Is there an army of people maintaining them?
Presumably they have to be as boring as possible so as not to distract drivers. 🤷♂️
As one who drives from Woking to South Wales a few times a year, that proposed motorway avoiding M4/M25 would have been a godsend
Come up North and explore the M62, you can go to Hull and back.
It's a lovely stretch when the motorway splits to either Leeds or Hull, in parts it's arrow straight, no big conurbations around so at night you can get beautiful views of starry skies. Done that journey a few times and at night I was sometimes the only vehicle on it!
@@ChristopherWoods and you get the fun bit going over the top where the farm is, and the perpetually broken bit between Wakefield and Huddersfield where they just can’t seem to make the smart motorway be smart.
@@ncot_tech perhaps that's the true upgrade 😂 I quite miss that drive, long as it was from the Midlands
Daventry also has a "Curly Whirly" pedestrian bridge linking the old Staverton road where the bypass cut through. it curls to gain height due to the short distance between the bypass and the housing estates main road. It got pulled down by a truck carrying an excavator that had its boom raised decades ago and the bypass was closed for months while the bridge was repaired and the road beneath was lowered to give extra clearance.