M40 Motorway
Road of the United Kingdom
Length	89 miles (143. The United Kingdom Road Network is an extensive network of routes connecting its settlements The network is of varied quality and capacity The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located 2 km)
Direction	Southeast - Northwest (London Radial)
Start	Uxbridge, London
Primary destinations	Beaconsfield High Wycombe Oxford Bicester Banbury Warwick Royal Leamington Spa Stratford-upon-Avon Birmingham
End	Earlswood, Warwickshire (M42 Junction 3A)
Construction dates	1967 - 1990
Motorways joined	M25 Junction 16 M42 Junction 3A
Euroroute(s)	E 05

The M40 motorway is a motorway in the English transport network that connects London to Birmingham. Uxbridge is a university town in the London Borough of Hillingdon in West London, England. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom Road Network is an extensive network of routes connecting its settlements The network is of varied quality and capacity See also High Wycombe Western Australia High Wycombe (hai ˈwɪk Oxford is currently bidding for the 2010 Wikimania Conference Oxford () is a city, and the County town of Oxfordshire, Bicester ( IPA /ˈbɪstɚ/ is a town in the Cherwell district of north-eastern Oxfordshire in England. Banbury is a Market town located on the River Cherwell in northern Oxfordshire, England. Warwick (ˈwɒrɪk worrick (silent w in middle is the County town of Warwickshire, England. Leamington Spa, properly Royal Leamington Spa, commonly Leamington (ˈlɛmɪŋtən and "Leam" to locals is a Spa town in central Stratford-upon-Avon (ˌstrætfɚd əpɒn ˈɛɪvən is a Market town and Civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um Earlswood is a small village at the south of the borough of Solihull in England. Geography Warwickshire is bounded to the northwest by the West Midlands Metropolitan county and Staffordshire, by Leicestershire to For other uses of the term M42, please see M42. The M42 motorway is a major road in England. To see information about the M25 motorway under construction in Ireland, see N25 road. For other uses of the term M42, please see M42. The M42 motorway is a major road in England. The international E-road network is a numbering system for Roads in Europe developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE. The E05 or E5 is part of the United Nations International E-road network. Motorway is a term for both a type of Road and a classification or designation England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Transport or transportation is the movement of people and goods from one place to another London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um Part of this road forms a section of the unsigned European route E05. The E05 or E5 is part of the United Nations International E-road network.

The M40 was constructed in stages with the first section being the High Wycombe Bypass from Handycross to Stokenchurch (Junctions 4-5) opening in 1967. See also High Wycombe Western Australia High Wycombe (hai ˈwɪk Stokenchurch is a Village and Civil parish within Wycombe district in the English county of Buckinghamshire (prior to 1896 in In 1969 a temporary junction (Junction 2*) was built at Holtspur just outside of Beaconsfield that carried the motorway to the first section at Handycross (Junction 4). The Beaconsfield bypass (Junction 2) which was part of the motorway was built in 1971 and the Gerrards Cross Bypass (Junctions 1-2) connecting to this was completed in 1973. Gerrards Cross (sometimes referred to in shorthand as GX is a village in Buckinghamshire, England. Junctions 5-8 Pitmore to Chilworth just outside of Oxford were completed in 1974. Chilworth may refer to Chilworth Hampshire Chilworth Surrey Chilworth railway station in Chilworth Surrey Oxford is currently bidding for the 2010 Wikimania Conference Oxford () is a city, and the County town of Oxfordshire, Construction from Birmingham to Oxford (the "missing link") started in 1988 from the M42 near Hockley Heath (Junction 3A) and finishing with construction through Warwickshire and the Cherwell Valley in 1990 linking Junction 3A to Junction 8. Hockley Heath is a village and Civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, West Midlands, England. Geography Warwickshire is bounded to the northwest by the West Midlands Metropolitan county and Staffordshire, by Leicestershire to The River Cherwell ( IPA /ˈtʃɑːwɛl/ is a river which flows through the Midlands of England. The motorway opened for its full length of 89 miles in 1990. The M40 was to be the last major motorway construction in the UK; however, during the final stages of construction the Conservative government of the time announced a major new road building scheme.

The M40 in Warwickshire

When the motorway was first fully opened it carried a surprisingly low volume of traffic (compared, for instance, to the M25, which was congested from the start). To see information about the M25 motorway under construction in Ireland, see N25 road. The reason was said to be the lack of motorway service areas, which kept HGV traffic in particular from using the route, the M1 and M6, or A34, being existing routes to Birmingham. Motorway is a term for both a type of Road and a classification or designation The M1 is a major south – north Motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where This article concerns the M6 motorway in England There are also M6 motorways in Russia (see Caspian Highway) Hungary (see M6 motorway The A34 is a major road in England. It runs from the A6042 in Salford to Winchester in Hampshire. The first service station opened at Cherwell Valley in 1994, and two further service stations opened at Oxford and Warwick in 1998. Cherwell Valley services is a Motorway service station on the M40 motorway near Bicester in Oxfordshire, England. Oxford services is a Motorway service station on the M40 motorway near Oxford in Oxfordshire, England. Warwick Services is a Motorway Service station that is situated in Warwickshire, England, and serves the M40 motorway. As a result, traffic is now much heavier.

The section of the M42 between junctions 3A and the M5 was going to be renumbered as part of the M40 when it was extended to Birmingham, and the junction was built with priority going to the now eastbound section of the M42 and the M40 towards London. However when the junction was opened, no renumbering took place.

Lanes

The first section to open was dual two lane motorway and the remaining sections forming the London-Oxford section opening in 1974 were dual three lane. Oxford is currently bidding for the 2010 Wikimania Conference Oxford () is a city, and the County town of Oxfordshire, When the motorway was extended to Birmingham in 1989, the extended section was dual three lane motorway, and between 1990 and 1991 the remaining parts of the original M40 were widened to dual three motorway. Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um When the extension to Birmingham was completed in January 1991 the motorway was all dual three lane motorway. Due to the extension to Birmingham and the opening of service stations on the motorway, traffic began to get very heavy and so a widening scheme was proposed from junction 1A (M25 to junction 4 (A404 and High Wycombe. The A404 is a road in the United Kingdom that starts at Paddington in London and leads to Maidenhead in Berkshire. See also High Wycombe Western Australia High Wycombe (hai ˈwɪk At the end of the day, the motorway was only widened between junctions 1A and 3 (High Wycombe East). The work was carried out in 1997 and 1998 under the Private Finance Initiative and the section upgraded from dual 3 to 4 lanes. The Private Finance Initiative specifies a method developed initially by the United Kingdom Government, to provide financial support for " Public-Private It was completed by a Carillion / John Laing joint venture in October 1998. Carillion plc ( is a British -based construction-services business headquartered in Wolverhampton, West Midlands. Sir John William Laing (1879–1978 was a British entrepreneur in the construction industry Therefore the lanes are:

• From J1-J1A (as an extension of the A40 Western Avenue): 3 lanes
• From J1A-J3: 4 lanes (the extra lane is taken from the M25 and lost at J3)
• From J3-J4: 3 lanes (the motorway through J4 is reduced to two lanes)
• From J4-J9: 3 lanes (the motorway through J9 is reduced to two lanes southbound to help reduce congestion)
• From J9-M42 J3A: 3 lanes

Route

Original M40

The M40 begins at the Denham Roundabout near Uxbridge just east of the M25 and finishes at the M42 near Birmingham. For other uses see A40, for details of the A40 in london see A40 road (London. Western Avenue may refer to United Kingdom Western Avenue (London Western Avenue (Cardiff - a major road in Cardiff For other uses of the term M42, please see M42. The M42 motorway is a major road in England. The Denham Roundabout is a large road intersection to the west of London at junction 1 (J1 on the M40 motorway. Uxbridge is a university town in the London Borough of Hillingdon in West London, England. For other uses of the term M42, please see M42. The M42 motorway is a major road in England. The A40 is a dual carriageway from the Inner Ring Road in Central London, and is one of the 2 busiest Western radials. A dual carriageway or divided highway is a road or Highway in which the two directions of traffic are separated by a central barrier or strip of land known as a Much of the traffic using the A40 heads along it to join the M40 to travel out of London. At junction 1 (the Denham Roundabout) on the outbound carriageway there is a lane drop to accommodate the non-motorway traffic. The mainline of the A40 carries on to become the M40 and it has 2 lanes and a hard shoulder on the outbound carriageway and 3 lanes and a hard shoulder on the London-bound carriageway. The motorway is carried over the top of the roundabout, which interchanges with the A40 (A413,A412)(outbound), the A4020 (original route of the A40) and the A412 southbound. The original line of the A40 can be seen going straight through the roundabout.

The motorway then carries on for another half a mile before it reaches junction 1A, the free-flow interchange with the M25 London Orbital. It is a partially unrolled cloverleaf, with the smoothest turns allocated to the flow of traffic from the Londonbound M40, (traffic from Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and the wider West Midlands), to the anti-clockwise M25 (London Heathrow, Gatwick, The Channel Ports), and vice versa, since this was perceived to be (and is) the largest exchange of traffic between the two motorways. The M40 passes over the interchange, with the M25 on the bottom. The clockwise M25 enters the junction with 4 lanes and there is a lane drop to accommodate the traffic heading for the M40 westbound, and leaves the junction with 3 lanes. In contrast, the anti-clockwise M25 enters the junction with 3 lanes, and gains a lane from the Londonbound M40 to accommodate the extra traffic. The Londonbound M40 enters with 4 lanes, with a lane drop for the M25 exit, and leaves with 3 lanes, and the westbound M40 enters with lanes and gains a lane from the anti-clockwise M25.

After junction 1A, the motorway is 4 lane, and carries on for another 3 miles until it reaches junction 2 for the A355 to Slough, and the A40 to Beaconsfield and Gerrard's Cross. Junction 2 is the standard roundabout interchange, with the mainline of the M40 running underneath. Approaching the junction, motorists are informed by way of gantry signs.

Junction 3 is another 3 miles further on, and serves the A40 for High Wycombe East and Loudwater. This is a restricted junction, being the only flow of traffic at this junction is from the westbound M40 to the A40, and from the A40 to the Londonbound M40. The westbound carriageway loses a lane here, remaining 3 lane for the rest of the route, and the Londonbound carriageway gains a lane. The now 3 lane motorway then immediately crosses the valley (and Loudwater) over a large ramp like bridge.

Junction 4 is the interchange with the A404 - A404 north for High Wycombe and A404 south for Marlow, Maidenhead, Reading, Windsor and the M4. See also High Wycombe Western Australia High Wycombe (hai ˈwɪk Maidenhead is a town within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. Windsor (ˈwɪnzə/ /ˈwɪndzə is a suburban town and tourist destination in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. The M4 motorway is a Motorway in Great Britain linking London with Wales. The motorway through the junction was never widened from the original two lane when the rest of the motorway from junction 8 to London was, and so both carriageways experience a temporary lane drop. The junction used to be a straightforward roundabout interchange with exits for the M40 (west and east), High Wycombe (A404), the A4010, two local roads and the A404 dual carriageway to the south. However during 2007, work was completed to improve the junction which included extra stacking space on the sliproads from the M40, provision for traffic from the A404 northbound to join the M40 westbound slip road without joining the roundabout and provision for the Londonbound M40 to skip the section of the roundabout which serves the A4010, High Wycombe and the A404 north.

The Chiltern Cutting

Junction 5 is for the A40 and Stokenchurch. Junction 5 is the basic diamond interchange, and is also the fourth junction the M40 has had with the A40. 1 mile further on, the motorway passes through a large cutting, enters Oxfordshire and reaches junction 6 with the B4009 for Lewknor Watlington, and Chinnor. The junction is a variant on the diamond interchange, with the slip roads from the M40 south having sharp bends - upon leaving the M40 from the westbound carriegeway there is an immedient turn of almost 90^o to the left and shortly after a sharp 90^o turn to the right before a junction with the B4009, and similarly when entering the Londonbound M40.

After 3 miles the motorway meets the first of three junctions in close succession. Junction 7 is a restricted junction with the A329 serving Thame and the A40. The A329 is an East-West road in Southern England that runs from Wentworth in Surrey to Thame in Oxfordshire. Thame (pronounced "Tame" with a silent "h" is a market town in Oxfordshire, England, on the River Thame between Aylesbury Access is limited to entering and exiting the M40 northbound, as well as entering the M40 southbound. The exiting sliproad on the southbound M40 at J7 is for "Works Traffic Only".

Connection between old and new mainline of M40

At Junction 8 a spur off the M40 with 2 lane carriageways leaves the mainline of the motorway and continues for a few miles before ending (motorway restrictions ending) at a trumpet junction for Wheatley and the A418(A40) - the old junction 8 -, with the road continuing as a two lane dual carriageway as the A40 towards Oxford and further on to Cheltenham and Wales. A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States Oxford is currently bidding for the 2010 Wikimania Conference Oxford () is a city, and the County town of Oxfordshire, Education The spur can only be accessed via the M40 northbound, and traffic heading towards the M40 can only join the southbound carriageway. This short spur is the end of the original M40, prior to the building of the current Junction 8 and extension to Birmingham.

The motorway then heads north on the new extension section of the M40, reaching Junction 8A less than a mile after J8. This junction is for the A418 east to Thame and Aylesbury, as well as the single carriageway A40 south to London. See also Aylesbury Urban Area Aylesbury is the County town of Buckinghamshire in south east England. It also serves Wheatley via the A418(A40) via the dumbbell junction with the M40 spur. The junction allows traffic from the southbound M40 to enter Oxford via the A40 dual-carriageway, and traffic from the A40 from Oxford to enter the northbound M40 via the linking road. The Oxford Services are also located on J8A, making the motorway accessible from the M40, A40 (Oxford), A418, A40 (London) and the A329. Oxford services is a Motorway service station on the M40 motorway near Oxford in Oxfordshire, England. Leaving J8A, the M40 North has a sharp northerly turn, and prior to the extension of the motorway opening, local police patrol cars were used to check the turn could be safely navigated at and above the national speed limit, such was the abrupt change of direction.

"The Missing Link"

The road travels for 12 miles before reaching Junction 9 for the A34 (E5) and the A41. The E05 or E5 is part of the United Nations International E-road network. The A41 is a formerly-major Trunk road in England that links London and Birkenhead, although as stated below it has now largely been The A34 dual carriageway serves Oxford and is a trunk route for Newbury, Winchester and Southampton (via the M3) as well as the rest of the South Coast - for this the reason it is part of the unsigned European route E05. The M3 motorway is a Motorway in Hampshire and Surrey, England. The A41 dual carriageway serves Bicester and Aylesbury, and both roads meet the motorway at Wendelbury roundabout junction. Bicester ( IPA /ˈbɪstɚ/ is a town in the Cherwell district of north-eastern Oxfordshire in England. This junction design is very inefficient and cannot cope with a very large volume of traffic using the junction. To try and alleviate this problem, there is a temporary lane drop for the Londonbound carriageway. The largest exchange of traffic is between the A34 and the M40 north, and traffic on those roads does back up and cause congestion on both roads (going north and south), as well as on the interchange itself. North of the junction, the existing A34 becomes the A3400 in order to persuade long-distance traffic to use the motorway. This means the A34 is now technically in two halves (it regains status further up the road at J16, although signs on the motorway don't account for this to reduce the road being used as a rat-run). Instead, the first signs for the A34 from a motorway are actually on the M42 at J4, and it's the same with the A41. The road also becomes part of the E5 north of J9.

The M40 follows a course of almost due north for 5 miles before reaching Junction 10, which serves the village of Ardley, the A43 and the Cherwell Valley services. Ardley is a village and Civil parish in the Cherwell district of Oxfordshire, England, just north-west of Bicester. The A43 is a Primary route in the English Midlands that runs from the M40 motorway near Ardley in Oxfordshire to Stamford Cherwell Valley services is a Motorway service station on the M40 motorway near Bicester in Oxfordshire, England. The A43 terminates at J10, although originally it carried on to Kidlington, the southern part of the old route now used by the re-routed A34. The A43 serves Brackley, Silverstone and its racing circuit, currently home to the British Grand Prix. This article refers to the village For the motor racing circuit see Silverstone Circuit. Silverstone Circuit is a Motor racing circuit in Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire, named after the village in the former England The British Grand Prix is a race in the calendar of the FIA Formula One World Championship Further on, the A43 leads to Northampton and the M1. This article is about Northampton in England for other places of the same name see Northampton (disambiguation Northampton ( is a large Market Junction 10 was originally a dumbbell junction. The capacity of both the junction and the single carriageway A43 proved too small when the road was used as a freight thoroughfare from the mainly congested M1 to the emptier M40 to London, and the A34 at J9 to the south coast - in fact the 5 mile stretch between these junctions is the busiest on the motorway in both directions. When the A43 (between the M1 and M40) was upgraded to dual carriageway, the junction was redesigned and rebuilt by the Highways Agency to cope with the extra traffic. The Highways Agency is an Executive agency, part of the Department for Transport in the United Kingdom. A third roundabout was added to the junction, to the north, with the slips for the Londonbound M40 and the A43, with the slip roads for the northbound M40 remodelled as well, and the roundabout in the middle now serving the services. The slip road for the Londonbound carriageway which used to be accessed from the roundabout now is only reached via the services. The design and execution of the revised design of new junction is greatly derided, mostly because of the three roundabouts giving no priority to the main flow of traffic, (A43 - M40 London), and the slip roads off and onto the motorway (except the one accessed via the services) have sharp turns and adverse cambers, which results lorries frequently tipping over and spilling their loads especially on the rondabouton at the end of the northern carrageway. The junction fails to perform its function as an effective traffic junction. As well as that, the slip roads onto the motorway give little manoeuvering space as both join the motorway under (the same) bridge built for the old junction. ^[1]

The motorway then follows a winding route north for 10 miles until Junction 11, the A422 and A361, serving Banbury. The A422 is an "A" road for east-west journeys in south central England, connecting the county towns of Bedford and Worcester by way of The A361 is a major Road in England and at 195 miles is the longest 3 digit A road in the UK Banbury is a Market town located on the River Cherwell in northern Oxfordshire, England. The motorway does not follow the straight route to the east of Middleton Cheney, meeting with the A422, as once planned, due to a major landowner refusing his land to be cut in half. If built as planned, J11 would be east of Middleton Cheney, meeting with the A422, and probably would have fuelled major growth in the village as well as Banbury, the primary destination of the junction. As it is, the junction was built one and a half miles west along the A422, with the motorway skirting Banbury. The junction itself is a regular roundabout interchange, and has the single carriageway A361 from Daventry the dual-carriageway A422 from Brackley and the A43 from the west, and the dual-carriageway A422 (A361) toward Banbury feeding to/from it. Daventry (ˈdævəntri or ˈdeɪntɹɪ is a Market town in Northamptonshire, England, with a population of 22367 (2001 Census)

M40 in Warwichshire

Another 12 miles north-west along the motorway is Junction 12, serving Gaydon and the Heritage Motor Centre via the B4451. Gaydon is a parish and village in Warwickshire, England, close to Leamington Spa. The Heritage Motor Centre is located at Gaydon in Warwickshire, England. B roads are numbered routes in Great Britain of lesser importance than A roads See the article Great Britain road numbering scheme for the rationale behind The junction is a box-standard Diamond Interchange. Further along the motorway is Warwick Services, the last on the motorway, before it reaches the restricted access Junction 13. Warwick Services is a Motorway Service station that is situated in Warwickshire, England, and serves the M40 motorway. This serves Leamington Spa and Warwick via the A452, and Gaydon via the B4100. Leamington Spa, properly Royal Leamington Spa, commonly Leamington (ˈlɛmɪŋtən and "Leam" to locals is a Spa town in central Warwick (ˈwɒrɪk worrick (silent w in middle is the County town of Warwickshire, England. The A452 is a road in England, which runs from Leamington Spa, Warwickshire to Brownhills in Staffordshire. The junction is a half Diamond Interchange, with only access from the northbound carriageway and access to the southbound M40.

The junction is 'completed' 2 miles further on at Junction 14, another restricted access junction, with access to the A452 from the southbound M40, and the access on to the motorway is in a northbound direction. The slip roads join at a roundabout and carry on as the single carriageway A452 to meet with the A452 to Leamington Spa, A425 to Warwick, and the A452 to J13. The A425 road is an A road in England, which runs between Daventry in Northamptonshire and Warwick in Warwickshire via Staverton

Further north, Henley-in-Arden (J16) is again 'incomplete' to discourage local traffic.

The motorway joins the M42 in both directions, with northbound traffic taking the left lane to exit eastbound, eventually forming the outer lanes of the M42 via a tight-bending two lane connecting road, and the right lanes being taken eastbound. Similarly, southbound, eastbound traffic from the M42 splits off from the outer two lanes, whereas westbound traffic of the M42 has a single lane, widening to a two lane slip road which merges with the middle lane and forms the outer lane of the southbound M40.

Service stations

The M40 has three open service areas, all three of which are in the western area of the motorway. A fourth one is currently being built at Beaconsfield, Junction 2, close to the road's southern terminus. The idea of a fourth service station was approved to much controversy^[2] after planners noticed that not only is there a long distance between the M40 and the next services on the M25, but the A40 in to London (a continuation of the M40, which should be treated as such) also has no services. Due to this new service station being built, Junction 2 for Beaconsfield is currently undergoing extensive remodelling.

Oxford services

Main article: Oxford services

Located off the motorway at Junction 8A but also accessible from Junction 8 and the A418. Oxford services is a Motorway service station on the M40 motorway near Oxford in Oxfordshire, England. The A418 road is a main Trunk road in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire in England that leads from the A505 just north of Ascott The services are operated by Welcome Break, however the operator realised that they could get around the strict advertising laws if they were to make their logo on the road signs on the motorway read 'Welcome Break KFC', which is now what they are now technically known as (although they still trade as and within the site are signed as 'Welcome Break'). Welcome Break is a company which operates twenty-six Motorway service stations in the UK. Kentucky Fried Chicken, usually known as KFC, is a chain of Fast food restaurants based in Louisville Kentucky.

Cherwell Valley services

Main article: Cherwell Valley services

They are located off Junction 10, where the A43 meets the motorway and are quite difficult to access due to the poor layout of the junction. Cherwell Valley services is a Motorway service station on the M40 motorway near Bicester in Oxfordshire, England. The A43 is a Primary route in the English Midlands that runs from the M40 motorway near Ardley in Oxfordshire to Stamford It is also the first motorway service area for travellers coming from Junction 9 and the south coast on the A34. The services are operated by Moto, although it is signed as Moto M&S throughout the site for the same reasons as Welcome Break did at Oxford. Moto Hospitality is a company which operates Motorway service stations in the UK. Marks & Spencer Group plc (also M&S, Marks and Sparks, and Marks) is a British Retailer with 843 stores in more than 30

Warwick Services

Main article: Warwick Services

They are located between Junctions 12 and 13, and are made up of two sites mirroring each other. Warwick Services is a Motorway Service station that is situated in Warwickshire, England, and serves the M40 motorway. The two are not connected. The services are operated by Welcome Break, despite being signed as 'Welcome Break KFC' (again, see Oxford services above). Kentucky Fried Chicken, usually known as KFC, is a chain of Fast food restaurants based in Louisville Kentucky. The northbound services featured in an episode of Top Gear, and until recently they had to be signed as 'Welcome Break Coffee Primo' as they only recently gained a KFC outlet. Top Gear is a BAFTA, multi- NTA and International Emmy Award -winning BBC Television series about motor vehicles mainly The southbound services were one of the first to gain a KFC facility.

Junctions

Note: The M40 runs south-east/north-west between Junctions 16 and 8

Incidents

M40 minibus crash

Main article: M40 minibus crash

Just before midnight on 17 November 1993, a minibus transporting 14 children from a proms concert in London back to Hagley RC High School near Birmingham crashed into a parked motorway maintenance vehicle. For other uses see A40, for details of the A40 in london see A40 road (London. Slough ( ˈslaʊ is a Borough and Unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Berkshire, England. The A412 is a road in England that links Slough and Watford. It was previously the main artery for this corridor prior to the construction of the Uxbridge is a university town in the London Borough of Hillingdon in West London, England. List of A roads beginning with 4 in Great Britain starting north of the A4 and south/west of the A5. The A412 is a road in England that links Slough and Watford. It was previously the main artery for this corridor prior to the construction of the Watford (ˈwɒtfəd) is a town and district in Hertfordshire, England, situated 19 miles (30 km northwest of London Rickmansworth is a town in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire, England, 4¼ miles (7km west of Watford. Slough ( ˈslaʊ is a Borough and Unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Berkshire, England. To see information about the M25 motorway under construction in Ireland, see N25 road. Amersham is a Market town and Civil parish within Chiltern district in Buckinghamshire, England, 27 miles north west of Slough ( ˈslaʊ is a Borough and Unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Berkshire, England. List of A roads beginning with 3 in Great Britain starting west of the A3 and south of the A4. See also High Wycombe Western Australia High Wycombe (hai ˈwɪk Marlow (previously Great Marlow or Chipping Marlow) is a town and Civil parish within Wycombe district in south Buckinghamshire, England Maidenhead is a town within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. The A404 is a road in the United Kingdom that starts at Paddington in London and leads to Maidenhead in Berkshire. Stokenchurch is a Village and Civil parish within Wycombe district in the English county of Buckinghamshire (prior to 1896 in Watlington is a market town and Civil parish in the county of Oxfordshire, UK, with just under 3000 inhabitants Princes Risborough is a Town and Civil parish within Wycombe district in Buckinghamshire, England, about 9 miles south of B roads are numbered routes in Great Britain of lesser importance than A roads See the article Great Britain road numbering scheme for the rationale behind Thame (pronounced "Tame" with a silent "h" is a market town in Oxfordshire, England, on the River Thame between Aylesbury Wallingford is a small Market town and Civil parish in the upper Thames Valley in Oxfordshire, England. The A329 is an East-West road in Southern England that runs from Wentworth in Surrey to Thame in Oxfordshire. Oxford is currently bidding for the 2010 Wikimania Conference Oxford () is a city, and the County town of Oxfordshire, Education See also Aylesbury Urban Area Aylesbury is the County town of Buckinghamshire in south east England. The A418 road is a main Trunk road in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire in England that leads from the A505 just north of Ascott Oxford services is a Motorway service station on the M40 motorway near Oxford in Oxfordshire, England. Bicester ( IPA /ˈbɪstɚ/ is a town in the Cherwell district of north-eastern Oxfordshire in England. The A41 is a formerly-major Trunk road in England that links London and Birkenhead, although as stated below it has now largely been Newbury is a Civil parish and the principal Town in the west of the County of Berkshire in England. The A34 is a major road in England. It runs from the A6042 in Salford to Winchester in Hampshire. This article is about Northampton in England for other places of the same name see Northampton (disambiguation Northampton ( is a large Market The A43 is a Primary route in the English Midlands that runs from the M40 motorway near Ardley in Oxfordshire to Stamford B roads are numbered routes in Great Britain of lesser importance than A roads See the article Great Britain road numbering scheme for the rationale behind Cherwell Valley services is a Motorway service station on the M40 motorway near Bicester in Oxfordshire, England. Banbury is a Market town located on the River Cherwell in northern Oxfordshire, England. The A422 is an "A" road for east-west journeys in south central England, connecting the county towns of Bedford and Worcester by way of Daventry (ˈdævəntri or ˈdeɪntɹɪ is a Market town in Northamptonshire, England, with a population of 22367 (2001 Census) The A361 is a major Road in England and at 195 miles is the longest 3 digit A road in the UK Chipping Norton is a Town in the West Oxfordshire Distrcit of Oxfordshire, England, located north west of Oxford. Gaydon is a parish and village in Warwickshire, England, close to Leamington Spa. B roads are numbered routes in Great Britain of lesser importance than A roads See the article Great Britain road numbering scheme for the rationale behind Warwick Services is a Motorway Service station that is situated in Warwickshire, England, and serves the M40 motorway. Warwick (ˈwɒrɪk worrick (silent w in middle is the County town of Warwickshire, England. The A452 is a road in England, which runs from Leamington Spa, Warwickshire to Brownhills in Staffordshire. B roads are numbered routes in Great Britain of lesser importance than A roads See the article Great Britain road numbering scheme for the rationale behind Warwick (ˈwɒrɪk worrick (silent w in middle is the County town of Warwickshire, England. The A429 is a main road in England that runs in a north-northeasterly direction from junction 17 of the M4 motorway (4 miles north of Chippenham in Stratford-upon-Avon (ˌstrætfɚd əpɒn ˈɛɪvən is a Market town and Civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. Coventry ( is a city and Metropolitan borough in the County of West Midlands in England. The A46 is a Trunk road in England. It largely follows the course of the Roman Fosse Way, from Lincoln to south Devon. The M69 is a Motorway in Leicestershire and Warwickshire, England connecting Leicester and Coventry, completed in Henley-in-Arden (also known as simply Henley) is a small town in Warwickshire, England. Northern England, The North, The North of England or (less commonly The North Country refers to the parts of England north of an ill-defined line Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um Solihull (ˈsɒlɪhʌl or /ˈsəʊlihʌl/ is a large town in the West Midlands of England, with a population of 94753 The National Exhibition Centre ( NEC) is an Exhibition centre in Solihull, near Birmingham, England. Birmingham International Airport is an international airport located 5 For other uses of the term M42, please see M42. The M42 motorway is a major road in England. Redditch is a Town and local government district in north-east Worcestershire, England. This article is about the M5 motorway in England See M5 for other roads numbered "M5" The M40 minibus crash occurred on 17 November 1993, just before midnight Events 284 - Diocletian is proclaimed emperor by his soldiers Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um 10 pupils and the teacher driving the vehicle died at the scene; 2 others died in hospital from their injuries over the next two days. The remaining 2 children recovered from relatively minor injuries.

An inquest the following summer recorded a verdict of accidental death on all of the victims. An inquest is a judicial investigation usually by a group of court-appointed people ( Jury) in Common law Jurisdictions The most common kind of inquest It was reported that none of the children in the minibus were wearing seatbelts, and the side-facing benches seating layout was also criticised as dangerous. This led to seatbelts becoming compulsory equipment on all coaches and minibuses (more than 20 years after they had been compulsory on cars), and only recently (more than a decade on) becoming law for them to be worn. ^[3]

August 2007 shooting

On 12 August 2007, a motor cycle rider was shot dead whilst travelling southbound between junctions 13 and 12. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Battle of Ascalon - Crusaders under the command of Godfrey of Bouillon defeat Fatimid Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The motorway was closed the afternoon and evening of August 12, 2007, and the following day while police examined the scene. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Battle of Ascalon - Crusaders under the command of Godfrey of Bouillon defeat Fatimid Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[4][5] The victim has been identified as Canadian national Gerry Tobin and CCTV footage from immediately prior the incident has been released. Tobin was a member of the Hells Angels on his way home from the Bulldog Bash. The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club ( HAMC) is a world-wide " one-percenter " motorcycle gang whose members typically ride Harley-Davidson The Bulldog Bash is considered to be one of Europe's most popular annual motorcycle festivals with a reported attendance of 50000 people in 2007 ^[6]

Other Incidents

The South Buckinghamshire stretch of the motorway (between J1 and J5) is known for its high accident rate with the local paper, the Bucks Free Press, reporting crashes every few months. Buckinghamshire (abbreviated Bucks) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The Bucks Free Press is a weekly Newspaper, published every Friday and covering the area surrounding High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England (The Bucks Free Press Website)

Future plans

There are plans to introduce variable speed limits on the section of the road between Junction 16 and the M42. ^[7]

See also

• List of motorways in the United Kingdom

References

External links

• The Motorway Archive
  • Stokenchurch to Waterstock
  • In Buckinghamshire
  • Waterstock to Umberslade
• CBRD Motorway Database - M40
• Pathetic Motorways - A40(M) High Wycombe bypass
• Motorway Services Online - simplified exit list and information on motorway services along the route.
• Seven Natural Wonders of the South