I am a major north-south motorway in England connecting London to Yorkshire.
I was opened on 2 November 1959 as a stretch of high-speed road running between Watford and Rugby. A workforce of 5,000 people excavated over 20,000,000 tonnes of earth, gravel, rock and chalk to make way for me, at a cost of £50 million (£1.5 billion in today's money) to the taxpayer.
I was described upon my unveiling by the Transport Minister Ernest Maples as a "magnificent motorway opening up a new era in road travel, in-keeping with the new, exciting, scientific age in which we live".
Today, I stand at 193 miles in length stretching from London to Leeds, and handle over 88,000 vehicles every day. This makes me an integral service route for UK commerce, trade, industry and culture.
PLEASE NOTE: I will NOT respond to your messages directly. Anyone wishing to contact me with questions, comments, press kit or interview requests should refer to The Highways Agency .
My Interests
I'd like to meet:
Motorists, bikers, lorry and van drivers, protesters, workmen, the current Secretary Of State For Transport (Douglas Alexander), and the cast of "Easy Rider".
