M42 motorway

It has been suggested that A42 road (England) be merged into this article. (Discuss) Proposed since July 2024.

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M42
The M42 from a bridge just east of the M42/A45, looking south towards junction 6
Route information
Part of E05
Maintained by National Highways
Length	40.0 mi (64.4 km)
Existed	1976–present
History	Opened: 1976 Completed: 1989
Major junctions
Southwest end	Catshill
Major intersections	M5 motorway J3a → M40 motorway J7 → M6 motorway M6 motorway M6 motorway M6 Toll
Northeast end	A42 Appleby Magna
Location
Country	United Kingdom
Counties	Worcestershire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Leicestershire
Primary destinations	Bromsgrove Solihull Birmingham Airport Tamworth
Road network
Roads in the United Kingdom Motorways A and B road zones
← M40 → M45

The M42 motorway runs north east from Bromsgrove in Worcestershire to just south west of Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire, passing Redditch, Solihull, the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) and Tamworth on the way, serving the east of the Birmingham metropolitan area. The section between the M40 and junction 4 of the M6 forms – though unsigned as such – a part of Euroroute E05. Northwards beyond junction 11, the route is continued as the A42; the junctions on this section, 12–14, are numbered like a continuation of the motorway, but the road has non-motorway status from here.