Spaghetti Junction

Spaghetti Junction is a motorway interchange in Birmingham, England. It is junction 6 of the M6 motorway.^[1]

The junction's official name is Gravelly Hill Interchange, but this name is not used very often. The junction links the M6 with the A38(M) motorway which passes through Birmingham. The interchange was opened in 24 May 1972, and was given its popular name by local journalists.^[2][3]

The junction covers 30 acres, serves 18 routes and includes 4 km (2.5 miles) of slip roads. There are five levels, and it flies over two railway lines, three canals and two rivers. It took nearly four years to build it, against an estimated three years. It cost £8 million, which is a deceptively small amount. It can only be understood by realising the extent of monetary inflation during the past half century.

The junction has had a lot of repair work done a number of times since it was built. There is very heavy traffic through the junction, and there were some alleged cost-saving measures during its construction.^[4]