A50 road

This article is about the road in England. For roads elsewhere, see List of highways numbered 50.

The A50 is a major trunk road in England between Warrington and Leicester; historically it was also a major route from London to Leicester.

A50
Route information
Length	98.2 mi[1] (158.0 km)
History	1984-85 (Construction start and end)
Major junctions
Southeast end	A6 in Leicester
Major intersections	A46 in Groby M1 in Markfield A6 near Aston-on-Trent A52 in Hanley A53 in Hanley A34 in Church Lawton A54 in Holmes Chapel M6 near Grappenhall A56 in Grappenhall
North end	A49 at Warrington
Location
Country	United Kingdom
Counties	Leicestershire Derbyshire Staffordshire Cheshire
Primary destinations	Stoke on Trent Uttoxeter Derby
Road network
Roads in the United Kingdom Motorways A and B road zones
← A49 → A51

A50 west of junction 5

Welcome Break Services on Derby Southern Bypass^[2].

A50 close to Stoke-on-Trent.

The A50 passing through Frog Island, Leicester

Route

The current A50 runs south-east from Warrington via Junction 20 of the M6, Knutsford, Holmes Chapel, Kidsgrove and Stoke on Trent to Junction 24 of the M1 near Kegworth, via Derby's southern bypass. From there it is concurrent with the M1 until Junction 22, where it runs into the City of Leicester.

The section from junctions 24a (in Lockington-Hemington) and 24 (in Kegworth) of the M1 is the former A6, and has not been widened. It has only three lanes westbound from junction 24a.

The Stoke-and-Derby section was originally intended to be part of an M64 motorway but this project was cancelled in the 1970s.

Proposed development

In November 2013 it was reported that funding would be being made available for improvements to the section around Uttoxeter, with work starting no later than 2015/16.^[3] A few days earlier the MP was lobbying for the improvements, stating that improvements were needed to the traffic islands for safety reasons and to improve traffic flow.^[4] There are plans for 700 new houses to the west of Uttoxeter and to the south of the A50.^{[5][needs update]}

History

The old A50

Prior to the opening of the M1, the A50 route was one of two main routes from London to the north-west via Leicester, until it was replaced during the 19th century by what has become the A6. A third route between London and Leicester was via the A5 to Old Stratford, A508 to Market Harborough and thence the A6. That route and the A50 route both passed through Northampton which was a significant calling point on many coaching routes until the arrival of the railways.

Until the M1 opened, the A50 used to terminate at Hockliffe in Bedfordshire at a junction with the A5.

When the M1 motorway opened alongside the old route south of Northampton it was down-classified as:

• B526 between Northampton and the Newport Pagnell bypass.
• A509 between the Newport Pagnell bypass and Junction 14 of the M1.
• A5130 between Junction 14 and Woburn
• A4012 between Woburn and Hockcliffe.

From that point until the 1990s the southern point of the A50 was at a junction with the A508 in Kingsthorpe, Northampton.

In the 1990s, with the opening of the A14 and to discourage traffic from using the road between Leicester and Northampton, the old route was re-designated as A5199 between Leicester and Northampton.

At the same time the A50 became the A511 north of Leicester, between Burton upon Trent and Ashby-de-la-Zouch to Leicester when the dual carriageway section bypassing Derby was completed.

The current route

Part of the route mirrored the plans for the original M64 motorway, with three lanes in some sections – notably between Kegworth and the A6 near Derby.

The new A50 route was opened in stages between March 1985 and 1999, with using various temporary designations:

• 1985: 9-mile (14 km) £16m Blythe Bridge – Uttoxeter section from the north-west.
• 1992: £2.6m Etwall bypass, opened as the A516.
• 1995: 6-mile (9.7 km) £30.4m Hatton, Hilton and Foston bypass, opened by John Watts as the A564.
• 1997 (June): 3-mile (4.8 km) £52m section 1 of Blythe Bridge – Queensway.
• 1997 (September): the £109.5m 14.9-mile (24.0 km) Derby Southern Bypass (opened by Helene Hayman, Baroness Hayman, Minister for Roads at the DETR), as the A564.
• 1997 (September): The A6 Derby Spur.
• 1997 (November): the 1-mile (1.6 km) £21m section 2 of Blythe Bridge – Queensway.
• 1998: 5-mile (8.0 km) £20.6m Doveridge Bypass as the A564.
• 1999: the delayed A50/M1 junction 24a improvements.

On completion, the Southern Derby Bypass was re-designated as the A50, being maintained privately by Connect A50 Ltd. Much of this new section of road is made of concrete.

Junction list

County	Location	mi[1]	km	Jct	Destinations	Notes
Leicestershire	Leicester	0.0	0.0		A6 (St Margaret's Way) – City centre, Loughborough	Southeastern terminus
		1.8	2.9		A563 (New Parks Way / Glenfrith Way) – Leicester (S & N), Glenfield
	Groby	3.2	5.1		A46 to M1 south / M69 – Newark, Anstey, Leicester (N)	Leicester signed southbound only
	Markfield	7.9	12.7		M1 south – The South, London A511 west (Little Shaw Lane) / Cliffe Lane – Ashby, Coalville, Stanton, Thornton	Southeastern terminus of M1 concurrency; eastern terminus of A511; M1 junction 22
	​	7.9– 18.4	12.7– 29.6	See M1 junctions 22-24A
	Kegworth– Lockington boundary	18.4– 19.9	29.6– 32.0		M1 north – The North, Nottingham (N) A453 (A6 southlocation1=Nottingham (S))	The North signed northbound only; northwestern terminus of M1 concurrency; southeastern terminus of A6 concurrency; M1 junction 24-24A
	Hemington– Castle Donington boundary	20.4– 21.0	32.8– 33.8	1	B6540 – Long Eaton, Hemington, Lockington, Shardlow, Castle Donington, Sawley	Hemington and Lockington signed northwestbound only
Derbyshire	Aston-on-Trent	21.8	35.1		Shardlow Gravel Pit	No southeastbound exit
	Shardlow	22.6	36.4	Derby South services
	Aston-on-Trent	23.5– 24.1	37.8– 38.8	2	A6 north – Derby, Alvaston, Shardlow	Shardlow signed southeast only; northwestern terminus of A6 concurrency
	Swarkestone– Chellaston boundary	25.7– 26.1	41.4– 42.0	3	A514 to B587 – Swadlincote, Melbourne, Chellaston, Swarkestone, Allenton
	Willington– Burnaston– Etwall boundary	31.0– 31.8	49.9– 51.2	4	A38 / B5008 to M1 – Birmingham, Burton upon Trent, Derby, Willington
	Hilton	33.5– 34.1	53.9– 54.9		A516 east – Derby, Etwall, Hilton, Hatton	Western terminus of A516
	Foston and Scropton	37.3	60.0		A511 east – Burton upon Trent, Foston, Scropton, Hatton, Tutbury	Foston signed northwest only, Tutbury southeast only; western terminus of A511
		38.1	61.3		Foston, Boylestone	Southeast exit and entrance
		38.4	61.8		HM Prison Foston Hall	Northwest exit and entrance
	Sudbury	39.3	63.2	End freeway
		39.3	63.2		A515 south / Aston Lane – Lichfield, Sudbury, Kings Bromley, Aston, Aston Heath	Aston and Aston Heath signed southeast only; southeastern terminus of A515 concurrency
		40.3– 40.7	64.9– 65.5		A515 north – Ashbourne, Cubley, Doveridge	Junction; Doveridge signed northwest only; northwestern terminus of A515 concurrency
	Doveridge	42.9	69.0		Doveridge	Junction; southeast exit and northwest entrance
Staffordshire	Uttoxeter	44.1	71.0		To A518 – Stafford, Uttoxeter
		44.9	72.3		A518 west / B5030 – Uttoxeter, Rocester, Ashbourne, Stafford	Uttoxeter signed northwest only; eastern terminus of A518
		45.7– 46.1	73.5– 74.2		A522 – Uttoxeter, Upper Tean, Cheadle	Junction
	Forsbrook	53.6	86.3		A521 north – Tean, Blythe Bridge, Cheadle	Blythe Bridge and Cheadle signed northwest only
	Fulford	54.4– 54.7	87.5– 88.0		A521 / A520 – Cheadle, Stone	Junction
	Fulford– Forsbrook– Stoke-on-Trent boundary	55.0– 55.3	88.5– 89.0		A521 north – Blythe Bridge, Caverswall	Junction
	Meir	55.0– 56.2	88.5– 90.4		A520 – Leek, Stone, Meir	Junction
	Longton	56.0– 56.9	90.1– 91.6		A5007 west – Normacot, Longton (E)	Junction; eastern terminus of A5007
		56.5– 57.3	90.9– 92.2		A5005 / A5035 / B5039 – Longton, Stone, Trentham	Junction
	Heron Cross	57.7– 57.9	92.9– 93.2		M6 / A34 – Stone, Newcastle upon Tyne
	Fenton	58.3	93.8		King Street (A5007 east) – Longton	Longton signed northwest only; southeastern terminus of A5007 concurrency
		58.5	94.1		City Road (A5007 west) – Stoke	Northwestern terminus of A5007 concurrency
	Hanley	60.4	97.2		A52 (Leek Road) to M6 / A53 – Newcastle-under-Lyme, Ashbourne, Leek, Stoke, Bucknall, Milton
		60.9	98.0		A5008 west to M6 – Newcastle-under-Lyme	Newcastle signed northwest only; southeastern terminus of A5008 concurrency
		61.2	98.5		Bucknall New Road (A5008 east) / A52 / A53 – Ashbourne, Leek	Northwestern terminus of A5008 concurrency
		61.7	99.3		Hanover Street (A5006 south) – City centre	City centre signed northwest only; northern terminus of A5006
		62.1	99.9		A53 (Cobridge Road / Elder Road) to M6 / A500 – Newcastle, Leek, Etruria, Stoke, Milton
	Tunstall	63.8	102.7		Williamson Street (A5271 south) – Longport, Stoke	Destinations signed northwest only; southeastern terminus of A5271 concurrency
		64.1	103.2		The Boulevard (A5271 north) to A527 – Biddulph	Information signed northwest only; northwestern terminus of A5271 concurrency
		64.9	104.4		A527 (Reginald Mitchell Way / James Brindley Way) to M6 / A500 – Newcastle
Cheshire	Church Lawton	67.6	108.8		A34 (Congleton Road) to M6 – Newcastle-under-Lyme, Birmingham, Congleton, Manchester, Stoke-on-Trent, Scholar Green	Birmingham signed northwest only, Stoke southeast only
		68.9	110.9		A5011 south (Linley Road) / B5077 (Crewe Road) / M6 / A34 / A500 / A532 – Newcastle	Northern terminus of A5011
	Rode Heath	69.7	112.2		A533 northwest (Sandbach Road) – Sandbach, Northwich	Southeastern terminus of A533
	Arclid	73.3	118.0		A534 (Congleton Road / Spark Lane) / M6 / A34 / A5061 – Nantwich, Warrington, Congleton, Sandbach, Crewe
	Brererton	74.6	120.1		A5022 south (Holmes Chapel Road) to M6 / A534 / A500 – Sandbach, Crewe, Nantwich, Stoke	Information signed northwest only; northern terminus of A5022
	Holmes Chapel	76.7	123.4		A54 / M6 / A5061 / A51 / A535 / A537 – Middlewich, Congleton, Warrington, Chester, Alderley Edge, Macclesfield	Only Congleton and Middlewich signed southeast
		76.9	123.8		A535 north (Macclesfield Road) to A537 – Macclesfield	Southern terminus of A535
	Knutsford	84.9	136.6		A537 east (Adams Hill) to B5085 / B5086 – Macclesfield, Mobberley, Knutsford Town Centre, Alderley Edge, Wilmslow	Knutsford signed northwest only, To B5086, Alderley and Wilmslow southeast only; western terminus of A537
		85.2	137.1		A5033 west (Northwich Road) to M6 / A51 / A559 – Chester, Northwich	To A559 and Northwich signed northwest only; eastern terminus of A5033
	Mere	86.9	139.9		Mereside Road (A5034 north) – Bucklow Hill, Ashley	Destinations signed northwest only; southern terminus of A5034
		88.2	141.9		A556 north to M56 – Manchester, Altrincham	Access only to A556 north; Altrincham signed northwest only
	Lymm– Grappenhall and Thelwall boundary	92.3	148.5		M6 to M56 / M62 – Birmingham, Preston, North Wales, Chester, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds	To M62, Liverpool and Leeds signed southeast only; M6 junction 20
	Grappenhall	94.1	151.4		A56 (Chester Road / Stockport Road) to M56 / A533 – Stockton Heath, Lymm, Runcorn, Manchester, Chester	To M6, Runcorn and Manchester signed northwest only, Chester southeast only
	Warrington	95.2	153.2		A5061 west – Town centre	Eastern terminus of A5061
		96.6	155.5		A57 (Manchester Road) to M6 – Town centre, Manchester, Irlam	Manchester signed northwest only, Irlam southeast only
		97.1	156.3		A574 north (Birchwood Way) to M62 – Leigh, Manchester, Padgate, Birchwood	Southeastern terminus of A574 concurrency
		98.2	158.0		A49 (Winwick Road (A574 south)) to Hawley's Lane / M62 / M6 – Town centre, Wigan, Winwick, Dallam	Northwestern terminus; northwestern terminus of A574 concurrency
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access

Incidents

• In 2008, two mentally ill Swedish sisters, Ursula and Sabina Eriksson, caused mayhem on the nearby M6, and one of them jumped from an overpass on the A50.^[6]
• On 15 April 2018, a police pursuit on the road ended in a collision between two cars near Longton, Stoke-on-Trent. A man was killed and three others were injured, one critically. Staffordshire Police's Collision Investigation Unit and the Independent Office for Police Conduct are both investigating.^{[7][8][needs update]}