Existed: 1977 – present From: Stainforth Primary
destinations: Scunthorpe Constructed 1977 | History: Constructed 1977–79 To: Elsham Length 40.2 km | |
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The M180 is a short but major (25 miles (40 km)) motorway in England from junction 5 on the M18 motorway in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster to a point close to Humberside Airport some 5 miles (8 km) from the ports of Immingham and Grimsby and the east coast and provides access for major routes to Cleethorpes, Grimsby, Hull (via the Humber Bridge), Immingham, Lincoln, Scunthorpe and also provides major access for Humberside Airport and the Killingholme Oil Refineries; Humber Oil Refinery and Lindsey Oil Refinery. The road forms part of the unsigned Euroroute E22 and is the main route along the south bank of the Humber Estuary. It is the longest motorway in the United Kingdom to carry a three digit number.
Contents
Map of M180, Scunthorpe DN16, UK
Planning and construction
The motorway bypass around Brigg was discussed for many years, but the Flixborough explosion gave it more importance, and was built three years later in 1977 as the second section of the motorway. At this time the A15 ran through Hibaldstow and Redbourne to Brigg, and the junction with the motorway was at Castlethorpe Corner, about 1 mile (1.6 km) east of the current A15 junction on the line of the Roman Ermine Street. The initial, and somewhat diminutive section of the motorway was the short-lived A18(M) also known as the Tudworth Link, which connected the roundabout junction with the M18 to the A18/A614. The easterly A18(M) sliproad is still used, though the original roundabout at junction 1 has now been replaced by a bridge close to Tudworth Hall Farm. The last section to be built was the Trent viaduct, opened in October 1979 by Kenneth Clarke, despite being 43 weeks late on account of strikes and bad weather.
The motorway is built to dual three-lane standard for most of its duration (aside from a short dual two-lane section past Scunthorpe), and is quite straight and flat.
The M180 has its own spur – the M181. While the M180 has to make do with a roundabout junction with the M18, its spur has a large, freeflowing trumpet interchange. At the start of the M180 are the Doncaster North services, owned by Moto.Doncaster North
A180 extension
It was extended in the 1980s to trunk-road standard as the A180 which is a two lane dual carriageway which continues on to Grimsby and Cleethorpes. In its early planning stages, it was to be named the A18.
The £18 million 6-mile (9.7 km) section from Brigg to Ulceby (A160) was opened on 29 March 1983 by Lynda Chalker, Baroness Chalker of Wallasey, and the £21 million 7-mile (11 km) section from Ulceby to Grimsby opened in late 1983.