Skip to main content

Spaghetti Junction reaches 40 year landmark

The famous Spaghetti Junction in Birmingham, central England marks its 40th birthday this week. A firm divider of opinion among the millions of motorists that use it each year, its sprawling concrete arteries at junction six of the M6 connect the A38(M) Aston Expressway into central Birmingham. Officially opened on 24 May 1972, the Gravelly Hill Interchange – Spaghetti Junction’s official name - took four years to build and cost between £9m and £10m. It was subsequently dubbed Spaghetti Junction by newspap
May 21, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
The famous Spaghetti Junction in Birmingham, central England marks its 40th birthday this week.

A firm divider of opinion among the millions of motorists that use it each year, its sprawling concrete arteries at junction six of the M6 connect the A38(M) Aston Expressway into central Birmingham.

Officially opened on 24 May 1972, the Gravelly Hill Interchange – Spaghetti Junction’s official name - took four years to build and cost between £9m and £10m.

It was subsequently dubbed Spaghetti Junction by newspaper reporter, Roy Smith, when he worked on the Birmingham Mail.

Perplexing some motorists, its numerous carriageways, supported by more than 500 concrete columns, follow the line of the local canal and river network on elevated sections.

Motorists voted it the best-known sight seen from UK motorways in an 3443 RAC survey in 2007.

In March this year, visitors to Spaghetti Junction were given the chance to be pushed underneath the interchange as part of an art project.

As part of the two-day Track exhibition created by artist Graeme Miller, people got to on boards and be pushed sideways along a 100m track to see the underside of the Junction’s five different levels of roads above.

After its official opening 40 years ago, coach operators ran sightseeing tours at 65p a head.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Celebrating 40 years of excavator production
    May 14, 2012
    JCB Finance is celebrating its 40th Anniversary, tracing its origins back to the formation of JCB Credit in February 1970. In the first year of operation it achieved a turnover of £900,000 (€1 million) reaching the milestone of over £500 million (€563 million) in lending balances in December 2007. August 1998 saw a name change to JCB Finance Limited, the result of a desire from JCB to replicate the success of its UK finance arm under one common finance brand across the world.
  • Florida expressway construction on track
    January 11, 2021
    Construction work on a Florida expressway is on track.
  • Auckland Harbour bridge celebrates 50 years
    February 22, 2012
    The bridge over Auckland Harbour celebrates its half century this year, and it has been given a major upgrade to ensure that safety is maintained in New Zealand's largest city. Mary Searle reports. Auckland is New Zealand's largest city, home to nearly a third of the entire country's population. It's a sprawling metropolis, and its 1.3 million people are spread over 637km² of city, suburbs and islands. The Auckland Harbour Bridge, which celebrates its 50th birthday in May, is a vital link in the city's road
  • Auckland Harbour bridge celebrates 50 years
    April 5, 2012
    The bridge over Auckland Harbour celebrates its half century this year, and it has been given a major upgrade to ensure that safety is maintained in New Zealand's largest city. Mary Searle reports. Auckland is New Zealand's largest city, home to nearly a third of the entire country's population. It's a sprawling metropolis, and its 1.3 million people are spread over 637km² of city, suburbs and islands. The Auckland Harbour Bridge, which celebrates its 50th birthday in May, is a vital link in the city's road