M26 motorway
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| M26 motorway | |
| Length | 9.9 miles 15.9 km |
| Direction | West - East |
| Start | Chevening |
| Primary destinations | Sevenoaks |
| End | Wrotham Heath |
| Construction dates | 1980 - entire motorway |
| Motorways joined |  M25 motorway  M20 motorway |
The M26 is a motorway in Kent, England. It is a short link between Junction 5 of the M25 at Sevenoaks and the M20 near Wrotham.
Contents |
[edit] Route
The road starts at its junction with the M20 at Junction 3 of that motorway. The M26 has its own junction, numbered 2a to fit in with the M20's junction before heading west. 8 miles later it merges in with the M25 at Junction 5 - there is no access off the motorway and all traffic must join the clockwise M25. Traffic joining the M26 at Junction 2a must therefore remain on motorway for 18 miles<ref>CBRD Motorway Database - M26</ref> until Junction 6 of the M25 - the longest distance between motorway exits in Britain.
[edit] History
The M26 was opened in 1980, but was originally planned to be a section of the M25, as part of Ringway 4. Before opening though, plans for the London Orbital required the M25 to be routed towards Dartford at J5 and the section from here to the M20 became the M26<ref>The Motorway Archive - M26</ref>. Until 1986 the M25 simply became the M26 at Junction 5, as the M25 between Junction 5 and Junction 3 was not opened until this year.
[edit] Future Options
Kent County Council has been in talks with the Highways Agency over a possible new junction with the A225, allowing direct access to Sevenoaks - or access to the A21 at the M25 junction<ref>Kent County Council Local Transport Plan - See 8.37 Improvement</ref>.
[edit] Junctions
| M26 Motorway | ||
| Westbound exits | Junction | Eastbound exits |
| Road continues as M25 around London | M25 J5 | Start of Motorway |
| Wrotham, Borough Green A20 Sevenoaks (A25) | J2a | Borough Green A20 Gravesend, Wrotham (A227) |
| Start of Motorway | M20 J3 | Road continues as M20 towards Maidstone |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
<references/>
[edit] External links
| Image:UK motorway symbol.svg | Motorways in the United Kingdom | Image:UK motorway symbol.svg |
| Great Britain: M1 • M2 • M3 • M4 • M5 • M6 • M6 Toll • M8 • M9 • M10 • M11 • M18 • M20 • M23 • M25 • M26 • M27 • M32 • M40 • M42 • M45 • M48 • M49 • M50 • M53 • M54 • M55 • M56 • M57 • M58 • M60 • M61 • M62 • M65 • M66 • M67 • M69 • M73 • M74 • M77 • M80 • M90 • M180 • M181 • M271 • M275 • M602 • M606 • M621 • M876 • M898 | ||
| A1(M) • A3(M) • A38(M) • A48(M) • A57(M) • A58(M) A64(M) • A66(M) • A74(M) • A167(M) • A194(M) • A308(M) • A329(M) • A404(M) • A601(M) • A627(M) • A823(M) | ||
| Northern Ireland: M1 • M2 • M3 • M5 • M12 • M22 • A8(M) | edit | |
| Past: M41 • M63 • A18(M) • A40(M) • A41(M) • A102(M) • A6144(M) Unbuilt: M12 • M15 • M64 Future: M4 Toll | ||
