M6 motorway

M6
Gravelly Hill Interchange, best known as Spaghetti Junction, in Birmingham
Route information
Part of , , and
Maintained by Highways England
Length	232.2 mi (373.7 km)
Existed	1958–present
History	Opened: 1958 Completed: 2008
Major junctions
South end	Catthorpe 52°24′02″N 1°10′31″W / 52.400442°N 1.175215°W / 52.400442; -1.175215 (M6, southern terminus)
Major intersections	M1 motorway J2 → M69 motorway J3a → M6 Toll J4 → M42 motorway J4a → M42 motorway J6 → A38(M) motorway J8 → M5 motorway J10a → M54 motorway J11a → M6 Toll J20 → M56 motorway J21a → M62 motorway J26 → M58 motorway J29 → M65 motorway J30 → M61 motorway J32 → M55 motorway J35 → A601(M) motorway J45 → A74(M) motorway
North end	Gretna 54°59′48″N 3°03′19″W / 54.996672°N 3.055336°W / 54.996672; -3.055336 (M6, northern terminus)
Location
Country	United Kingdom
Counties	Leicestershire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Staffordshire, Cheshire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cumbria
Primary destinations	Rugby Coventry Birmingham Walsall Wolverhampton Cannock Stafford Stoke-on-Trent Newcastle-under-Lyme Crewe Warrington Wigan Preston Lancaster Kendal Penrith Carlisle
Road network
Roads in the United Kingdom Motorways A and B road zones
← M5 M6 Toll →

The M6 is the longest motorway in the United Kingdom. It is also one of the busiest motorways in the country.^[1] It is often referred to as "The Backbone of Britain". The M6 is part of the unsigned E-road E24 from the M1 to the M6 Toll near Birmingham. The E5 joins the M6 Toll from the M42 and then uses the M6 to its north end at Carlisle. Then it continues to become the M74. The motorway is 230 miles (370km) long. This is 37 miles longer than the M1 motorway.

1. ↑ Roads Summary of the M6