A46 (England)

A46 (England)
Country	England
Route	46
Length mi	150
Direction a	South-west
Terminus a	Bath, Somerset
Direction b	North-east
Terminus b	Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire
Counties	Somerset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire

A46 (England) The A46 is a primary route traversing the English Midlands and South West, linking Bath with Cleethorpes and serving urban centres, market towns and strategic transport corridors. It provides connective infrastructure between regions associated with M4 motorway, M5 motorway, M6, M1 and interfaces with routes such as the A1(M), shaping freight, commuter and regional travel across Somerset, Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire. The route passes near historic sites and economic hubs including Bath Abbey, Stratford-upon-Avon, Coventry, Nottingham, Leicester and Lincoln.

Route

The corridor begins at Bath near the A4 road, heads north-east through Wiltshire and into Gloucestershire approaching Stroud and the M5 motorway junctions before skirting Cheltenham and entering Warwickshire near Stratford-upon-Avon. It continues through or adjacent to Rugby, Coventry peripheries, then into Leicestershire linking Warwick and Leicester city centre where it meets the M1 motorway via the A46 Leicester Western Bypass. Northwards the road proceeds through Nottinghamshire past Nottingham and Newark-on-Trent connecting with the A1 corridor, then into Lincolnshire traversing Lincoln before terminating at Cleethorpes on the North Sea coast. The route intersects with arterial links including the A38, A5, A34 and the M69.

History

The route overlays ancient thoroughfares and medieval coaching roads between Bath and the Midlands, with sections following former Roman alignments near Lincoln. Major 20th-century developments occurred during interwar and postwar periods as traffic volumes rose with industrial expansion in Coventry and Leicester; construction tied to government initiatives such as the pre-war road improvement programmes intersected with projects serving Birmingham and Nottingham. Mid-century bypasses and dual carriageway sections were built to serve manufacturing and distribution centres including interchanges feeding Rugby and the East Midlands Airport catchment. The A46’s alignment has been subject to multiple reclassifications correlating with construction of the M1 and M6, leading to truncations and renumbering on older stretches that once linked to routes serving Bristol and Derby.

Upgrades and Improvements

Significant upgrades include dual carriageway sections around Leicester completed under regional transport programmes and the construction of the A46 Newark Bypass to relieve congestion near Newark-on-Trent. The A46 Bosworth Link and the Warwickshire Junction Improvements were delivered to improve access to Hinckley and Nuneaton. Recent schemes funded by national and local authorities targeted the stretch between Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick with bypasses to protect historic assets such as Shakespeare’s Birthplace environs and to improve freight access to Birmingham Airport and distribution parks serving M42 logistics. Planned projects have been discussed to upgrade remaining single-carriageway sections north of Lincoln and to enhance junction capacity with A1(M) and M1 corridors to support growth in East Midlands freight.

Traffic and Safety

Traffic patterns on the A46 reflect commuter flows to Leicester, Coventry and Nottingham and heavy goods movements linking ports on the Severn Estuary and the Humber Estuary. Congestion hotspots historically included approaches to Leicester and the Newark junctions, prompting enforcement and engineering measures. Safety interventions—accelerated following collision clusters near Stratford-upon-Avon and rural stretches in Lincolnshire—have included average speed cameras, improved lighting near Coventry suburbs, carriageway resurfacing, and targeted verge and barrier works. Road casualty reduction programs coordinated with agencies such as Highways England and local authorities in Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire emphasize junction redesign, overtaking restrictions and signage upgrades.

Major Junctions and Interchanges

Notable interchanges include the junction with the M4 corridor near Bath, connections to the M5 around Gloucester/Cheltenham, the M42/M6 access via Birmingham-adjacent links, the A46/A5 intersections near Rugby and Hinckley, the Leicester Western Bypass joining the M1 network, the Newark interchange with the A1, and the approaches into Lincoln with links toward Grimsby and Cleethorpes. Each junction serves as a nodal point for regional freight flows to facilities such as East Midlands Gateway and port connections to Port of Immingham.

Public Transport and Cycling Integration

Sections of the A46 corridor interface with regional bus networks serving Bath, Stratford-upon-Avon, Leicester and Lincoln, facilitating services operated by companies linked to the National Express and local municipal operators. Park-and-ride facilities near Leicester and bus priority measures at key interchanges support modal shift initiatives tied to county transport plans in Leicestershire and Warwickshire. Cycling and active travel integration varies: urban stretches around Bath and Stratford include segregated cycleways connecting to Sustrans routes and local cycling strategies, whereas rural sections in Lincolnshire require further investment to meet standards promoted by organisations such as Cycling UK.

Category:Roads in England