M4 motorway facts for kids

Quick facts for kids M4 motorway
Prince of Wales Bridge looking towards Wales
Route information
Part of
Maintained by Highways England South Wales Trunk Road Agent
Length	189 mi (304 km)
Existed	1963–present
History	Opened: 1959 (Chiswick Flyover), 1961 (as A4(M)), 1963, 1966 (as A48(M)) Completed: 1996
Major junctions
East end	Chiswick 51°29′23″N 0°16′41″W / 51.4897°N 0.2781°W / 51.4897; -0.2781 (M4 motorway (eastern end))
	J4b → M25 motorway / J8/9 → A308(M) motorway/A404(M) motorway J10 → A329(M) motorway J19 → M32 motorway J20 → M5 motorway J21 → M48 motorway J22 → M49 motorway J23 → M48 motorway J29 → A48(M) motorway
To	Pont Abraham 51°44′42″N 4°03′54″W / 51.7451°N 4.0651°W / 51.7451; -4.0651 (M4 motorway (western end))
Location
Counties:	Greater London, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Monmouthshire, Newport, Cardiff, Vale of Glamorgan, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Bridgend, Neath Port Talbot, Swansea, Carmarthenshire
Primary destinations:	London London Heathrow Airport Slough Maidenhead Reading Newbury Swindon Bristol Newport Cardiff Bridgend Port Talbot Neath Swansea
Road network
Roads in the United Kingdom Motorways A and B road zones ← M3 M5 →

The M4 is a very important motorway in the United Kingdom. It's like a super-highway that connects London, the capital city, all the way to South Wales. Along its journey, it also passes through the big city of Bristol. It was once known as the London–South Wales Motorway. This long road helps people travel quickly between these major areas for work, holidays, and moving goods.

Connecting Cities: M4 Junctions

Motorways like the M4 have special exits and entrances called junctions. These are like big ramps that let cars get on and off the motorway safely. The M4 has many junctions along its path, connecting it to other important roads and cities.

Key Cities and Connections

The M4 links many important places. Starting from London, it helps you reach:

• London Heathrow Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world.
• Towns like Slough, Maidenhead, and Reading.
• The city of Bristol, a major port and cultural hub.
• After crossing into Wales, it connects to Newport, the capital city of Cardiff, and then on to Swansea.

Motorway Services

Along the M4, there are special stops called motorway services. These are places where drivers can take a break. They have petrol stations, shops, and places to eat. Some well-known service areas on the M4 include:

• Heston services
• Reading services
• Chieveley services
• Membury services
• Leigh Delamere services
• Magor services
• Cardiff Gate services
• Cardiff West services
• Sarn Park services
• Swansea services
• Pont Abraham services (at the very end of the M4 in Wales)

Crossing the Severn: Prince of Wales Bridge

A very famous part of the M4 is where it crosses the wide River Severn between England and Wales. This crossing is done using the Prince of Wales Bridge. It's a huge bridge that makes it much faster to travel between the two countries. Before this bridge was built, traffic used an older bridge, the Severn Bridge. The Prince of Wales Bridge opened in 1996.

Images for kids

• 

  M4 bridge over the River Neath (left) original A48(M) bridge (right)

• 

  Construction of electronic indicator signs for the variable speed limit scheme at junction 27 and a new concrete reservation (2010)

• 

  Brynglas Tunnels – western portals

• 

  M4 bus lane near Norwood Green

See also

In Spanish: Autopista M4 para niños