M42 Junction 3A (M40 Interchange)

Junction 3A is where the M40 meets the M42, between Redditch and Shirley. The M40 is signed from here for Warwick, Stratford and London.

How the interchange works

The published junction list shows Junction 3A as a "take off the same one" (TOTSO) junction northbound, which means that drivers staying on the M42 northbound leave the straight-ahead lanes to do so. Junction 3A is also where the variable speed limit starts for northbound traffic, as part of the managed stretch that runs to the M6 and beyond.

When the M42 pilot was rolled out, the same kind of managed system was also used on the approach to the M42 at the northern end of the M40. For news on the M40 itself, see M40 Traffic.

How busy is it either side?

J3A to J4 is counted at two points either side of a local authority boundary. We show the busier, 129,185 (a DfT estimate); the other point was counted at 125,023. The J3 to J3A figures are recorded by the DfT as eastbound and westbound; we show them as northbound and southbound.

The DfT also counts a short 1.0 km link at the interchange, which it labels "M42 to 3A", at 69,986 vehicles a day.

What the figures show

The totals either side of Junction 3A are similar, but the direction split changes. Northbound, the count rises across the junction — from 59,567 to 62,738 at the count point used for the two-way figure. Southbound it is 66,447 just north of the junction and 67,175 just south of it, towards Redditch and the M5. Lorries rise too: 14,559 a day between Junction 3A and Junction 4, compared with 12,185 just south of the junction.

Where to next

Heading north: Junctions 4–5, Shirley and Solihull. Heading south: Junctions 1–3, Bromsgrove and Redditch. The nearest services are Hopwood Park at Junction 2.

Traffic count figures on this page are from the Department for Transport road traffic statistics, 2025.