M42 Junctions 10 and 11 (Tamworth and the A42)
The northern end of the M42 runs from the M6 Toll links past Tamworth (Junction 10, the A5) to Appleby Magna (Junction 11, the A444), where the motorway ends and the road continues as the A42 towards East Midlands Airport and the M1.
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Latest accident or incident on the M42
The most recent accident or incident on the M42 that we are aware of.
Latest active roadworks on the M42
Roadworks live on the M42 right now.
Lane 1 closure northbound (closing ERA)
03:3926 Sept 2026reported 12 min ago
- Location
- M42 northbound between J3A and J4
- Direction
- Northbound
- Lanes closed
- Lane closures
- Reason
- Maintenance work
- Schedule
- 02:30 Tue 14 July 2026 → 06:00 Thu 31 Dec 2026
+ 1 more active roadworks - search all M42 traffic news →
Latest planned roadworks on the M42
The next planned roadworks scheduled on the M42.
M6 - M42 link road lane closure southbound
03:3926 Sept 2026reported 12 min ago
- Location
- link road from M6 J4A southbound to M42 J8 southbound
- Direction
- Southbound
- Lanes closed
- Lane closures
- Reason
- Road improvement or upgrading
- Schedule
- 05:00 Mon 7 Sept 2026 → 05:00 Mon 5 Oct 2026
Forecast - not confirmed
+ 11 more planned roadworks - search all M42 traffic news →
Search all the latest M42 traffic news →
Updated 03:52 Sat 26 Sept 2026
Powered by National Highways’ Transport Data Feeds.
What the junctions connect to
- Junction 10 — the A5 for Tamworth and Nuneaton, with Lichfield (A38) also signed southbound. Tamworth services is here.
- Junction 11 — the A444 for Burton upon Trent and Measham northbound, and, southbound, Nuneaton and non-motorway traffic. Appleby Magna is here.
Between them the road crosses from Warwickshire into Leicestershire.
How busy is this stretch?
| Stretch | Vehicles per day | Northbound | Southbound | Lorries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| J9 to J10 | 79,468 | 41,519 | 37,948 | 11,558 |
| J10 to J11 | 67,744 | 34,111 | 33,633 | 10,831 |
| J11 onto the A42 | 47,583 | – | – | 6,624 |
J10 to J11 is counted at two points either side of a local authority boundary; we show the busier. The other recorded 66,124. The last row is a DfT estimate for the short link from the A444 onto the A42.
A different kind of traffic
This is the quietest main-line part of the M42, but it has the heaviest mix of goods vehicles. Between Junction 10 and Junction 11, lorries are 16.0% of traffic and vans 23.7% — so nearly two vehicles in five are carrying goods. Northbound is slightly busier than southbound on both stretches.
History
Coleshill to Polesworth opened on 18 December 1985, at a cost of £40 million. The Polesworth North and South sections, 8 miles in all, opened on 7 August 1986. The A42 beyond Junction 11, including the Measham and Ashby-de-la-Zouch bypass, was completed in August 1989.
Carrying on up the A42
North of Junction 11 the A42 has junctions for Snarestone and Measham (J12, B4116), Ashby, Coalville and Leicester (J13, A511), and Castle Donington (J14, A453), before merging with the M1 at Junction 23A. For the A42 itself, use Traffic News England; for the M1, see M1 Traffic. Heading south on the M42: Junctions 7–9.
Traffic count figures on this page are from the Department for Transport road traffic statistics, 2025.