A38 Midlands Section

Linking the West Midlands and East Midlands, a fast expressway links Birmingham with Burton, Derby and Mansfield. It may be one of the UK's more easily overlooked major highways, but it's never for a moment quiet.

The A38 is the second longest road in the UK, only shorter than the A1, stretching from Bodmin in Cornwall to Mansfield in Nottinghamshire. No wonder, then, that it has three entirely separate stretches of road suitable for the Motorway Database. This is the northernmost; further south - but much too far apart to link together - are the A38(M) Aston Expressway and the A38 Devon Expressway.

This length, connecting the northern fringes of the West Midlands conurbation to Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, used to be the main road between the north-east and south-west of the country, taking all the holiday traffic from Northumberland and Yorkshire towards Devon and Cornwall. It was relieved in the 1980s by the combination of A42 and M42 a little way to the south-east, but remains very busy, forming the backbone of Derby's road network and providing a crucial link north from Birmingham to Lichfield, Burton and beyond.

Most of the road was built piecemeal as a series of bypasses and on-line upgrades, and for that reason it feels very untidy and a little bit neglected all the way from Lichfield to the M1.

At the southern end of the route, the A38 itself peels off the Lichfield bypass to run east of Sutton Coldfield and approach Birmingham by stealth. The last mile of road connecting to the M6 Toll is therefore numbered A5148.

Start

South Normanton

End

Shenstone

Passes

Derby, Burton upon Trent, Lichfield

Connects to
Length

40 miles

Exit list

Symbols and conventions are explained in the key to exit lists. You can click any junction to see its full details.

Junction   Northbound               Southbound  
M1 J28
471.7 km
South Normanton
B6019
The NORTH
Sheffield
M1 Link
Mansfield
A38
The SOUTH
Nottingham
M1 Link













M1

B6019
NORTH
A38












M1
N/A
LanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanes
1 mile, 2 lanes 1 mile, 2 lanes
469.8 km South Normanton South Normanton
LanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanes
1 mile, 2 lanes 1 mile, 2 lanes
468.1 km Alfreton
Somercotes
Selston
B600
B600 B600 Alfreton
B600
LanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanes
1 mile, 2 lanes 1 mile, 2 lanes
466.5 km Chesterfield
Alfreton
A61
A61 B6179 Chesterfield
A61
Swanwick
B6179
LanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanes
2.5 miles, 2 lanes 2.5 miles, 2 lanes
462.4 km Matlock (A6)
Ripley
Heanor
A610
A610 A610

B6441
Matlock (A6)
Ripley
Heanor
A610
LanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanes
4.5 miles, 2 lanes 4.5 miles, 2 lanes
455 km Kilburn
B6179
B6179 B6179 Kilburn
Little Eaton
B6179
LanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanes
3 miles, 2 lanes 3 miles, 2 lanes
450.4 km Little Eaton
B6179
Derby (N)
Nottingham
A61
B6179 A61 Derby (N & Cen)
Chaddesden
Nottingham
A61
LanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanes
0.1 miles, 2 lanes  
450 km Ford Lane
LanesLanesLanesLanes
0.9 miles, 2 lanes 1 mile, 2 lanes
448.8 km Matlock
Belper
A6
A6 A6 Belper
Darley Abbey
A6
LanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanes
1.25 miles, 2 lanes  
446.4 km Darley Abbey
LanesLanesLanesLanes
0.25 miles, 2 lanes 1.5 miles, 2 lanes
445.9 km Ashbourne
Leek
A52
A52 A52 Ashbourne
Leek
A52
LanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanes
0.15 miles, 2 lanes  
445.6 km Enfield Road
LanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanes
0.1 miles, 2 lanes 0.25 miles, 2 lanes
445.2 km New Zealand New Zealand
LanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanes
0.25 miles, 2 lanes 0.25 miles, 2 lanes
444.8 km Ring Road
St Luke's
Alvaston
A5111
A5111 Ring Road
Derby (S)
Alvaston
A5111
LanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanes
1 mile, 2 lanes 1 mile, 2 lanes
443.4 km Derby (S & Cen)
A516
A516
LanesLanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanesLanes
1 mile, 3 lanes 1 mile, 3 lanes
442.2 km A516
(A50)
Uttoxeter
Stoke-on-Trent
Hilton
A516 (A50 Link)
LanesLanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanesLanes
1.5 miles, 2 lanes 1.5 miles, 2 lanes
440.2 km Mickleover
Littleover
A5250
Findern
Littleover
LanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanes
0.5 miles, 2 lanes  
439 km Burnaston
LanesLanesLanesLanes
1 mile, 2 lanes 1.5 miles, 2 lanes
A50 J4
437.5 km
Uttoxeter
Stoke-on-Trent
Nottingham
Derby (E)
A50 Link
Toyota
Services Derby & Burton
A50


A50


B5008
Loughborough
East Midlands Airport
Uttoxeter
Stoke-on-Trent
A50 Link
Toyota
Services Derby & Burton
LanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanes
1 mile, 2 lanes 1 mile, 2 lanes
435.9 km Hilton
Willington
A5132
A5132 A5132 Hilton
Willington
A5132
LanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanes
1 mile, 2 lanes  
434.4 km Egginton
LanesLanesLanesLanes
0.5 miles, 2 lanes 1.5 miles, 2 lanes
432.9 km Burton
Tutbury (A511)
Rolleston
Stretton
A5121
(A511)


A5121 Burton
Tutbury (A511)
Rolleston
Stretton
A5121
LanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanes
4.5 miles, 2 lanes 4.5 miles, 2 lanes
425.5 km Burton
Swadlincote
Ashby-de-la-Zouch
A5121
A5121 Burton
A5121
LanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanes
2 miles, 2 lanes 2 miles, 2 lanes
422 km Barton-under-Needwood
Industrial Est.
B5016
B5016

Barton-under-Needwood
Industrial Est.
B5016
LanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanes
1 mile, 2 lanes 1 mile, 2 lanes
419.9 km Barton Green
Efflinch
Barton Green
Efflinch
LanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanes
0.25 miles, 2 lanes  
419.3 km Wychnor
LanesLanesLanesLanes
1.75 miles, 2 lanes 2 miles, 2 lanes
417.2 km Alrewas
National
Memorial
Arboretum
King's Bromley
A513



A513



A513
Alrewas
National
Memorial
Arboretum
King's Bromley
A513
LanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanes
1 mile, 2 lanes 0.5 miles, 2 lanes
416.2 km Roddige Lane
LanesLanesLanesLanes
  0.5 miles, 2 lanes
415.5 km Fradley Fradley
LanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanes
1 mile, 2 lanes  
414.9 km Local traffic
  1 mile, 2 lanes
413.9 km Hilliard's Cross
Fradley South
Hilliard's Cross
Fradley South
LanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanes
2 miles, 2 lanes 1 mile, 2 lanes
412.6 km A5127 Lichfield
Rugeley
Stafford
A5127
LanesLanesLanesLanes
   
411.1 km Lichfield (N)
Rugeley
Whittington
A5192
A5192
LanesLanesLanesLanes
2 miles, 2 lanes 2.5 miles, 2 lanes
408.7 km A5148 becomes A38
Birmingham
Lichfield
Tamworth
A5206
A5206 A38
(M6)
(M42)
A38 becomes A5148
Birmingham
Sutton Coldfield
Tamworth
A38 (M6 Link, M42 Link)
LanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanes
1 mile, 2 lanes 1 mile, 2 lanes
M6 Toll T5 A5127

A5

M6 Toll














SOUTH
A5

M6 Toll
A5127









Weeford
A5
The NORTH WEST
Cannock
Stafford
M6 Toll Link
Shenstone
A5127
Brownhills
Burntwood
A5
LanesLanesLanesLanes
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