Secrets of The Motorway - M4 (Part 1)

#M4 #motorways #infrastructure
Ah the M4... infamous probably for all the wrong reasons. And indeed, getting stuck in traffic was order of the day for us.. until we escaped that there London that is.
Join us as we travel the length of the M4 motorway where we'll be looking at various points of interest that are sure to amaze. It's like a video version of "I spy on the motorway" so next time you're on the M4, keep an eye out for some of these unique features...
In this series we aim to explore what our motorway network is hiding. As we drive along at the 70mph..ish...we simply just wouldn't be aware of what we're missing. This series aims to uncover some of the hidden secrets our motorways have to offer.
Find us on:
Twitter - @JonShenanigans
Facebook - Auto Shenanigans
Many thanks to:
Roads.org.uk
Pathetic.org.uk
Sabre-roads.org.uk

[@ALOUD]

Do I live in the UK? No. Do I drive in the UK? No. Have I ever been to the UK? No. Do I like watching these videos? Yes.

[@AutoShenanigans]

Amazing to hear, thanks for watching.

[@goldcut3281]

Where do u live?

[@originalname1035]

@@goldcut3281 he lives in Antarctica

[@robinenbernhard]

@@AutoShenanigans same here am from the netherlands and love your vids to

[@woodentrainseriesofficial9511]

Do I live in the uk? Yes. Do I drive in the uk? No.

[@PatGilliland]

Ineffective interchanges, ghost slipways, old airfields, a colliery, bizarre footbridges and a newly restored diving tower that can't actually be used - Perfection!

[@SharpblueCreative]

I live near the curly wurly bridge. Crosses over the M4 to a lovely village called Hodson

[@gavinstirling7088]

When you've finished showing us the motorways I'd love to see you explore some of the non-motorway locations you find in your journeys too. Love your content!

[@ENLSN77]

Wow that restored diving tower (at a cost of £100,000), you cannot use is, well.. It makes me feel erm, less dumb 😂

[@AutoShenanigans]

Hello, How the devil are you. I hope you're enjoying the M4.. As you'll see, we ran out of daylight, it rained most of the day and traffic was crap. It was certainly a challenging day out but we got there. Part 2 will be out next week so if you haven't already, get subscribing so you don't miss it. Some are asking why the random GTA5 clip.. yeah this didnt work out as well as I'd hoped.. In GTA5, when the game needs to go from day to night for a mission, you get a quick time lapse... as the video quickly goes from day to night I kind of stole that idea. Was a bit crap in hindsight but it's done now :D Thanks for watching, commenting, liking and generally being a wonderful bunch. Enjoy the rest of your week!

[@UK.RoadsCyclingandTransport]

Ok can't wait 😁

[@jamesgray8250]

can you have a look at the A69 please mate

[@iansteel5569]

I am that old I remember before the M4 was completed, a trip to Bristol used to take hours, but maybe it was partly due to the 1967 VW Beatle 1200 only doing 65mph.

[@MattyEngland]

As someone who used to commute Bristol to East London on a weekly basis, I sympathise completely lol.

[@monkehbitch]

If I knew you were this local, I'd have kept an eye out for you!

[@MrDANNYBHOY62]

loving these videos, as a truck driver its nice to get an answer to all these things i see daily, thanks for all the effort mate!

[@AutoShenanigans]

No worries mate thanks for watching!

[@Dan23_7]

I’m a long distance driver to but 3.5t I’ve definitely learned a lot from John and these fantastic videos. My wife calls me boring 😂 She has no idea 😂 Edit… shit 😖… Too**

[@grahamlive]

@@Dan23_7 Wives eh? Mine is the same. 😊

[@Dan23_7]

@@grahamlive The best was last week, we went to Scotland for a few nights and I got talking to a bloke in a pub and we were on about the A1 and the A50 His wife and mine were enthralled 😂😂

[@grahamlive]

@@Dan23_7 I bet they were. Lol. 😂😂😂

[@briannem.6787]

the bus lane doesn't increase travel times. The bus lane, while it ran, would've been the highest capacity lane of all of them- a bus is only the length of 2 cars and the gap between them, yet holds at least 20 passengers. So, the majority of people actually have their journeys speed up, which encourages more people to take public transport, which means less cars on the road. I understand that car enthusiasts are reluctant to see investment in public transport, but more people on buses means, for one, you have nice empty roads, and secondly you only need to drive when you want to. (There's better educated people than me saying the same thing, though. Not Just Bikes, for example.) Thus, a bus lane was probably a good investment to make. Taking a lane from car traffic isn't an issue because in return you get much increased capacity. Personally I think it'd be a good thing to do to most motorways, at least those that see traffic jams, as it allows the buses to get past a traffic jam. The reason it was pulled up? probably either the buses tended to go via other routes and so it was underutilised, or a bunch of car users complained and a politician had it pulled up, to try to get motorists to vote for them. However, usually projects like that go better than this one did. However, the bus should be on the on-ramp side so it can easily enter and exit. Unless the bus uses separate slip roads, which some systems do use.

[@AutoShenanigans]

I didnt say the bus lane increased travel time to be fair. Whatever the reasoning, this is a clear misuse of public funds and no investment is a good one if you remove it shortly after. It's a straight up waste of money that probably could be used for far better things.

[@briannem.6787]

@@AutoShenanigans good point Yes, they should've put a bit more thought into bus lane placement beforehand, rather than cutting it a few years later

[@I_Don_t_want_a_handle]

It was a Zil lane pure and simple. It benefitted no one as there was hardly ever a bus on it. It was, however, open to Prescott's Jags ...

[@Johnketes54]

Probably means increase travel time for the cars

[@Johnketes54]

Not enthusiasts crap public transport,About 5 miles away loads of offices were built 65/75 only a few parking spaces for the bosses or managering directer,Everyone one else use the buses well cheap 13 pence for miles subsidised by the council,But Thatcher came along with her father's grocery shop mentality and privatised them losing the subsidiary and decreasing the amount of buses,So people "resort to car's" and now the parking,So had to pay to park while at work decreasing people's wages further on unnecessary ownership of cars and their parking,Car companies were happy oil companies,Garages and the local council in parking revenue except the office workers and we are still there now with onboard WiFi and charging sockets for phone and computer,Fancy coloured display at bus displaying bus time usually mirror the paper one in the crappy shelter,So who wants to use a bus

[@MauriceHotblack]

Curly wurly bridges were generally built for farmers to get their livestock from one side to the other when the motorway cut through their land.

[@uzijn]

I thought I had GTA V up in the background for a moment.

[@nickjeffrey8050]

Toll dosnt exist anymore because the bridge is now paid off. The toll was only to recoup the money spent on building the bridge. Was a cool day when they removed the booths

[@samcoppack9012]

Mancunian way A57(M) is the lowest motorway speed limit at 30mph, reduced from normal motorway speed due to a serious accident a few years back

[@IndigoJo]

That bus lane on the M4 was also used as an Olympic lane during the 2012 games; only traffic serving the games (diplomats, athletes and their entourages, etc) were allowed to use it. That explains why those signs with arrows and all three lanes saying "M4" above them are there; the offside lane was marked with an arrow and an Olympic symbol. As for junction 8/9, I've had sat-navs call it "junction eight ninths".

[@R08Tam]

I love the way you put quotes around "upgraded to smart motorway". Whoever dreamt that idea up should be charged with manslaughter.

[@tasty_fish]

2:58 “there are only three 4-stack interchanges on the network, one on the M23, one here on the M4..”. But you completely missed another one on the M4 itself where it crosses the M5 at Almondsbury! Also. There’s another 4-stacker on the M25, where it meets the M1. It may be missing a couple of slip roads but it’s still 4 stacks.

[@europeantechnic]

Yep, I came here to "complain" that you'd missed the "4 stack" at J 20 / J 15 M5 (unless planning to cover it then!)

[@_stitch]

"I quite enjoy the drive out of London along the M4. Firstly, you're heading out of London..." 😂 While I came to your channel all that time ago out of curiosity, I stay for your utterly dessicated sense of humour. Love it.

[@AutoShenanigans]

Good to have you, thanks for watching!

[@redskinperes3508]

that small detail of the bus lane is so important on the planning. I can't believe that none thought about it. xD

[@stevewilson8467]

Rumour has it the Curly Wurly bridge used to be a lot bigger back in the 70's..

[@okiecokie]

i wonder if anyones gone across the curly wurly bridge while eating a curlywurly bar

[@Zeebad_1st]

@@okiecokie hopefully not as I think reality would cease to exist.

[@okiecokie]

@@Zeebad_1st yeah true

[@barneypaws4883]

Marathon was bigger too

[@i-_-am-_-g1467]

£100,000 for a fucking diving board in a reservoir you can never swim in. That's tax pounds hard at work!

[@argonaut816]

Handy when you are waiting for a Megabus, which pulls of the M4 and stops just outside Coate Water in the arsehole of nowhere (also known as Swindon).

[@redsfanwakey]

I live a stone's throw away from Junction 8/9. Fun bit of Trivia - Google Maps audio directions clearly struggles with the /, and calls it Junction Eight Ninths

[@TheScubapez376]

Wow Jon can’t believe you missed out the recently upgraded Jn16, or the M32 Jn19 and M5 interchange (Jn 20). FYI RAF Welford also included US Nuclear weapon stockpiles, but not sure if that’s the case today. Also there is a proposed junction between 18 and 19 which is to link the Bristol ring road near to where you see the DPD depot but there is a lot of local residence opposition to this so it’s unclear if this will ever get built but it was expected to relieve congestion at the M32 junction (19). 19 also used to be a proper roundabout, before closing a side of it so traffic is no forced onto the A4174 if you need to use the junction to change direction, you can still see the evidence of its roundabout past and used to be the only roundabout with motorway regulations that I was aware of.

[@Dudleymiddleton]

I remember the pouring lucozade bottle ad with a time display don't know if it's still there ?

[@paulqueripel3493]

I believe it's in gunnersbury park. Just checked, it's in the museum there.

[@CliveBearman]

I was always told the curly wurly bridge was used for cows since they can’t go up steps or large gradients.

[@AutoShenanigans]

Sounds plausible for sure!

[@martynpovey943]

Agree.

[@mfoyle]

@@AutoShenanigans It was - and still is(!!!) - used for sheep. I've waited and watched the sheep being taken over the bridge on one sunday morning run!

[@pwhitewick]

Blummin brilliant as always. Keep going!!

[@AutoShenanigans]

Nice one guys! Hope you are well, much love x

[@alecoldroyd6213]

Love junction 8/9, mainly because Google maps can't cope with it and treats it as a fraction! "At junction eight ninths, take the second exit"!

[@levifreeman]

The London section does feel like a car racing game. Glad to hear someone else feels the same. ❤😂

[@pdsnpsnldlqnop3330]

Fab episode. You can date any building in the UK by its materials and 'see' how towns grew. For instance, on the M4, a market town will have local Cotswold stone in the heart of the town, then, with the canal arriving you get slate, then, with the railway you get brick. You can keep going all the way up to the present date from these cues. Serious detail about the original Severn bridge, it was workers peeing in the box section when it was being built that led to the corrosion problems. There was nothing wrong with the construction or the materials, it was the addition of considerable quantities of urine that led to doom.

[@AutoShenanigans]

wow..great info!

[@Dud3k0]

Not sure how much this is worth mentioning but I travel all around the country a fair bit (recovery driver). and cardiff gate Services on the M4 is the only one i've come across where theres no urinals in the male toilets. All cubicles. God I'm boring

[@AutoShenanigans]

An amazingly boring fact, perfect!

[@gavinjamie]

The Curly Wurly bridge is also part of national cycle route 45 and is almost impossible to go down on a bicycle without making a "wheeeee!" noise.

[@mikeclark93]

Suggestion. I've always been curious about all those little triangles/circles of land that are created when a motorway junction is made. Are they accessible? Who owns them? Is there an army of people maintaining them? Presumably they have to be as boring as possible so as not to distract drivers. 🤷‍♂️

[@shioyoutube9041]

It’s a shame the M4 bus lane didn’t work out, motorway bus lanes can work even when it reduces the amount of car lanes, but it’s position as a third lane was definitely iffy. Often removing a car lane is fine if the amount of bus traffic makes up for it, but it doesn’t seem like that’s the case here. I think I would move it to the first lane and make it a HOV3+/Bus/Service/Taxi lane to allow high speeds for less wasteful road users.

[@CommentChannel]

There are bus lanes in the central median along parts of the M2 Hills Motorway between Windsor and Beecroft roads in Sydney, Australia.

[@LordGoose-zr6jj]

I WAS WONDERING WHY I KNEW THE BACKGROUND MUSIC SO WELL! ITS THE GTA 5 LOADING MUSIC

[@PineappleSkip]

Just wondering about Prince of Wales Bridge. Now he has become HM the King do they rename the bridge, or does it get reallocated to the new Prince of Wales? Is a new plaque and dedication required? I recommend a committee should be formed to determine such questions…

[@misterflibble9799]

I assume it's named after the position, rather than the person :)

[@Neil070]

The first liner "Queen Elizabeth" was named for the late Queen's mother, later known as the Queen Mother. It was never renamed. The Princess of Wales Community Hospital here was always the "POWCH", it was the POWCH when she was de-royaled, and after her death. Whether the portrait of Diana will be replaced is moot, but unlikely. I am surprised that the local pub, the Duke of York hasn't been renamed, though.

[@smorris12]

@@Neil070 But which Duke of York was it named after?

[@Neil070]

@@smorris12 it's a 20th century build, but I assume it was the "Grand Old Duke", not He Who Shall Not Be Named. Looks like Richard III on the sign though 🤔

[@roberthindle5146]

Wills assumes control of it now. Reckon Harry should buy the old bridge and rename it the Meghan Markle Bridge just to stick it to him!

[@BrightonandHoveActually]

4:52 - you definitely say "M40" instead of "M4". 5:37 - Earley is pronouced the same way as the opposite of late. 8:50 - Geoff Marshall impressions now? 😀

[@dylanbassett8823]

My guy 8:04 that GTA Online loading screen music is giving me flashbacks

[@dylanbassett8823]

9:25 thats los santos what the hell is going on!

[@arenalife]

Interesting facts for the Welsh Stretch: The only reason the dreaded Brynglas tunnels exist, which have caused great suffering for M4 travelers for decades is because a railway line ran across the hill it goes through, so there could be no cutting. Shortly after it opened they closed the railway line so could have had a cutting after all....... the trackbed is now a local road which runs over the Eastern Portal Bassaleg junction is very dangerous, the one slip road carries both on AND off traffic many fatal accidents here over the years from going the wrong way up the M4...... it's also on a bind brow, oh and a blind corner (yes, on a motorway) No Junction 30, the posh people of North Cardiff in Lisvane put a stop to that filthy nonsense Coryton interchange - the UKs longest motorway roundabout - 1.8 miles around. Interestingly, if you stay in the middle lane and keep going round that'll take you to every turn off - very handy as my sister is scared of it The viaduct bridge after J36 Sarn is an upside down arch shape- very fancy for it's time - most people assume they're just driving at ground level Port Talbot is insane, they basically built a motorway through an urban area, before it was a 50 limit you could leave the motorway at 70mph and within 30 yards be in a residential street going past peoples front doors. One shot slip roads too where you go from the local 30 limit up a ramp and into the motorway traffic. Not as wild now but still pretty hairy. Lots more I've missed I'm sure

[@owenwatts4333]

Let’s not forget the village of Groes by Port Talbot en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groes,_Port_Talbot

[@arenalife]

@@owenwatts4333 Very interesting, thank you. Nowadays we can't even get a new bit around Newport because the birds might not like it

[@AutoShenanigans]

Great info.. most of which I've missed !

[@lucymillard1230]

Took a while to work it out, but Earley is pronounced the same as early. There have been weirder misspellings though!

[@Sam_888]

Was about to type this!

[@ljw5768]

The first time I ever drove across the old Severn bridge toll free I got caught doing 58 in 50 mph roadworks. So my first ever free crossing since I began driving in 1977 cost me £89.

[@aclark903]

Was your granny rude to a gypsy by any chance?

[@operationsauce]

holy fuck thats a steep fine for 1977

[@DrNaftak]

'smart' motorways. These are proven to be dangerous and just a nightmare for everyone

[@ianhelps3749]

The A329(M) is very useful if you live in Bracknell or Wokingham and you want to go to Reading. It's usually quiet and you can do the trip in a few minutes. I remember vaguely that there was an accident during construction of the Winnersh interchange due to a scaffolding collapse and a couple of workers were killed.

[@R08Tam]

"Upgraded to a smart motorway". Now there's an oxymoron.

[@carlmatthews6191]

I am surprised you failed to discuss M4 Jct 20, the M4-M5 interchange, especially since it is the third 4-stack junction you were looking for... oops.

[@KernelM]

The Curly Wurly bridge is roughly where the old Midland and South Western Junction railway headed down to Marlborough from Swindon. The old railway was turned into a footpath after it was closed and the bridge was put in to carry foot traffic across the motorway.

[@TheHumanFro1092]

Ahhh, I was always told an angry farmer requested it for his cows. I was young and naive haha

[@alexandrawiwestend6233]

The more lanes you build the more traffic you will attract and the more traffic yam you will get.

[@lucasmorse3061]

I have no idea why but I always thought the “curly wurly bridge” was built when the M4 was constructed as it split a farmers field in half and he needed a way to walk his cows from one side to the other? I’ve no idea where this thought came from and is almost certainly false 😂.

[@BrainiacManiac142]

I think one aspect of it was that people needed to get between Swindon and Chiseldon, and due to the steeply sloping ground, a shallow run-off would have taken up a huge amount of space, after all, the steep spiral is very compact.

[@ptrwiv]

Yes it’s to allow cattle over

[@Dave-lq9hf]

Correct, there is another curly curly bridge just set of j12, saw cows crossing many times on my old commute.

[@ulazygit]

Beautiful! As a regular M4 user in the late 80’s to mid 90’s, this was a blast from the past. You didn’t mention the very serious accident in 1991 between J 14/15 east bound … I had passed through at around 6am in thick fog, and arrived at work in Farringdon around 8.30am … the team were both worried and shocked as the accident and 10 fatalities /51 injuries was all over the news, with reports of the carriageway melting from the fires … I was ignorant of this until arriving at work! Added fun-fact - this accident happened very near to the village (Lambourn) my dad was evacuated to during the war, after the house he lived in at Hillingdon had the roof blown off my enemy aircraft … Further fun fact - I now live in the Hawkes Bay, New Zealand! So seeing your shenanigans on Britain’s motorways are just fab! I can reconnect with my memories and youth! Looking forward to part 2!

[@jimhunter5933]

This an oddly addictive and typical British type of channel. Somehow I seem to have become a subscriber 😂😂

[@AutoShenanigans]

Welcome along!! Good to have you.

[@danielyates6557]

The lowest speed limit imposed on a motorway is actually the A57(M) (mancunian way) at 30mph, temporarily brought in february 2022 from 50mph to reduce the high number of accidents. Although it’s only a temporary measure at this moment, it’s likely the new speed limit will remain permanent due to the reduction of collisions 👍🏻

[@MatthewLee8383]

Measure to compensate for the retarded drivers causing crashes. 😒

[@matthewv4170]

It's much safer now to be fair some of the one junctions are virtually twenty yards long

[@Jim-Scott]

Blimey, that was manic! When I was a kid my mother used to drive us the length of the M4 every half term to visit relatives (she's of Welsh origin) then when I first passed my driving test I seemed to be doing that same journey every couple of months taking my mother and grandmother to the funerals of all the aunts and great aunts (and some great, great aunts) that we'd spent the previous years visiting.

[@ulazygit]

Crikey! Sounds like my family … Welsh family from the valleys … family trips, then courting a young welsh lady, inevitable funerals and also the odd welsh stage WRC trip (every year during the 90’s and early 00’s) … even several business trips to Monmouth late 00’s, prior to migrating to the other side of the world! Small world, aye!

[@novakingood3788]

Earley is pronounced shĭt-hōl.

[@AutoShenanigans]

Got it for next time! ;-)

[@petervaughan6854]

Lmao! All jokes aside, it’s pronounced “Early” because English place names have horrendous pronunciations!

[@Hashterix]

I think you mean downgraded* to smart motorway.

[@dcarbs2979]

Hence the rabbit ear inverted commas motion.

[@nickhaynes3495]

As a HGV driver many years ago, I love this channel. Its more a trip down memory lane than a secrets of the network

[@KIRBZVIDS]

The diving board was not restored buy the counicl, a local housing development paid for it

[@jamesharlow7525]

M32 in Bristol has 40 mph speed limit as well

[@williamfence566]

Before the Prince of Wales bridge the old M4 ( M48 now ) bridge could close often for high winds and it was and still is a long way round . I worked for a company based in Magor who's toll bridge costs for their haulage fleet was eye watering .

[@ulazygit]

Until the tolls were abolished in 2018 (end), crossing the estuary via ferry or bridge had required the payment of a toll for some 400 years!

[@madhatter61]

I doubt the highways agency hold the Curly wurly bridge in high regard, they've demolished the one of the same name on Atherstone bypass. Replaced with a carbuncle

[@isaacdies]

Nice video! Hello from reading. By the way, at 5:37 it’s pronounced like early

[@DavidShepheard]

0:16 I think you missed out on an opportunity to stand a bit further to the right and hold up a bit of paper that said "Shenanigans" in front of the back of that recovery vehicle.

[@Alan_Stinchcombe]

7:20 There was probably a Public Right Of Way (PROW) footpath there before the M4 was constructed. If that was the case, by law, the footbridge had to be built unless the PROW could have been diverted without significantly inconveniencing pedestrians. 👩🏾‍🦽🚶🏼‍♀️🚶🏻

[@MarcSolomonScheimann]

Nice video, although the strangest pronunciation of Earley that I’ve heard! Locally, it’s pronounced early (i.e. opposite of late), or Earl-Lee.

[@tokenminds]

@5:35 for anyone wanting to check. Ear - lee

[@stevekelly5166]

Curly Wurly Bridge. Been under it 1,000's of times and never knew. There is also and exit/entrance just north of Castle Combe (j17 to j18) where it was rumoured the Royals could get on and off if needed And RAF Welford used to be supplied by the railway from Newbury. During a rail strike in the 70's the US Base Commander was unable to move bombs. He expected the railway to still move bombs when on strike. When he was told no way, he got the line removed. Gulf war and the B52's out of Fairford were supplied with bombs from this base by road. Right, back to the M4...

[@IceCanine]

I know where you mean. I’ve always wondered what that little road was for. Goes up to the Fosse Way, up to Westonbirt and along to Highgrove. J17 and J18 are my two local junctions.

[@chrisvickery4744]

I love your videos... very well researched and presented. I was especially intrigued by the curly wurly bridge and the listed diving platform at Coate Water Nature Reserve, so I took myself down there in the snow yesterday. I live in Cirencester and normally avoid Swindon like the plague, but I must say I was thoroughly impressed by Coate Water, the curly wurly and the diving platform. Loved them all! Took loads of pics and will return when the weather improves. Many thanks for encouraging me to visit a place on my doorstep that I would otherwise have probably missed 👍

[@Ben-zc9gl]

Is the out music the loading music for a game? Possibly gta?

[@fatmandoobius]

I clocked that too and you might be right, it's the loading music I think.

[@gazmundo1987]

Yep it's the music when GTA online is loading up

[@apacherider7110]

Where you have Junction 8/9, that wasn't there in the 60's and early 70's M4 curved up to the now A404(M) and the M4 stopped at the junction 9A junction. The A404(M) to the A4 roundabout call the Thicket roundabout, name after the National Trust woods nearby. This road was is a new addition many years ago. In the Thicket woods is a road called the Dutch Camp Rd, this is were the Dutch army set up Camp in WW2. I grew up in nearby Cox Green from 1966 when I was 5.

[@stephenhookings1985]

He covered this in an video. Strangely addictive

[@ncot_tech]

Smart motorways… one of our more dumb ideas. Who needs a hard shoulder?

[@adeo.4473]

Earley was pronounced "ur-ley" when my Nan lived there... 😁

[@hoagy_ytfc]

It still is :)

[@yeknommonkey]

I don’t know how you manage to keep your audio so consistent from shot to shot. Keeping your tone so level and matching . Love your videos it’s amazing how much there is to say about our road system when you know what you’re talking about.

[@royster3345]

Was thinking the same, good editing and consistency. Shame the TV can't do this with adverts....

[@Livie84]

Very weird question and not motorway related but I can faintly hear gta5 loading screen music in the background

[@AutoShenanigans]

Yes you can.

[@eddherring3088]

Right idea abolishing tolls for the second Severn crossing, are you listening Dartford?!

[@DougieL]

Ha ha, no chance!!

[@danielferris7960]

Putting on a different anorak for a moment, Membury airfield features heavily as a location for the classic Doctor Who story 'The Dæmons'.

[@TheLambLive]

I know Welsh place names can be hard to pronounce,, but there really aren't any letter D's in Llanelli.. 😅 ... Good luck with Part 2 , particularly the stretch between Langyfelach, Penllergaer and Pontarddulais 😁

[@AutoShenanigans]

You may wish to double check the map... ;-)

[@stevenmoran4060]

No such thing as over engineering, it’s exactly how the Victorians built things and still in use today.

[@markbolt1827]

Best thing about the m4 is to get out of London😂😂😂. Have to agree it’s a dirty shit hole.

[@RFGfotografie]

I seriously LOVE this series!

[@AutoShenanigans]

Awesome, thanks dude!

[@stevemarshall3481]

Chiswick flyover, do you remember the good old days when the IRA used to park a car and make a phone call, nowadays the first thing we know about a bomb is when we're picking our bollocks up off the floor.

[@winterwatson6811]

first time viewer, thank you for an honest belly laugh at your take on bus lanes. the only solutions to car traffic are alternatives to driving. despite what elon will tell you, induced demand is real and cars ruin cities.

[@AutoShenanigans]

You are right but the alternatives are just not there!

[@DJDRRalph]

The "Curley Whirly Bridge" is for the footpath from the Coate Water park to Chisledon. The Coate Water Reservoir was for the Marlborough branch of the Rail network from Swindon, via Swindon's Old Town Branch. The path is the old rail line route that runs near the ESSO garage on the A346 and along side it towards Marlborough.

[@HarryWhittle2019]

I remember cycling up that bridge when I was about 7 and being so happy once I got to the top. It's quite funny to see it on a thumbnail of a video on my for you page XD

[@avayaguru6679]

Hey John, how the devil are you? Are you having a good week? I love that introduction! I just want to tell you that I absolutely love this channel and I’ve watched all of your videos now! This is my favourite channel and I really enjoy the secrets of the motorway. Keep up the good work.

[@AutoShenanigans]

Yeah I'm not bad ta.. thanks for watching! appreciate it.

[@avayaguru6679]

@@AutoShenanigans You’re welcome! Have a good week 🙂

[@orwellboy1958]

The best thing in London is the road out.

[@philwoodward5069]

I used to commute from Langley (Berkshire) to central London via the Green Line coach. The coach always had between 30 and 50 commuters on it and the bus lane allowed us to jump the queue to get onto the Chiswick Flyover. I know car drivers don't like it when buses jump the queue but I would argue it's fair enough when the bus is taking dozens of cars off the road at peak time. I don't know if the cost of putting the bus lane in was justified, but it didn't increase car journey times (in fact it reduced them slightly) and it did help make commuter coaches a practical alternative to driving. All I know is the cost of taking the bus lane out once it was there cannot possibly be justified.

[@nedseagoon5101]

Great vid, as usual. You should slow down a bit & make them longer. 10-12 mins is ok, but I’d watch for far longer. You’ll soon run out of material. Plus, why no retro theme tunes now? Copyright cops busted yo ass?

[@AutoShenanigans]

Hehe.. no fortunately not, I put them in where there's space but sometimes the episode doesn't need it.

[@afgor1088]

objectively incorrect to say that adding bus lanes makes traffic worse, because of how much higher the capacity of a bus is compared to a car it can even reduce traffic. think about it this way, would it be better to have a whole lane for vehicles which carry between 1 and 2 passangers? or between 10 and 50?

[@Racing_Fox]

That’s completely irrelevant if it actual bus use is just a couple of people

[@afgor1088]

@@Racing_Fox it's not

[@PhillipParr]

Well, if a bus holds 60 people and one lane of traffic can handle 20 vehicles per minute, then you need at least one full bus every 3 minutes to justify changing a lane to busses only. Except of course, busses can also use normal lanes, so I'm not sure how you'd ever justify changing a motorway lane into a bus lane unless it was a section of road that carried basically a continuous stream of busses.

[@eIucidate]

Congratulations on your attempt at mind-gymnastics on your last paragraph there.

[@AutoShenanigans]

I can only assume the bus lanes roaring success was why it was removed.

[@MultiMidden]

Curly Wurly Bridge - one theory I heard (could be total rubbish) was that it was to allow farmers to cross the M4 with their cattle as the M4 cut through farm fields.

[@dangerousandy]

Earley is pronounced “Early”. I lived in Bracknell/Reading for over 20 years (but have now got parole)

[@6panel300]

What i thought would be a boring video turned out to be really interesting, or maybe I'm just boring.

[@AutoShenanigans]

You were right to think it was boring given the subject matter. hopefully you enjoyed it!

[@6panel300]

@@AutoShenanigans i did enjoy it. So much so I've subscribed.

[@Johnketes54]

It's his dry humour and facial expressions subtle expressions

[@IceCanine]

Same. We just sat on a Sunday afternoon watching this after seeing Part 2 first, and really enjoyed it.

[@AldershotDave]

Earley is pronounced “Ur-lee”.

[@zaclaschok2330]

I’ve never heard anyone pronounce it Ear - lee 😂 made me even question if I’d been saying it wrong, and I live there!

[@adamcetinkent]

Or, you know, "early"

[@hanshartfiel6394]

I enjoy every drive out of London not just on the M4

[@AutoShenanigans]

The best part about London is not being there.

[@realhyperhamster]

fun fact the slowest speed limit on any motorway is the M32 in bristol with a lowest speed of 30 MPH going up to 40 then national speeds to J19 of the M4

[@ashleypowell1623]

Pretty sure the lowest it goes is 40

[@realhyperhamster]

@ashleypowell1623 no I've driven it its 30 for a small stretch

[@ianhill20101]

Lots of cars drive into london at 60 mph but i have to do 50 mph through port talbot of all places to ease pollution, my head is scratching.

[@buzzshady9057]

great vids, but why the rush?

[@tomicarr90]

The A627M in Manchester has had its speed limit lowered to 30mph and it’s really made it much better to drive on… wait a minute, no it’s made it even more of a nightmare!

[@circadianizzy]

Yikes! When did that happen? I occasionally end up on that one, not too often though.

[@thefenlanddefencesystem5080]

5:48 The Welford dump exit is still rather cryptically sign-posted as 'Works', but until recently the sign had the (correct) red outline for an MoD facility. It's almost as if some DfT official got high on the Guildford Rules -- "The words can be vague, but it'll bloody well have the right colour scheme!"

[@Hannah_Em]

RE: the 40mph limit on the M4 in Chiswick, I believe there's a lower speed limit on the M32 as it gets into central Bristol, where it's limited to 30mph for a short time before it ends and becomes an A road

[@soundslike...1043]

And for a teeny tiny bit of the M1 just as where it begins, there is a 30mph speed limit

[@rayjennings3637]

The M31 is a golden opportunity missed and an example of how to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory - in a manner of speaking!

[@jamescullis7768]

Nice use of a GTA cut scene scenic shot at the 9:23 mark 👍

[@JakeSilvester]

I’ve been waiting for this especially as I’m from Swindon!

[@thhc1744]

Same. Except for the being from Swindon bit

[@mallarddude7797]

I really like how this channel brings attention to the hilarious inefficiently eccentric features of British motorway design...

[@Johnketes54]

More to do with local councils and private companies penny pinching,A good example the A303 runs past stone henge,This was brought to my attention my a a American years ago a place of mystique and quietness disturbed by a "stupid road" and he's right just a few million would have put that or a bypass a mile away for a bit of "Hush" just like a library

[@richardsawyer5428]

I always wondered if that chimney was part of a colliery. The area has alot of mining heritage. At Membury Airfield a C47 Dakota is being restored to flying status. Called "Night Fright" it originally flew from there in WW2 with the USAAF.

[@AutoShenanigans]

Oh thats cool.. I hope they get it in the air!

[@crisrose9707]

9:23 that's GTA music XD

[@o_Keiiran]

And the transition is just los Santos docks lol

[@jasonali4122]

I'd like to see Narrator John drafted in to commentate on state occasions (Royal Weddings, Coronations, Remembrance Sunday etc.). It would provide an attractive alternative to the plodding, and often obsequious, presentations we normally get served.

[@AldershotDave]

Your maps would be much better if you showed the piece of roadway that you’re talking about in a different colour to make it more distinguishable. Also, it’d help if those maps were on screen for longer.

[@timw1971]

You should make an Android Auto / Apple Carplay app that can read out the trivia as you drive -- for real -- past the relevant junctions. Would make journeys much less boring! :D

[@marcusallan2732]

1:10 Re: the speed limit - the Mancunian Way currently has an 18-month temporary 30mph limit with what seems to be the intention of making this permanent next year, although it's classed as the A57(M) so I'm not sure whether you'd count it. It's elevated with no hard shoulder, the same as the Chiswick Flyover, but it has so many entrances and exits in only 2 miles that it's often slower than 30mph anyway.