50 years ago today the Gravelly Hill Interchange was opened. Dubbed ‘Spaghetti Junction’ by local journalist Roy Smith, who described it as a “cross between a plate of spaghetti and an unsuccessful attempt at a Staffordshire knot”, the structure covers 30 acres and consists of more than 250 spans, crossbeams and expansion joints, 600 columns and 3,000 bridge bearings.

The junction was originally designed to take up to 70,000 vehicles a day, but now experiences an average of 200,000 daily vehicles, making up a vital piece of infrastructure for the UK economy. Maintained by National Highways, teams walk an average of 12-15 miles a day during inspections.

National Highways Customer Services Director Melanie Clarke said:

Spaghetti Junction is a special part of England’s motorway network. It’s something to be proud of in Birmingham because it’s known all around the world – quite rightly – as a feat of engineering.
As traffic levels have increased, so have our maintenance and safety regimes which play a vital role in helping keep the road safe for the tens of thousands of motorists that use our network every day. We know that it’s used by nearly 26,000 hauliers every single day which goes to show the strategic importance of the route for businesses around the country.

The junction also recently featured in Steven Spielberg’s film 'Ready Player One' which was released in 2018. The towering 80 ft concrete columns formed the ideal backdrop to the film.

National Heinzways

To commemorate the 50^th anniversary of spaghetti junction, Heinz have released 500 cans featuring an ‘unspaghettible makeover’ with spaghetti strands resembling the M6 and A38(M) north of Birmingham City Centre.

National Highways customer service director Melanie Clarke said:

It’s a fitting tribute to see Spaghetti Junction immortalised in – of course – a tin of spaghetti.
The structure is a real feat of engineering and it’s an iconic part of England’s motorway network which, from the moment it first opened, really captured the imagination of the public and motorists.

Original model restoration

As part of the 50th anniversary celebrations, National Highways teamed up with Glenn Howells Architects in Birmingham to restore the original architect’s model which was built in the 1960s. The model was updated to show the landscaping and greenery surrounding the junction, before being enclosed into a conference table. National Highways plans to take the model to various education establishments to help inspire young people to think about the world of engineering.

Glenn Howells Architects Head of Modelshop Pierre Greenway said:

We didn’t want to change the model so much as you wouldn’t see the original any longer. We wanted the viewer to be able to see the original model while updating it to the modern day.
The model shows the sheer scale of the structure and it’s wonderful to be able to play a part in restoring this piece of work for the future and encourage youngsters to think about the world of engineering and construction.