Motorway 'ghost junction' dubbed Britain's most expensive dead end now needs repairs despite costing £40million - and not a single vehicle using it in the six years since it was built

A £40million motorway dubbed Britain's most expensive dead end now needs repairs - despite not one vehicle using it since being built six years ago. The 'ghost junction' - located off Bristol's M49 - was intended to connect a distribution centre for retailers like Amazon, Tesco, Lidl, Next, DHL and The Range. Planners hoped it would be complete by 2019 but after six years of construction limbo, the roundabout junction has remained incomplete - with motorists caught venturing onto it being met with a dead-end.And despite never officially opening to drivers, the more-than-£40million junction is now in need of repairs. Speaking in the House of Commons, Roads minister Justin Madders said cracks began to show in the highway, built by National Highways, as early as 2021 - under two years after it was constructed. He said: 'Defects were visible on the junction in 2021, including loss of topsoil and surface cracking.'These came to light as part of the standard inspections that take place across the network and, at that stage, these were not deemed significant and so National Highways put standard operating arrangements in place to monitor the structure.'However, this ongoing monitoring identified the need to undertake detailed investigations, which were commissioned in 2025, resulting in the identification of geotechnical issues.' Despite no vehicles using it, a £40million 'ghost junction' off Bristol's M49 is now in need of repairs Six years of construction limbo have left it incomplete, with any motorists caught venturing onto the junction being met with a dead-end Mr Madders added these later investigations 'will allow the root cause of defects to be better understood – and this is ongoing and can only be confirmed once engagement with the contractor has concluded'. The junction - which sits between the M5 at Avonmouth and the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge across the River Severn - has faced years of setbacks following its construction.It was thought it would finally open in 2024 after South Gloucestershire Council scrapped nine separate planning conditions which prevented work to finish the road. The axed conditions included submitting a work schedule and a construction environmental management plan being approved. Processes for soft and hard landscaping when creating the link road were also agreed and approved by the council, while health and safety risk assessments were reviewed and found acceptable by the council.But defects identified at the site - which was built to allow motorway traffic to access industrial sites in South Gloucestershire's Avonmouth Severnside Enterprise Area - have meant it remains unopened. South Gloucestershire Council has confirmed work has started on building a link road to the junction. At present, lorries trying to access the distribution hub have had to drive through local villages to get into the business park. Claire Young, Liberal Democrat MP for Thornbury and Yate, labelled the site a 'ghost junction'. The M49 Avonmouth junction in Bristol is pictured during its construction back in 2019 Speaking in the House of Commons, Roads minister Justin Madders said cracks began to show in the highway, built by National Highways, as early as 2021 Claire Young Liberal Democrat MP for Thornbury & Yate labelled the site a 'ghost junction' On X, Ms Young described the delays to the opening of the M49 junction as an 'utterly unbelievable situation' Ms Young said: 'National Highways has admitted that it's identified defects at the junction, which must be repaired before it can safely open to traffic.'A junction built by National Highways, completed six years ago and signed off as finished, cannot safely carry traffic until National Highways repairs it.'Is the minister as baffled as I am?'She then warned that although the junction remains isolated from the local road network 'the A403, the B4461, and others are facing misuse by HGVs'.Ms Young added: 'Horse riders, agricultural vehicles, and families are finding it difficult to access the roads.'Responding to Ms Young, Mr Madders said: 'the Government has already provided around £10 million of support to support the development of the link road' to the junction. 'There are limits to the funding we can provide but we will commit to prioritising the technical issues that we described today.'The Government's approach is clear – National Highways must identify the right engineering solution, agree an appropriate delivery route to protect taxpayers' interests and provide stakeholders with realistic, deliverable timescales.' The road cost £40million but it has remained unfinished for years (pictured is a sign for the M49)The minister also warned 'it is not possible to provide a definitive timeline for remedial works'.He said: 'Responsibility, liability and funding matters remain subject to ongoing technical and commercial discussions but once these are concluded, National Highways will be able to develop detailed designs for the necessary remedial works and to establish a delivery programme.'It would not be possible or appropriate to announce arbitrary dates before those assessments are complete or before a deliverable programme has been confirmed.''The public do not distinguish between a motorway junction, a local link road, a developer obligation, a council-led connection and a National Highways asset – they see one road, one promise, and one delayed outcome.'So, we must be clear as a Government and delivery bodies that managing infrastructure must be done coherently with clear accountabilities, dependencies, and communications.'