A38 road
The A38 is a major road in England. It runs from Bodmin in Cornwall to Mansfield in Nottinghamshire.
Starting from Bodmin, the road runs past Liskeard, Saltash, Plymouth and Buckfastleigh to Exeter, then reemerges from
its junction with the M5 motorway, ten miles north of Exeter, and heads north via Wellington, Taunton, Bridgwater, Bristol, Gloucester, Tewkesbury, Worcester, Bromsgrove, Birmingham (tunneling under the city centre), then bypasses Sutton Coldfield, Lichfield, Burton-upon-Trent and Derby before heading through Alfreton to end in Mansfield.
The section from Plymouth to Exeter is designated as the "Devon Expressway", and serves as a southward extension of the M5 motorway. From Exeter to Birmingham, the road is paralleled by the M5.
Between Worcester and Birmingham the A38 follows the course of a Roman road, although the construction of bypasses around some towns means the modern-day route deviates somewhat from the original dead-straight road. It also follows the route of the Roman Icknield Street from Lichfield to Derby.
The section in Birmingham (called the Aston Expressway) from the city centre through Aston to the junction with the M6 motorway (at Spaghetti Junction) is of motorway standard and is designated the A38 (M). It is a tidal flow road, in that more lanes are available travelling into the city during the morning rush hour, and more travelling out of the city during the evening rush hour. There is no central reservation; instead, one of the middle lanes is always kept empty by means of electronic overhead signs.
