M1 Junction 47 to Junction 48 (The A1(M) Merge)
This is where the M1 ends. After junction 48 there are no more M1 numbers: the carriageway runs into the A1(M) at its junction 43, near Micklefield, east of Leeds, and the road north is the A1(M).
Live traffic news at M1 Junctions 47 and 48
This is the news for Junctions 47 and 48 only, not the whole M1. For the rest of the motorway see all the latest M1 traffic news, the overhead signs and the speed limits in force now.
Updated 04:52 (4:52am) Tue 10 Nov 2026
Live traffic speed flow: M1 Junctions 46 to 48
Untick all three to see just the speeds. We show the important overhead signs and the mandatory speed limits (red ring); see every overhead sign.
Go to our live M1 traffic speed flow map ›
NOTE: The speed flow, overhead sign messages or other information shown on our live traffic speed flow map is updated every few minutes. We cross check the data and aim to provide warnings if there could be a delay or an inaccurate speed reading. There can be occasions, beyond our control, and despite our best efforts where the speed flow could be inaccurate. We cannot therefore guarantee the speed you can expect on any stretch of the motorway is always accurately shown. However we hope you will find our live traffic speed flow map a useful tool in trying to plan your journey. Safe driving.
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The quietest end of the M1
| Measure | Per day |
|---|---|
| All motor vehicles | 85,104 |
| Cars and taxis | 60,073 |
| Lorries (HGVs) | 8,355 — 9.8% of all traffic |
| Length of this stretch | 1.6 miles |
That makes it the 38th busiest of the 42 measured stretches of M1 mainline. The stretch before it, J46 to J47, carries 83,466. Compare the 159,683 a day at junctions 42 to 43: about half the M1’s traffic has left for Leeds and the M62 before it gets this far.
The junction 47 rule
Stay on the M1 northbound past junction 48 and you join the A1(M) heading north. If you want the A1(M) south, you must leave the M1 at junction 47 and use the A642.
The numbers do not match either. M1 junction 48 meets A1(M) junction 43, so when the A1(M) signs count on from here, they are A1(M) numbers, not M1 ones.
Built as the M1–A1 Link Road
This end of the motorway opened in February 1999 as the M1–A1 Link Road, and the M1 was completed that year. The link road was run under a 30-year private concession until 25/03/2026. The last services on the M1 are Leeds Skelton Lake at junction 45; there are none between here and the merge.
Leeds, and what comes next
Leeds, with 845,189 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate for the local authority), is reached from junction 43 by the M621. North of the merge, the A1(M) runs on past Wetherby, Scotch Corner and Durham to junction 65 at Birtley. That road is covered by our sister site A1M Traffic. Every other crossing between the two roads is on our M1 and A1 link roads page.
Traffic count figures on this page are from the Department for Transport road traffic statistics, 2025.