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).
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Latest accident or incident on the M1
The most recent accident or incident on the M1 that we are aware of.
M1 Southbound Jct 6A link road Lane 1 closure
04:4226 Sept 2026reported 5 min ago
- Location
- link road from M1 J6A southbound to M25 J21 clockwise
- Direction
- Clockwise
- Lanes closed
- Lane closures
- Reason
- Other
- Schedule
- 23:00 Fri 25 Sept 2026 → 06:00 Sat 26 Sept 2026
Latest active roadworks on the M1
Roadworks live on the M1 right now.
Hard shoulder closure southbound
04:4226 Sept 2026reported 5 min ago
- Location
- M1 southbound between J22 and J21A
- Direction
- Southbound
- Lanes closed
- Hard shoulder closed
- Reason
- Maintenance work
- Schedule
- 09:00 Sun 30 Nov 2025 → 09:00 Mon 30 Nov 2026
+ 1 more active roadworks - search all M1 traffic news →
Latest planned roadworks on the M1
The next planned roadworks scheduled on the M1.
M1 northbound Jct 45 to Jct 46 lane 2 and 3 closure (309/0 - 311/4)
04:4226 Sept 2026reported 5 min ago
- Location
- M1 northbound between J45 and J46
- Direction
- Northbound
- Lanes closed
- Lane closures
- Reason
- Road improvement or upgrading
- Schedule
- 20:30 Fri 25 Sept 2026 → 06:00 Sat 26 Sept 2026
Forecast - not confirmed
+ 14 more planned roadworks - search all M1 traffic news →
Road closed — on the overhead signs now
National Highways’ overhead signs are showing a road closure, as at 04:47 Sat 26 Sept 2026.
M69 (S) closed after M1
Time now: Saturday, 26 September 2026, 04:4702:0126 Sept 2026set 3 hrs ago⚠ 3 hrs old✓ Checked by us 04:47
M69 (S) CLOSED
AFTER M1Overhead Message
WhereM1 southbound, at J24 · on 1 signAlso onM1 signs onlySinceSet 02:01 Sat 26 Sept 2026We check these overhead signs at least every five minutes, but we can't guarantee a sign is still current if an incident or issue has been cleared and the sign has not been updated yet. Signs and news can each carry something the other does not - check both before you travel.
Search all the latest M1 traffic news →
Updated 04:47 Sat 26 Sept 2026
Powered by National Highways’ Transport Data Feeds.
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.