M26

The M26 is not much of a motorway - some people have even called it a glorified sliproad, since all it does is cut the corner for traffic going between the M25 southern section and M20.

It does, however, have its own exit, numbered 2A to fit in with the M20's junction numbering. The junction is at the far eastern end of the motorway, meaning it passes by Sevenoaks with no access to the town.

The longest distance between motorway exit points in Britain is found - partly - on the M26. Travelling west, after junction 2A, there are signs warning traffic that there is no exit for 18 miles. There is a junction and a service area in this distance, but at neither have you any option but to continue forwards onto the M25. The next exit is M25 J6.

Kent County Council continues to lobby for the installation of a new junction between the M26 and the A225 to improve access to Sevenoaks, which presently has astoundingly bad access to the motorway network despite being pushed up against the M25 and M26. The alternative option is a set of new sliproads at M25 J5 to allow traffic to travel between the M26 and A21, but neither option is being pursued with much enthusiasm by Highways England.

Start

Chevening

End

Wrotham

Passes

Sevenoaks

Connects to
Length

10 miles

Click a section name to see its full details, or click a map symbol on the right to see all motorways opened in that year.

Completed Name Start End Original number
Ditton Bypass J2A Wrotham Heath M20 J3 Addington M20 Chronology map for 1971
Chevening - Addington M25 J5 Chevening J2A Wrotham Heath Chronology map for 1980

Exit list

Symbols and conventions are explained in the key to exit lists. You can click any junction to see its full details.

NB. The M26 has only one junction of its own, numbered 2A to line up with the M20's junction numbers.

Junction   Westbound               Eastbound  
M25 J5
0.9 km
Croydon
Gatwick Airport (M23 Link)
Heathrow Airport (M4 Link)
M25 Link



(A21)
WEST
M25



M25
N/A
LanesLanesLanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanesLanes
8 miles, 2 lanes 8 miles, 2 lanes
2A
14.5 km
Borough Green
Sevenoaks
A20 (A25)
A20
(A25)
A20 Sevenoaks
Borough Green
A20 (A25)
LanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanes
1 mile, 2 lanes 1 mile, 2 lanes
M20 J3
16 km
N/A M20





EAST
M20



Maidstone
Channel Tunnel
Dover
M20 Link
LanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanesLanesLanesLanes
Routes
M26

Picture credits

With thanks to Chris McKenna and Stephan for information on this page.

In this section

What's new

A century of motorways

It's 100 years since the opening of the world's first motorway, the Autostrada from Milan to the Lakes.

Schrödinger’s speed limit

In 2022, Manchester City Council say they reduced the speed limit on the Mancunian Way to 30mph. But it’s not clear if they did. It’s not even clear if they can.

Sorry, wrong number

Road numbering is a system with clear rules. What happens when the people responsible for numbering roads don't follow them?

Share this page

Have you seen...

Emergency Diversion Routes

Those funny black and yellow symbols are everywhere - and they might just get you back on track one day.

About this page

Published

Last updated