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A449
Route information
Maintained by National Highways, English local authorities and South Wales Trunk Road Agency
Length	104 mi (167 km)
Major junctions
North end	Stafford
Major intersections	M6 J13 M54 J2 M5 J6 M50 J4 M4 J24 A34 A5 A460 A4150 A4124 A41 A454 A4123 A459 A463 A491 A4101 A458 A451 A456 A448 A38 A4440 A417 A40 A472
South end	Newport
Location
Country	United Kingdom
Primary destinations	Wolverhampton Kidderminster Worcester Ross-on-Wye Monmouth
Road network
Roads in the United Kingdom Motorways A and B road zones
← A448 → A450

The A449 is a major road in the United Kingdom. It runs north from junction 24 of the A48 road at Newport in South Wales to Stafford in Staffordshire.

The southern section of the road, between Ross on Wye and Newport forms part of the trunk route from Stafford to Newport, avoiding the Severn Bridge

Route

Newport – Ross-on-Wye

The A449 starts on the M4 at the Coldra Interchange (J24) in Newport and is dual carriageway all the way to Raglan. The section from the A40 junction at Raglan to the A472 junction at Usk, known as the New Midlands Road, was one of the first sections to be dualled, opening on 16 October 1970. A special postmark dated 8 December 1972 was produced showing the opening of the A449 by The Secretary of State for Wales. Between Raglan and Ross-on-Wye the A449 is concurrent with the A40.

Ross-on-Wye – Worcester

The road becomes quite twisty on departing Ross-on-Wye, but straightens out a little before arriving at Ledbury. The road turns northwards upon crossing into Worcestershire at Little Malvern and skirts the eastern slopes of the Malvern Hills through the town of Great Malvern. It then crosses Worcester's ring road, the A4440, at a roundabout near Powick.

Worcester – Wolverhampton

North of Worcester, a spur road of the same number heads towards the M5 Junction 6, while the main route continues towards Kidderminster, concurrent with the A442. Between Claines and Hartlebury the A449 is once again dual carriageway, but much tinkering has left the road with a single lane each way and 50 miles per hour (80 km/h) speed restriction. The road becomes urban again while passing through Kidderminster. It then heads north into Staffordshire, passing between Kinver and Stourbridge and crossing the A458 at Stourton. The A491 meets it just north of Kingswinford. Continuing northwards, it passes Wombourne (becoming dual carriageway once more) being joined by the A463 before turning sharply north-east into the outskirts of Wolverhampton and meeting the Ring Road.

Wolverhampton – Stafford

The road resumes its journey northwards, passing Molineux Stadium (home of Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.) and leaving the city just south of Junction 2 of the M54. It originally ran through the centre of Wolverhampton until the 1980s, when all roads within the new ring road were declassified. Around the same time, the section of Waterloo Road on which Molineux Stadium stands was declassified and the A459 Stafford Street (north of the Ring Road) and Lower Stafford Street became part of the A449.

From there it forms part of the link between the M54 and the M6 North. It crosses the A5 at the Gailey Roundabout near the village of Gailey, a short distance west of M6 Junction 12, at which point it reverts to a single carriageway. It passes through Penkridge before crossing the M6 at Junction 13, reaching its terminus at its junction with the A34 in Stafford.

Originally turnpiked under the Stafford, Worcester and Warwick Roads Act 1760 (1 Geo. 3. c. 39), the Wolverhampton-Stafford road was part of the historic London-Liverpool coach route. Notoriously narrow in the 19th century, much of it was turned into dual carriageway between the world wars. The Gailey Roundabout was improved in 1929 and again in 1937, removing parts of the churchyard and the historic Spread Eagle Inn (although the latter was replaced by a new building). Widening at Penkridge between 1932 and 1934 reshaped the western part of the town, resulting in the demolition of many ancient buildings. The dual carriageway between Wolverhampton and Gailey was constructed between 1936 and 1939. This section of the road was featured in Citizen Khan episode "Alia's University".

Former routes

• The original routing of the road was from Bromsgrove – Stourbridge – Wolverhampton – Stafford
• The villages of Hartlebury and Ombersley have been bypassed
• Part of Ledbury is now bypassed
• Between Raglan and Newport the A449 used to run through the towns of Usk and Caerleon, along a now mostly unclassified road to the west, terminating at junction 25 of the M4

Water crossings

• River Trothy, Monmouth
• River Monnow, Monmouth
• River Wye, Ross-on-Wye
• River Leadon, Ledbury
• River Severn, Worcester
• Stourbridge Canal, Stourton
• River Stour, Kinver
• Wom Brook, Wombourne
• Birmingham Canal, Wolverhampton
• Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal, Coven
• River Penk, Penkridge

See also

• Trunk roads in Wales

References

1. Victoria County History: Staffordshire: Volume 5, chapter 16: Penkridge, s.1.
2. Victoria County History: Staffordshire: Volume 5, chapter 8: Brewood, s.1.

External links

• Road to Nowhere: A449

v t e A roads in Zone 4 of the Great Britain road numbering scheme
	A4 A40 A41 A42 A43 A44 A45 A46 A47 A48 A49
	A400 A403 A404 A405 A406 A412 A413 A414 A415 A417 A418 A419 A420 A421 A422 A423 A426 A427 A428 A429 A431 A432 A433 A441 A442 A444 A445 A446 A448 A449 A452 A453 A454 A456 A458 A461 A465 A466 A468 A469 A470 A473 A474 A475 A476 A477 A478 A479 A482 A483 A485 A486 A487 A489 A490 A491 A493 A494 A496 A498 A499
	A4005 A4006 A4008 A4010 A4018 A4032 A4042 A4050 A4053 A4054 A4055 A4059 A4060 A4061 A4063 A4069 A4074 A4076 A4080 A4085 A4086 A4103 A4107 A4109 A4110 A4113 A4117 A4118 A4119 A4123 A4130 A4133 A4135 A4136 A4138 A4142 A4144 A4146 A4148 A4150 A4155 A4160 A4161 A4174 A4200 A4202 A4204 A4214 A4216 A4221 A4226 A4230 A4232 A4234 A4240 A4241 A4260 A4361 A4400 A4536 A4540
List of A roads in Zone 4 List of B roads in Zone 4

v t e Transport in Monmouthshire
Road	M4 motorway European route E30 M48 motorway A40 road A449 road A465 road A472 road A4042 road A4136 road A48 road
Bus	Stagecoach South Wales Stagecoach West Newport Bus
National Cycle Network	Celtic Trail National Cycle Route 4 National Cycle Route 47 National Cycle Route 42
Railway lines	South Wales Main Line Gloucester–Newport line Welsh Marches line
Railway stations	Abergavenny Caldicot Chepstow Severn Tunnel Junction
Waterways	Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal River Wye

v t e Transport in Newport
Road	M4 motorway European route E30 A48(M) motorway New M4 (cancelled) A48 road A449 road A468 road A4042 road
Bus	Newport bus station Cwmbran bus station Newport Bus National Express Stagecoach South Wales Cardiff Bus Fflecsi (TfW)
Railway lines	South Wales Metro (proposed) South Wales Main Line Welsh Marches line Gloucester–Newport line Ebbw Valley Railway
Railway stations	Newport Pye Corner Rogerstone Proposed: Caerleon Llanwern Magor & Undy Newport West Newport West Central Somerton
Cycling	NCR 88 NCR 4 NCR 46 NCR 47
Walking	Wales Coast Path Usk Valley Walk Cistercian Way
Waterways	River Usk Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal Fourteen Locks
Sea	Newport Docks
Transporter bridge	Newport Transporter Bridge
Transport portal Wales portal

v t e Transport in Worcestershire
Road	Motorways M5 M42 M50 A-roads A38 A44 A46 A422 A435 A441 A442 A448 A449 A456 A491 A4025 A4536 Service stations Frankley services Hopwood Park services Strensham services Other Icknield Street List of settlements on the A38
Rail	Main lines Cross-City Line Cross Country Route North Warwickshire Line Birmingham to Worcester via Bromsgrove Line Birmingham to Worcester via Kidderminster line Cotswold Line Closed lines Oxford–Worcester–Wolverhampton line (Dudley to Wolverhampton section) Stations Alvechurch Barnt Green Blakedown Bromsgrove Droitwich Spa Evesham Great Malvern Hagley Hartlebury Honeybourne Kidderminster Malvern Link Pershore Redditch Worcester Foregate Street Worcester Shrub Hill Wythall Closed stations Astwood Bank Aston-under-Hill Beckford Bengeworth Bredon Eckington Foley Park Halt Hinton Littleton and Badsey Malvern Wells Ripple Upton-on-Severn Wadborough Heritage stations Arley Bewdley Kidderminster Town Northwood Halt Heritage railways Severn Valley Railway Under construction Broadway Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway
Buses	Routes Worcestershire bus route 144 Companies Diamond West Midlands First Midland Red Other Bus transport in Bromsgrove
Waterways	Rivers River Arrow River Avon River Severn River Stour River Teme Canals Droitwich Canal Leominster Canal Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal Worcester and Birmingham Canal Other Diglis Basin Hampton Ferry Tardebigge Engine House Tardebigge Locks
Footpaths	Long-distance footpaths Cotswold Way Monarch's Way Severn Way Worcestershire Way Wychavon Way
Cycle paths	Route 5 Route 54

52°14′24″N 2°13′38″W / 52.23989°N 2.22731°W / 52.23989; -2.22731

• Roads in England
• Roads in Wales
• Transport in Herefordshire
• Transport in Monmouthshire
• Transport in Newport, Wales
• Transport in Staffordshire
• Roads in Worcestershire
• Transport in Worcester, England
• Malvern, Worcestershire
• Transport in Wolverhampton