The A194(M), a short spur from the A1(M) south of Gateshead towards the A19 Tyne Tunnel, is a casualty of the A1's continually shifting course in the north east.
It was the UK's only single-carriageway motorway, and twenty years ago it ceased to exist. This is the story of the strange fascination it held, and of my place in history.
Motorways used to be really simple. Now they have electronic signals, variable speed limits, emergency lay-bys, part-time hard shoulders... Just what is so smart about Smart Motorways?