54-797: The A423 road is a primary A road in England in two sections. The main section leads from central Banbury to the A45 near Coventry . It starts in Banbury town centre as Southam Road and goes through the Southam Road Industrial Estate, then just north of Banbury it crosses over the M40 , from there it passes close to several Warwickshire villages until it becomes part of the Southam by-pass, it then goes through Long Itchington and Marton before merging with
108-446: A blue background, primary routes are indicated by green directional and distance signs with yellow text, whilst secondary roads use black text on a white background. In the UK, vehicles are normally driven or ridden on the left and required to keep to the left except when overtaking, turning right or passing pedestrians, parked vehicles and other obstructions in the road. In Great Britain ,
162-455: A date of 75 BC, probably built by the Iceni tribe. Roads built in the first phase of Roman occupation (43–68 AD) connected London with the ports used in the invasion ( Chichester and Richborough ), and with the earlier legionary bases at Colchester ( Camulodunum ), Lincoln ( Lindum ), Wroxeter ( Viroconium ), Gloucester and Exeter . As Roman influence expanded, so did
216-609: A new network of high-speed routes across the country. The passing of the Special Roads Act 1949 gave the government legal powers to build roads that were not automatically rights of way for certain types of user. In 1958, the first motorway was opened as the Preston Bypass , now part of the M6 motorway . The first major motorway to open was the M1 between Crick and Berrygrove . In 1963,
270-474: A poor state of repair. The new Ministry of Transport created a classification system for the important routes connecting large population centres or for through traffic, with the definitive list being published in 1922/3 and revised in 1926/7. High unemployment after the end of World War I led the Minister of Transport to provide grant funding to the county councils to improve roads, particularly where labour
324-573: A report on urban transport planning policy, Traffic in Towns , was produced for the UK Department of Transport by a team headed by the architect , civil engineer and planner Colin Buchanan . While it advocated the construction and reorganisation of towns to accommodate the motor car and lorry, it stressed that this would have to be balanced with restrictions, in accordance with local needs. It highlighted
378-698: A royal commission into the question of toll roads. The growing popularity of cycling also prompted calls for road improvements, with the Cyclists' Touring Club and National Cyclists' Union pooling resources to form the Roads Improvement Association in October 1886; this focused on producing technical literature distributed to highways boards and surveyors to promote improved construction and maintenance methods. The Local Government Act 1888 created borough and county councils with responsibility for maintaining
432-537: Is a British imperial and United States customary unit of speed expressing the number of miles travelled in one hour . It is used in the United Kingdom , the United States , and a number of smaller countries, most of which are UK or US territories, or have close historical ties with the UK or US. Speed limits and road traffic speeds are given in miles per hour in the following jurisdictions: Miles per hour
486-955: Is maintained by the Department for Transport in combination with National Highways (for England), the Scottish Government and the Welsh Government . The concept of primary roads was introduced in the 1960s as part of a national reclassification of roads. Regional destinations are commonly used on long-distance routes throughout the country alongside primary destinations. They are displayed on signs in capitals to distinguish them from towns and cities. The boundaries of these regional destinations are not specifically defined and apply to generalised areas. The regions are: Mid Wales, North Wales, Scotland, South Wales, The East, The Lakes, The Dales, The Midlands, The North, The North East, The North West, The South, The South West and The West. Signage on
540-511: Is no available explanation for the allocation of road numbers in Northern Ireland. The majority of the major inter-urban routes are motorways, and are designed to carry long-distance traffic. The next category is the primary route network, formed from parts of the A-road network. A primary route is defined as: ...a route, not being a route comprising any part of a motorway, in respect of which
594-529: Is not even a village—merely a hotel and a few other buildings—yet has the status of a primary destination due to its location at the interchange of the A1 and A66 roads . For similar reasons, certain airports , sea ports , bridges and tunnels have been designated as primary destinations. Conversely, some towns with a population of over 50,000 are not primary destinations, including Woking , Chatham and Cumbernauld . The status of both primary destinations and roads
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#1732837753229648-478: Is responsible for all 5,592 miles (8,999 km) roads. The pan-UK total is 15,260 miles (24,560 km). Whilst generally they are trunk roads, some motorways are the responsibility of local authorities, for example the M275 . Since 2008, location marker posts have appeared on motorways and major A roads in England, situated generally at intervals of 500 metres (though the units are not given). These repeat
702-548: Is the unit used on the US, Canadian and Irish rail systems. Miles per hour is also used on British rail systems, excluding trams, some light metro systems, the Channel Tunnel and High Speed 1 . Nautical and aeronautical applications favour the knot as a common unit of speed. (One knot is one nautical mile per hour, with a nautical mile being exactly 1,852 metres or about 6,076 feet.) In some countries mph may be used to express
756-505: Is unclear. Primary destinations are usually cities and large towns, to which, as a result of their size, a high volume of traffic is expected to go. However, in rural areas, smaller towns or villages may be given primary status if located at junctions of significant roads: for example, Llangurig in Wales and Crianlarich in Scotland . As a further example, Scotch Corner in northern England
810-532: Is unusual but examples can be found in all four countries in the UK. Each road is given a number which is combined with the prefix, for example M40 , A40 and B1110 , although their informal or traditional names may still be used or heard occasionally: for instance, the Great North Road (now part of the A1 ) and the Great Cambridge Road (modern A10 ). These numbers follow a zonal system . There
864-572: The A42 and A415 . A curious feature of the route was a 3-mile (4.8 km) gap between Benson, Oxfordshire and a point 1.2 miles (1.9 km) north west of Nuffield , which resulted from the construction of RAF Benson across the line of the road. The detour though Crowmarsh Gifford was designated the B479 and A4130 rather than A423. The last section of the Oxford Ring Road was completed in 1965, and
918-783: The A45 near Ryton . The other section of the A423 is part of the Oxford Ring Road between the A34 Hinksey Hill interchange and the A4142 /A4074 Heyford Hill roundabout, a distance of 1.4 miles (2.3 km). The section, carrying 50,000 vehicles per day, includes a bridge over the Cherwell Valley railway line and Hinksey Stream . The bridge is in need of replacement which is expected to cost £90 million with work starting in 2023 and completion in 2026. The replacement will include work for
972-581: The Campaign for Safe Road Design , which is calling on the UK Government to make safe road design a national transport priority. The earliest evidence of engineered roads dates back to the 1st century BC. A metalled and cambered road, 1.5 metres high and six metres wide, was unearthed at Bayston Hill quarry, near Shrewsbury . A timber road was preserved in peat in Geldeston , Norfolk , with tree rings suggesting
1026-488: The Highway Code applies. In Northern Ireland, the Highway Code for Northern Ireland applies. UK speed limits apply only to motor vehicles and are shown in mph . With a few exceptions, they are in multiples of 10, ranging from 20 miles per hour (32 km/h) to 70 miles per hour (113 km/h). Unless a lower speed limit is posted on a road, the national speed limit applies, which varies between class of vehicles and
1080-648: The M4 's Second Severn Crossing (officially 'The Prince of Wales Bridge') included tolls. However, after being closed for toll removal for three days, the bridge opened up again on 17 December starting with a formal ceremony. Toll payment was scrapped and it marked history as it is believed to be the first time in 400 years that the crossing will be free. Since the abolition of tolls on the Forth and Tay Road Bridges in 2008, there are no longer any toll roads in Scotland. In June 2008,
1134-636: The 1930s, both the Institution of Highway Engineers and The County Surveyors' Society had published plans for a network of high-speed roads, whilst the Minister of Transport , Leslie Burgin , also visited the autobahn under construction in Germany . Lancashire County Council proposed a new scheme for a motorway and it was agreed to go ahead. This was, however, postponed due to the start of World War II . During World War II, government plans were drawn up to create
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#17328377532291188-564: The A423 was rerouted away from the centre of Oxford to form part of the ring road. From 1971 to 1990 the A423 joined the then A423(M) motorway at Maidenhead. On the completion of the M42 motorway in the early 1980s, the phase of the A423 between Tamworth and Coventry became the A51 (to the A47 junction), B4098 between the A47 and Keresley and A4170 into Coventry. Subsequently, the A51 was curtailed at Kingsbury with
1242-628: The B4098 extending along the A4170 into Coventry City Centre. The final downgrading came in 1990 when the M40 motorway between Oxford and Birmingham was completed. The remainder of the route south of Banbury was renumbered to become parts of the A4260 , A4074 and A4130 , except for the part of the Oxford Ring Road between the A34 Hinksey Hill interchange and the A4142 /A4074 Heyford Hill roundabout. On this stretch of road, heading eastbound, drivers will notice
1296-579: The Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme, a bus lane and improvements in pedestrian and cyclist facilities. Its original route when first classified in 1922 was from Tamworth in Staffordshire to Oxford , terminating at Two Gates on the old A5. The road north continued as the A51. In the 1930s the route was extended from Oxford to Maidenhead in Berkshire , over parts of the former routes of
1350-648: The Road Safety Foundation reported that 30 per cent of the primary route network in Great Britain failed to rate as safe, and a quarter of all motorways were outside the safest risk band. In 2006, the 8-mile (13 km) Cat and Fiddle Road between Macclesfield and Buxton was named as Britain's most dangerous road. The single-carriageway road has been the scene of 43 fatal or serious collisions since 2001, nearly three-quarters of them involving motorcyclists. When collisions involving motorcyclists are removed from
1404-593: The Secretary of State — (a) in the case of a trunk road is of the opinion, and (b) in any other case after consultation with the traffic authority for the road comprised in the route is of the opinion, that it provides the most satisfactory route for through traffic between places of traffic importance A new standard was set in April 2015 to formally designate certain high-quality routes as Expressways , but whether this will result in any existing road classifications changing
1458-1010: The Treasury. Tolls or congestion charges are used for some major bridges and tunnels, for example the Dartford Crossing has a congestion charge. The M6 Toll , originally the Birmingham Northern Relief Road, is designed to relieve the M6 through Birmingham , which is one of the most heavily used roads in the country. There were two public toll roads (Roydon Road in Stanstead Abbots and College Road in Dulwich ) and about five private toll roads. Since 2006, congestion charging has been in operation in London and in Durham . Before 14 December 2018,
1512-489: The UK network conforms broadly to European norms, though a number of signs are unique to Britain and direction signs omit European route numbers. All length distances are shown in miles or yards, speed is in miles per hour whilst height and width restrictions are required to be shown in feet and inches (though the metric measurements may optionally also appear). In September 2007 the European Commission ruled that
1566-507: The UK, road safety policy is part of transport policy. "Transport 2010; The 10 Year Plan" states that the basic principle is that "people travel safely and feel secure whether they are on foot or bicycle, in a car, on a train, or bus, at sea or on a plane". The UK has a road network totalling about 262,300 miles (422,100 km) of paved roads—246,500 miles (396,700 km) in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and 15,800 miles (25,500 km) in Northern Ireland. Responsibility for
1620-923: The United Kingdom would never be required by them to convert signs to metric. The signage system currently in use was developed in the late 1950s and the early 1960s by the Anderson Committee, which established the motorway signing system, and by the Worboys Committee , which reformed signing for existing all-purpose (non-motorway) roads. It was introduced in 1965 and is governed by the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions . Signs may be of an informative, warning or instructional nature. Instructional signs are generally circular, warnings are triangular and informative signs are rectangular or square. Motorway informative signs use white text on
1674-588: The analysis, the A61 between Barnsley and Wakefield was found to be the most dangerous road in Britain. Between 2003 and 2006, the most improved safety record was for the A453 from the A38 to Tamworth in Staffordshire . This rural single carriageway saw an 88 per cent drop in the number of fatal or serious collisions in the last six years, taking it from a medium risk road to one of
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1728-427: The appointment of enclosure commissioners. Commissioners were given authorisation to replace old roads and country lanes with new roads that were wider and straighter than those they replaced. Straight roads of early origin, if not Roman were probably enclosure roads. They were established in the period between 1750 and 1850. The high cost of tolls, on the turnpikes, caused social unrest in Wales . A protest against
1782-582: The distance sign showing the name A423 and its original final destination of Maidenhead. Traffic for Maidenhead is now directed onto the A40/ M40 via High Wycombe. 52°13′25″N 1°23′16″W / 52.22363°N 1.3878°W / 52.22363; -1.3878 Primary road The United Kingdom has a well developed and extensive network of roads totalling about 262,300 miles (422,100 km). Road distances are shown in miles or yards and UK speed limits are indicated in miles per hour (mph) or by
1836-681: The end of the Turnpike trusts , roads have been funded from taxation. Two new vehicle duties were introduced—the locomotive duty and the trade cart duty in the 1888 budget . Since 1910, the proceeds of road vehicle excise duties were dedicated to fund the building and maintenance of the road system. From 1920 to 1937, most roads in the United Kingdom were funded from the Road Fund using taxes raised from fuel duty and Vehicle Excise Duty . Since 1937, roads have been funded from general taxation with all motoring duties, including VAT , being paid directly to
1890-535: The information given on the co-sited surveyors' marker post which, since the 1960s, have reported distances on such roads in kilometres from a datum—usually the start of the road, or the planned start-point of the road. Numbered roads in the UK are signed as M (Motorway), A, or B roads (legal "classification" varies between countries), as well as various categories of more minor roads: for internal purposes, local authorities may also use C, D and U (the letter standing for "Unclassified"); use of C and U numbers on signs
1944-449: The legal framework remain under the control of the United Kingdom parliament . Although some roads have much older origins, the network was heavily developed from the 1950s to the mid-1990s to meet the demands of modern traffic. Construction of roads has become increasingly problematic with various opposition groups such as direct action campaigns and environmentalists . There are various ongoing and planned road building projects . In
1998-506: The major roads. After complaints about the first tram companies damaging the road surface, Parliament introduced the Tramways Act 1870 ( 33 & 34 Vict. c. 78), making tram companies responsible for the maintenance of the shared surface of the tramway and several feet either side, as a condition of being granted a licence. This was a popular move as maintenance was removed from the public purse. The local authority could also purchase
2052-625: The network, until around 180 AD when the known network was complete. Few Roman roads extended into Scotland due to their inability to subjugate the local population. Part of the Scottish Lowlands came under Roman control in 142 AD, and the Antonine Wall was constructed on the northern boundary. However, the Roman legions withdrew in 164 AD to their former northern boundary, Hadrian's Wall . The primary function of Roman roads
2106-561: The road network differs between trunk and non-trunk routes. Trunk roads, which are the most important roads, are administered by National Highways in England , Transport Scotland in Scotland , the North and Mid Wales Trunk Road Agent , and South Wales Trunk Road Agent in Wales . England's 4,300 miles (6,920 km) of trunk roads account for 33% of all road travel and 50% of lorry travel. Scotland has 2,174 miles (3,499 km) (about 7% of
2160-513: The safest. According to the Foundation, this has been achieved by introducing traffic lights, speed limit reductions and village pedestrian facilities. Research undertaken in July 2008 has shown that investment in a safe road infrastructure programme could yield a one-third reduction in road deaths, saving as much as £6 billion per year. A consortium of 13 major road safety stakeholders have formed
2214-625: The start of the programmes. In 1930, responsibility for all roads was vested in the county councils. The first inter-urban new road built in the UK was the East Lancs Road , which was built between 1929 and 1934 at a cost of £8 million. For the first time since the Roman occupation , the Ministry of Transport took direct control of the core road network through the Trunk Roads Act 1936 . During
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2268-511: The tolls that became known as the Rebecca Riots took place, in Wales, between 1839 and 1843. The riots ceased after some ringleaders, John Jones (Shoni Sguborfawr) and David Davies (Dai'r Cantwr) , were convicted and transported to Australia . Following several attempts at reform, detrunking began in the 1860s with the last trust ending in 1885. The protests prompted several reforms, including
2322-545: The total roads in Scotland), accounting for 35% of all road journeys and over 50% of lorry movements. Wales has 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of trunk roads. In London , Transport for London is responsible for all trunk roads and other major roads, which are part of the Transport for London Road Network . All other roads are the responsibility of the relevant county council or unitary authority . In Northern Ireland , DfI Roads
2376-502: The type of road. In a built-up area (usually indicated by street lights), unless signs indicate otherwise, a limit of 30 miles per hour (48 km/h) applies. Other limits are shown in the table. For a road to be classed as a dual carriageway, the two directions of traffic flow must be physically separated by a central reservation . Enforcement of UK road speed limits increasingly uses speed guns , automated in-vehicle systems and automated roadside traffic cameras . After
2430-469: The urgency of the problem of dealing with the expected massive growth in road traffic, the damage it could cause to our towns and cities if unplanned, the eventual need for demand management but with implications of restricting the mass of the population from doing something they didn't see as wrong, and of the inevitable need for a change in policy as the social costs increased. Miles per hour Miles per hour ( mph , m.p.h. , MPH , or mi/h )
2484-456: The use of rivers as a system of transportation. Many of these roadways were developed as a result of trading of goods and services, such as wool , sheep , cattle and salt . They linked together market towns , towns with bridges , harbours and ports. Other roadways developed to meet the needs of pilgrims visiting shrines , such as Walsingham , and for transporting corpses from isolated communities to local graveyards . The Icknield Way
2538-416: The use of the national speed limit (NSL) symbol. Some vehicle categories have various lower maximum limits enforced by speed limiters . A unified numbering system is in place for Great Britain , whilst in Northern Ireland , there is no available explanation for the allocation of road numbers. The earliest specifically engineered roads were built during the prehistoric British Iron Age . The road network
2592-401: The whole line at a later date at a discount, or force the tram company to reinstate the road. The Roads Act 1920 brought in the Road Fund , with the government receiving revenue from excise duty on road vehicles and from the sale of licences for horse-drawn carriages and driving licences . As road traffic began to grow, the condition of the road network became an issue, with most of it in
2646-509: Was authorised by the Highways Act 1663 for a section of the Great North Road in Hertfordshire . The first turnpike trust was established by the Parliament of England through a Turnpike Act in 1706. Scotland continued to maintain its own Parliament until the Acts of Union 1707 , when the two parliaments merged to form the Kingdom of Great Britain . In the second half of the 18th century, turnpike trusts became numerous, with trusts also set up in Wales and lowland Scotland. This expansion
2700-462: Was expanded during the Roman occupation . Some of these roads still remain to this day. New roads were added in the Middle Ages and from the 17th century onwards. Whilst control has been transferred between local and central bodies, current management and development of the road network is shared between local authorities , the devolved administrations of Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland , and National Highways in England. Certain aspects of
2754-408: Was facilitated by the ability to use mortgages to fund the work. By 1821 there were 18,000 miles (29,000 km) of turnpike roads in England, with 1,000 trusts by 1845. Also, in England, the process of land owners enclosing land had been happening since medieval times. During the 17th century a practice developed of obtaining authorisation by Act of Parliament . The statutory process included
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#17328377532292808-453: Was one of four highways that appear in the literature of the 1130s. Henry of Huntingdon wrote that the Ermine Street , Fosse Way , Watling Street and Icknield Way had been constructed by royal authority. The first legislated control in England was introduced under the Highways Act 1555 . Road rates were introduced in England and Wales in the 17th century. The first turnpike road, whereby travellers paid tolls to be used for road upkeep,
2862-409: Was recruited from areas of high unemployment and adjoining areas, and men with dependants. Two unemployment relief programmes were run, the first from 1920 to 1925 and the second from 1929 to 1930. Government grants were limited to trunk roads and bridges, with the money coming from the Road Fund. Some 500 miles (800 km) of bypasses were built by 1935, about half of what was originally planned at
2916-413: Was to allow the rapid movement of troops and military supplies, but it also provided vital infrastructure for trade and the transport of goods. The roads were paved, a first for the island, and could carry heavy goods in all weathers. Following the Roman withdrawal from Britain, road maintenance became a very ad hoc activity. A network of roadways was developed in Britain in the Middle Ages to supplement
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