Motorways in Four Year Road Scheme
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Motor Roads from London to Yorkshire and Preston to Birmingham Included in Government Programme : Tolls May be Charged
BRITAIN'S start with motorways restricted to commercial vehicles and cars was announced by the Minister of Transport last week. They are to be built from London to Yorkshire and from Preston ) north of Birmingham, at a cost of at least £65m. Tolls may be levied
n them.
The Government's £300m. programme for the next four years includes 2 schemes of road improvements and bridge reconstruction, eight of tern on the Great North Road. After this programme will come others.
the Northamptonshire Warwickshire boundary about N miles south of Rugby, and finishing at the eastern end of Dunchurch by-pass. Beyond this point, Birmingham traffic will use A 45. which will have dual carriageways, together with by-passes at Dunchurch and Meriden.
Later, the motorway will be extended to a point near Doncaster, linking with Doncaster by-pass, and will have a spur to Sheffield. It win provide an alternative route for traffic now using the Great North Road.
Throughout its length the motorway will have two carriageways, separated by a central strip and flanked by grass verges. On the first section to the Midlands, the carriageways will be 36 ft. wide; on the second section to Doncaster, they will be 24 ft. wide.
the four-year period a start is to made with crossing the Firth of h. The latest scheme—a tube across the bed of the river and led there—is being submitted to the authorities concerned.
fr. Boyd-Carpenter, Minister of nsport, announced his intentions to House of Commons in a long statet. The Government, he said, were king to plans which would take a I many years to complete, but were nded to provide this country with tp-to-date road system. The plans ided both entirely new motor roads an "ordered series" of major and or works on existing through routes. idividual items had been planned, said, so that when they were all pleted, the roads concerned would been turned into up-to-date highs, Construction of new roads took e time to begin, and consequently work done in the early years of the ramme must necessarily be mainly onnection with the improvement of ting routes.
Urgent Schemes
he Government's irrunediate pronme consisted of items which were ;ed to be of the greatest urgency relieving congestion, particularly of [strial traffic, and for promoting ty.
?eaking of Scotland, he said they ed to deal with the Inverness river ge in 1956-7. It would be mmitted" in that year. The special Wands road programme would be fpletcd, and there would be a subtial increase in the work being done he Crofter Counties scheme.
here were certain major projects of ortal importance which should be ly for commitments after three s. They would be works of great :nitude and the cost would be rmidable."
Indeed, to enable us to proceed as dly as we should like," said Mr. d-Carpenter, "the Government have nind that Lolls should be charged in Ible cases. This will enable the hequer to get back something on money put up and will, of course, d de provision for sharing between Exchequer and local authorities, where the latter had also put up money."
The London-Yorkshire motor road will be 150 miles long. The first part, nearly 70 miles long, will extend from St. Albans by-pass to a point near Rugby, with a spur road for traffic to Birmingham. It. will lie to the west of Luton and enter Northamptonshire near Hanslope. It will cross A 45 halfway between Weedon and Northampton, and reach A5 about 1le miles north of Ashby St. Ledgers.
At this point the Birmingham spur will strike out westwards, crossing
The road will be carried over or under all existing roads and at important junctions there will be fly-overs or under-passes, with connecting roads designed to keep traffic flowing smoothly. Where conditions are suitable, the fly-over junction may have two-sided access. At other junctions. roundabouts may be built above or below the road on the level of the existing road. Footpaths and occupational crossings also will have to be carried over or under the motor road.
it may become the subject to toll— it is a good example, in official eyes,