Motorway Beginning • to Take Shape
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DESPITE the heavy rainfall this summer, the contractors building Britain's first motorway have been forging ahead with their work to keep to a rigid schedule of progress. The link between London and Birmingham was started only five months ago, but a pattern has already been formed on the 14-mile St. Albans By-pass section.
Nearly 3m. tons of earth have now been moved, and last week trains of concrete-laying machines were putting down the first lengths of finisheecarriageway. Two strips are laid, one 26 ft. wide and the other 12 ft. Meanwhile, two batchmixing concrete plants are turning out 1,230 Cu. yd. of concrete a day for delivery by side-tipping vehicles.
In this 14 miles of motorway, 26 bridges have to be built, and 22 of them are well under way. To complete the project by the scheduled date of October 31, 1959, the contractors must build a mile of road each month with an overall width of 112 ft.
For the most part there will be three traffic lanes, and entry to the motorway en route will be restricted to three points where two-level construction will prevent any interference with the flow of traffic.
Further north, a modified clover leaf junction is being formed with the A5, and 52,000 tons of earth are being moved each week to facilitate this arrangement. Where the A6 is joined, an elevated roundabout is being constructed.
Mr. Harold Watkinson, Minister of Transport, believes that Britain's motorways will be an improvement on their American and Continental counterparts.
END OF TROLLEYBUSES?
NO new trolleybuses will be bought by Belfast Corporation if the transport committee accepts a recommendation by Mr. Joseph Mackle, general manager. He has suggested that the entire Ormeau route should be converted to motorbus operation. Replacement of the 14 tralleybuses now serving the route would cost about £96,500.