The A2 at Leyton Cross. The A2 is a major road in southern England, connecting London with the English Channel port of Dover in Kent.

The United Kingdom road network is an extensive network of routes connecting its settlements. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A road is an identifiable route, way or path between two or more places. A settlement is a general term used in Archeology, Landscape history and other subjects for a permanent or temporary community in which people live which avoids being The network is of varied quality and capacity. It was subject to major development from the 1950s to the mid-1990s. From then construction of roads has become increasingly controversial with direct action campaigns by environmentalists in opposition. In the fields of Architecture and Civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the Building or assembling of Infrastructure Direct action is political action which happens outside normal political channels via indirect actions such as electing representatives. Environmentalism is a broad philosophy and Social movement centered on a concern for the conservation and improvement of the environment.

The earliest roads specifically engineered were during the Roman occupation. Roman Britain refers to those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between AD 43 and 410 Some of these survive and others were lost. New roads were added in the medieval period and from the 17th century onwards. Whilst control has been transferred from local to central bodies and back again, currently management and development of the road network is shared between local authorities, the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and the Highways Agency. Local governments are administrative offices that are smaller than a State. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of The Highways Agency is an Executive agency, part of the Department for Transport in the United Kingdom. Certain aspects of the legal framework remain under the competence of the United Kingdom parliament. The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories

The United Kingdom uses the imperial system for indicated distances (generally miles, yards for road distances; and feet and inches for clearances) and speed limits (miles per hour). Imperial units or the Imperial system is a collection of units first defined in the British Weights and Measures Act of 1824

A unified numbering system is in place for Great Britain, whilst Northern Ireland has its own system. The Great Britain road numbering scheme is a Numbering system used to classify and identify all Roads in Great Britain. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of

History

Roman Britain

See also: Roman roads in Britain

The earliest roads, built in the first phase of Roman occupation (the Julio-Claudian period 43–68), 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. Roman roads, together with Roman aqueducts and the vast standing Roman Army (in the 2nd century c The Julio-Claudian Dynasty refers to the first five Roman Emperors: Augustus (Octavian Tiberius, Caligula (Gaius Claudius, and Chichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, England. It has a long history as a settlement its Roman past and its subsequent importance Richborough ( pronounced /ˈrɪtʃb(ərə/ is a settlement north of Sandwich on the east coast of the county of Kent, England. Colchester ( /ˈkəʊltʃɛstə/ is a town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester, in Essex, England. Camulodunum is the Roman name for the ancient settlement which is today's Colchester, a town in Essex, England. Lincoln (ˈlɪŋkən is a Cathedral city and County town of Lincolnshire, England. Lindum Colonia (otherwise simply Lindum or more formally Colonia Domitiana Lindensium) was a town in the Roman province of Britannia. See also Wroxeter (disambiguation Wroxeter (pronounced "Rock-Sitter" is a Village in the county of Shropshire, England, on Viroconium Cornoviorum, or simply Viroconium, was a Roman town one corner of which is now occupied by the small Village of Wroxeter in the Gloucester (ˈɡlɒstɚ) is a city, district and County town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Exeter ( (IPA ˈeksɪtər is a city, district and County town of Devon, England. ^[1] As Roman influence expanded, so did the network, until around 180 A. D. 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 A. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. The Scottish Lowlands ( a' Ghalldachd, meaning roughly 'the non-Gaelic region' in Gaelic, and called Lawlands or Lallans in Scots D. and the Antonine Wall was constructed on the northern boundary; however the Roman legions withdrew in 164 A. The Antonine Wall is a stone and turf Fortification, built by the Romans across what is now the Central belt of Scotland D. to their former northern boundary, Hadrian's Wall. Hadrian's Wall ( Latin: perhaps Vallum Aelium, "the Aelian wall" is a stone and turf Fortification built by the Roman

The primary function of Roman Roads 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. ^[2] Following the Roman withdrawal from Britain, road maintenance became a very ad-hoc activity.

Medieval roads

See also: Corpse road, Drovers' road, and Salt Road

A network of roadways was developed in Britain in the Medieval period to supplement the use of rivers as a system of transportation. Corpse roads provided a practical means for transporting corpses often from remote communities to cemeteries that had burial rights such as parish churches and chapels A drovers' road, drove or droveway is an ancient route for driving Livestock on foot from one place to another such as to market or between A Salt Road (Route du Sel is any of the prehistoric and historical Trade routes by which essential Salt has been transported to regions that Many of these roadways were developed as a result of trading of goods and services, such as wool, sheep, cattle and salt. Wool is the fiber derived from the specialized skin cells called follicles of animals in the Caprinae family principally sheep, but the hair of certain species Cattle, colloquially referred to as cows, are domesticated Ungulates a member of the Subfamily Bovinae of the family Salt is a Dietary mineral composed primarily of Sodium chloride that is essential for Animal life but toxic to most land plants They linked together, market towns, towns with bridges, harbours and ports. Market town or market right is a legal term originating in the Medieval period for a European settlement that has the right to hold Markets A bridge is a Structure built to span a Gorge, Valley, Road, railroad track, River, Body of water Other roadways developed to meet the needs of pilgrims visiting shrines, such as Walsingham; and for transporting corpses from isolated communities to local graveyards. A pilgrim is one who undertakes a Pilgrimage, literally 'far afield' A shrine, from the Latin scrinium (‘box’ also used as a desk like the French bureau) was originally a container usually made of precious materials used This refers to the English village for other uses see Walsingham (disambiguation Walsingham is a Village (actually two conjoined A cadaver or corpse is a dead Body. "Cadaver" is normally used as a more formal term for a body being used in medical training or research A graveyard is any place set aside for long-term burial of the dead with or without monuments such as Headstones It is usually located near and administered by a

Pre 20th century

See also: Turnpike trust and History of toll roads in the United Kingdom

The first legislated control in England was introduced under the Highways Act 1555. Turnpike trusts in the United Kingdom were bodies set up by Act of Parliament, with powers to collect road tolls for maintaining the principal highways The history of toll roads in the United Kingdom has several phases with periods between when there were few (or no toll roads England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The Highways Act 1555 (2 & 3 Ph & Mary c 8 sometimes the First Statute of Highways, was an Act of Parliament of the Parliament of England passed in ^[3] Road rates were introduced in England and Wales in the seventeenth century. The first turnpike road, whereby travellers paid tolls to be used for road upkeep, was authorised by the Highways Act 1663 for a section of the Great North Road in Hertfordshire. Hertfordshire (ˈhɑːtfədʃə(r, abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of ^[4][3] The first turnpike trust was established by the Parliament of England through a Turnpike Act in 1706. Turnpike trusts in the United Kingdom were bodies set up by Act of Parliament, with powers to collect road tolls for maintaining the principal highways The Parliament of England was the Legislature of the Kingdom of England. 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. The Acts of Union were a pair of Parliamentary Acts passed during 1706 and 1707 by the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland to put into The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a State in northwest Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1800

In the second half of the eighteenth century turnpike trusts became numerous; with trusts also set up in Wales and Lowland Scotland. ^[5] This expansion was facilitated by the ability to use mortgages to fund the work. A mortgage is the pledging of a property to a Lender as a security for a Mortgage loan. ^[5]

By 1821 there was 18,000 miles (28,968 km) of turnpike roads in England, with 1,000 trusts by 1845^[6] Following several attempts at reform, detrunking began in the 1860s with the last trust ending in 1885. A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand ^[3] The Local Government Act 1888 created county councils and gave them responsibility for maintaining the major roads. The Local Government Act 1888 (51 & 52 Vict c 41 was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1888 and established County councils and County borough ^[6] After complaints about the first tram companies damaging the road surface, Parliament introduced the Tramways Act 1870, 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. Tram systems were common throughout the industrialized world in the late 19th and early 20th centuries but they disappeared from many cities in the mid-20th century The Tramways Act was an important step in the development of urban transport in Britain A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a Train ^[7] This was a popular move as maintenance was removed from the public purse. Parliament could also purchase the whole line at a later date at a discount, or force the tram company to reinstate the road.

1900-1950

See also: Vehicle excise duty and driving licence

The Road Act of 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. Vehicle Excise Duty (VED is a British Excise duty, which has to be paid to acquire a Vehicle licence for most types of Motor vehicle. A driver's license, driver license, driver licence, or driving licence is an official document which states that a person may operate a Vehicle Excise Duty (VED is a British Excise duty, which has to be paid to acquire a Vehicle licence for most types of Motor vehicle. Excise or Excise tax (sometimes called an excise duty) is a type of Tax charged on goods produced within the country (as opposed to Customs duties A driver's license, driver license, driver licence, or driving licence is an official document which states that a person may operate a ^[8] As road traffic began to grow the condition of the road network became an issue, with most of it in a poor state of repair. ^[9] The new Ministry of Transport created a classification system for the important routes connecting large population centres or for through traffic, during the 1920s with the definitive list being published in 1926/7. In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport (or DfT) ( Welsh: Adran am Drafnidiaeth) is the government department ^[10][11]

High unemployment after the end of World War I led the Minister of Transport providing grant funding to the County Councils to improve roads, particularly where labour was recruited from areas of high unemployment and adjoining areas; and men with dependants. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All A County council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a County. Two unemployment relief programmes were run, the first from 1920 to 1925 and the second from 1929 to 1930. ^[8] Government grants were limited to truck roads and bridges; with the money coming from the Road Fund. ^[8] Some 500 miles of by passes were built by 1935, about half of what was originally planned at the start of the programmes. A bypass is a Road or Highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area town or village to let through Traffic flow without interference from ^[8] In 1930, responsibility for all roads was vested in the County councils. ^[3] 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. The A580 is a primary A road in England that connects Manchester and Liverpool or the Liverpool-East Lancashire Road ^[5][12]

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. Roman Britain refers to those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between AD 43 and 410 ^[13] During the 1930s both the Institution of Highway Engineers and The County Surveyors' Society had published plans for a network of high speed roads,^[14] whilst the Minister of Transport Leslie Burgin, also visited the autobahn under construction in Germany. The Secretary of State for Transport is the member of the cabinet responsible for the British Department for Transport. Edward Leslie Burgin (1887 &ndash 1945 was a British Liberal National politician in the 1930s (German ˈaʊtoːbaːn plural Autobahnen; English /ˈɔːtəʊbɑːn/ is the German word for a major high- Speed Road restricted to motor Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Lancashire County Council proposed a new scheme for a motorway and it was agreed to go ahead. Lancashire County Council is the upper-tier Local authority for the Non-metropolitan county of Lancashire, England. This was, however, postponed due to the start of World War II. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including ^[15]

During World War II government plans were drawn up to create a new network of high speed routes across the country. ^[9] 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. The Special Roads Act 1949 (c32 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that Authorised the construction of Special roads *Allowed

1950-1980

In 1958 the first motorway was opened as the Preston Bypass, now part of the M6 motorway. This article concerns the M6 motorway in England There are also M6 motorways in Russia (see Caspian Highway) Hungary (see M6 motorway ^[16] The first major motorway to open was the M1 between Crick and Berrygrove. The M1 is a major south – north Motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where Crick is a village in the Daventry district of the county of Northamptonshire in England. ^[16] From then onwards, motorways opened on a regular basis right into the 1980s;^[17] by 1972 the first 1,000 miles (1,609 km) of motorway had been built. A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand ^[18] The 1968-9 Ministry of Transport report Roads in England planned to complement the new interurban routes with £1bn of new urban trunk roads outside London in order to "alleviate traffic congestion", complemented by parking controls, traffic management and public transport. ^[19]

Whilst roads outside urban areas continued to be built throughout the 1970s, the urban routes soon ran into opposition. Plans by the Greater London Council for a series of ringways were cancelled following extensive protests and a rise in costs. The Greater London Council (GLC was the top-tier Local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986 The London Ringways were a series of four ring roads planned in the 1960s to circle London at various distances from the city centre ^[20]

Whilst work on planning motorways in Northern Ireland had begun prior to the Second World War, the legal authority for motorways was not provided for until the Special Roads Act (Northern Ireland) 1963, similar to that in the 1949 Act. ^[21] The first motorway to open was the M1 motorway in 1962, though did so under temporary powers until the Special Roads Act had been passed. This page refers to the M1 in Northern Ireland For other uses see M1 The M1 is a Motorway in Northern Ireland. ^[22] Work on the motorways continued until the 1970s when the oil crisis and The Troubles both intervened causing the abandonment of many schemes. The 1973 oil crisis began on October 17 1973 when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC consisting of the Arab members of ^[23]

1980s-1990s

See also: Road protest (UK)

The Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher from 1979 adopted a pro roads policy. Road protest in the United Kingdom usually occurs as a reaction to a stated intention by the empowered authorities to build a new Road, or to modify an existing The Premiership of Margaret Thatcher began on 4 May, 1979, with a mandate to reverse the UK's economic decline and to reduce the role of the state During this period numerous road upgrades were built and the M25 motorway was completed. To see information about the M25 motorway under construction in Ireland, see N25 road. In 1989 it announced a large-scale roads programme (stated to be the largest since the Romans) in the Roads for Prosperity White Paper. A white paper is an authoritative report or guide that often addresses problems and how to solve them It proposed 500 road schemes at a cost of £23 billion and foresaw an increase of road traffic of 142 percent cent by 2025. The Pound Sterling ( symbol £; ISO code: GBP) subdivided into 100 pence (singular penny) is the Currency ^[24] It would have involved the doubling of the trunk road capacity with around 150 bypasses being built, caricatured in later years as predict and provide, whereby the government predicted the required capacity in forthcoming years and built roads to match. A bypass is a Road or Highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area town or village to let through Traffic flow without interference from ^[25] From 1985 to 1995, the road network expanded by 24,000 miles (38,624 km). ^[26]

The M3 motorway cutting at Twyford Down. The M3 motorway is a Motorway in Hampshire and Surrey, England.

This road building programme continued into the start of the Premiership of John Major. Sir John Major KG CH ACIB (born 29 March 1943 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom In the early 1990s the government decided to complete the M3 motorway by building a six lane road in a cutting through Twyford Down. The M3 motorway is a Motorway in Hampshire and Surrey, England. In Civil engineering, a cutting or cut is where part of a hill or mountain is cut out to make way for a road or rail line Twyford Down is a small area of ancient chalk Downland lying directly to the southeast of Winchester, Hampshire, England. This attracted the first direct action protests against a major road in the country. Direct action is political action which happens outside normal political channels via indirect actions such as electing representatives. Construction work was delayed considerably and large amounts of publicity was obtained by anti roads protesters. ^[27] The Newbury bypass saw some of the largest protests against a road in the UK. The Newbury bypass, officially known as 'The Winchester-Preston Trunk Road (A34 (Newbury Bypass' is a stretch of Dual carriageway Road which bypasses Proposed originally in the 1980s, the bypass was subject to strong support and opposition. ^[28] Also in this time frame, there was considerable protest against the upgrade of the A12 in London. The M11 link road protest was an anti-road campaign in London, United Kingdom in the early 1990s Costs increased rapidly on many of the roads built with the A12 showing a 100% increase and the Newbury bypass being 50% over budget. ^[29]

By 1994, following the recession of the early 1990s, progress on road upgrades had slowed and the government was stating that the road network was "broadly complete". This is a history of the economy of the United Kingdom and of the countries that joined to form it in 1707 and 1801 ^[30] The Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment had also concluded in 1994 that building new roads simply generated more traffic, and was therefore largely self-defeating. ^[31] In 1996 the total length of motorways reached 2,000 miles (3,219 km). ^[32]

After the election of the Labour government in 1997, most road schemes were cancelled^[33][34] and problem areas of the road network subject to multi-modal studies to investigate non-road alternatives, following the introduction of the A New Deal for Trunk Roads in England White Paper. Modal share, or Modal split, is a traffic / transport term which describes the percentage of travellers using a particular type of transportation ^[35]

The final motorway in Northern Ireland opened in 1994 as the M3 motorway. This page refers to the M3 in Northern Ireland For other uses see M3 The M3 is an urban Motorway 0 ^[36]

In 1998, it was proposed to transfer parts of the English trunk road network to local councils, retaining central control for the network connecting major population centres, ports, airports, key cross-border links and the Trans-European Road Network. The Trans-European road network ( TERN) was defined by Council Decision 93/629/EEC of October 29, 1993, and is a project to improve the internal Road ^[37] Around 40% of the network was transferred to local authorities. ^[13]

Traffic has increased by 80% between 1980 and 2005 whilst road capacity has increased by 10%. ^[38]

Classification and administration

Main articles: Great Britain road numbering scheme and Motorway

See also: List of primary destinations on the United Kingdom road network

The colour scheme used to denote a primary route. The Great Britain road numbering scheme is a Numbering system used to classify and identify all Roads in Great Britain. Motorway is a term for both a type of Road and a classification or designation

Roads in the UK are classified into M (Motorway), A,^[10] B,^[10] C roads,^[39] D and U^[39] roads, the later being for Unclassified. Motorway is a term for both a type of Road and a classification or designation Each of the roads are given a number which is combined with the prefix, for example M40, A40 and B3130. The M40 Motorway is a motorway in the English Transport network that connects London to Birmingham. For other uses see A40, for details of the A40 in london see A40 road (London. Roads in Great Britain are numbered according to a zonal system. The Great Britain road numbering scheme is a Numbering system used to classify and identify all Roads in Great Britain. ^[40] There is no available explanation for the allocation of road numbers in Northern Ireland. ^[41] Motorways are used for the majority of the major inter-urban routes and are designed to carry long distance traffic. Between them is the primary road network, which are A roads. A primary road is defined as:^[42]

Primary destinations

Main article: List of primary destinations on the United Kingdom road network

Primary destinations are usually cities and large towns, where a lot of traffic is expected to head towards. In more rural areas, smaller towns tend to be awarded primary status. In some cases, a small village is used as a primary destination as it is situated at an important road junction, for example Llangurig in Wales and Crianlarich in Scotland. Llangurig is a Village in Powys, within the historic county boundaries of Montgomeryshire, Mid Wales, lying on the River Crianlarich ( A' Chrìon Làraich in Gaelic) is a village in Stirling district Scotland, about six miles north-east of the head of Loch Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Scotch Corner in northern England is not even a village - just a hotel and a few other buildings - and yet has the status of a primary destination, due to its location at the interchange of the A1 and A66. Scotch Corner ( is an important junction of the A1 and A66 trunk roads near Richmond North Yorkshire, England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The A66 is a major road in northern England which in part follows the course of the Roman road from Scotch Corner to Penrith. In addition, some airports, sea ports, bridges and tunnels are primary destinations as they attract a lot of traffic. An airport is a location where Aircraft such as airplanes, Helicopters and blimps take off and land ||-||-|-||-||-||-||-||-||-|} A port is a facility for receiving Ships and transferring cargo A bridge is a Structure built to span a Gorge, Valley, Road, railroad track, River, Body of water A tunnel is an underground passageway The definition of what constitutes a tunnel is not universally agreed upon

The status of both primary destinations and roads is maintained by the Department for Transport in combination with the Highways Agency in England and Wales and the Scottish Executive in Scotland. In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport (or DfT) ( Welsh: Adran am Drafnidiaeth) is the government department The Highways Agency is an Executive agency, part of the Department for Transport in the United Kingdom. History The Roman occupation of Britain was the first period in which the area of present-day England and Wales was administered as a single unit (with the exception The Scottish Government (SG ( Scottish Gaelic: Riaghaltas na h-Alba) is the executive arm of the government of Scotland. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. The concept of primary roads was introduced in the 1960s as part of a national reclassification of roads. ^[10]

Connecting primary routes are non primary roads, which can be classified as A,B,C or U.

Responsibilities

Responsibility for the road network is primarily defined between trunk and non trunk routes. A trunk road, trunk highway, or strategic road is a major Road &mdashusually connecting two or more cities, Ports Airports Trunk roads, which are the most important roads, are administered by the Highways Agency in England, Transport Scotland and Department of Economy and Transport in Wales. The Highways Agency is an Executive agency, part of the Department for Transport in the United Kingdom. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Transport Scotland was created on 1 January 2006 as the national transport agency of Scotland. ^[43] In England there are 6,500 miles (10,461 km) which account for 33% of all road travel and 50% of lorry travel,^[44] Scotland has 2,174 miles (3,499 km)^[45] (about 7% of the total roads in Scotland) accounting for 35% of all road journeys and over 50% of lorry movements^[46] and Wales has 1,000 miles (1,600 km). This article is about the semi-truck For the North American use of the word see Pickup truck. ^[47] 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. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Transport for London ( TfL) is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the Transport system in Greater London in England. London Streets (known as Street Management until April 2007 is an arm of Transport for London (TfL which is responsible for managing the main through routes in London ^[43] All other roads are the responsibility of the relevant local authorities, which is normally the County Council but can be a unitary authority. See also Independent city A unitary authority is a type of Local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all Local government functions ^[43] In Northern Ireland, the Roads Service Northern Ireland is responsible for all 5,592 miles (8,999 km) roads in the province. Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of ^[48][43] The pan-British total is 24,559 km.

Whilst generally they are trunk roads, several motorways are the responsibility of local authorities, for example the M275. The M275 is a two-mile long dual three-lane Motorway in the county of Hampshire, southern England. ^[49]

Road taxes

Main article: Motoring taxation in the United Kingdom

The toll plaza on the M6 Toll at Great Wyrley. Motoring Taxation in the United Kingdom comes in a variety of forms A toll road, (also known as a tollway, turnpike, pike, or toll highway, especially if it is constructed to Freeway standards The M6 Toll (or Birmingham North Relief Road, or BNRR, or Midland Expressway) connects M6 Junction 4 at the NEC to M6 Junction 11A at Great Wyrley is a Parish and Village in South Staffordshire, in the county of Staffordshire, England.

Nearly all motorised vehicles in the United Kingdom are required to have a vehicle licence on display. A valid vehicle licence is required by Law in some countries to be displayed on any registered Motor vehicle if it is to be used or kept on a Public road ^[50] Fuel for motor vehicles is subject to fuel duty which is levied before adding VAT to the total cost per litre. Hydrocarbon oil duty is the name given to the Excise duty levied on oils (mainly road vehicle fuels in the United Kingdom. Value added tax ( VAT) or goods and services tax ( GST) is a consumption Tax levied on value added. The litre or liter (see spelling differences) is a unit of Volume. ^[51] Until the early 21st century tolls were generally only applied to major bridges and tunnels, for example the Dartford Crossing^[52] & Forth Road Bridge. The Dartford Crossing joins Dartford and Thurrock across the River Thames, to the east of London. The Forth Road Bridge is a Suspension bridge in east central Scotland ^[53] There were also only two public toll roads (Roydon Road in Stanstead Abbots and College Road in Dulwich) together with another five or so private toll-roads. Stanstead Abbotts is a small village on the East Hertfordshire border surrounded by other towns such as Ware, Hertford, Hoddesdon, Amwell This article is about Dulwich in London Dulwich South Australia is a suburb of Adelaide. The UK's first privately operated motorway opened in 2003. 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. The M6 Toll (or Birmingham North Relief Road, or BNRR, or Midland Expressway) connects M6 Junction 4 at the NEC to M6 Junction 11A at ^[54] In 2005, the Government published proposals for a UK wide road pricing scheme. Road pricing is an economic concept regarding the various direct charges applied for the use of Roads The road charges includes Fuel taxes licence fees This was designed to be revenue neutral with other motoring taxes to be reduced to compensate. ^[55] The plans have been extremely controversial with 1. 8 million people signing a petition against them. ^[56]

Congestion charges

Main articles: London congestion charge and Manchester congestion charge

England's first modern-day congestion charge was introduced in Durham in October 2002. The London congestion charge is a fee for some motorists travelling within those parts of London designated as the Congestion Charge Zone (CCZ ^[57] In London, vehicles entering parts of Central & West London are required to pay a daily charge under the London congestion charge. The term Central London refers to the districts of London England which are considered closest to the centre West London is the area of Greater London to the west of Central London. The London congestion charge is a fee for some motorists travelling within those parts of London designated as the Congestion Charge Zone (CCZ The power to introduce a form of congestion charge was given to any future mayor in the Greater London Authority Act 1999. The Greater London Authority Act 1999 (1999 c 29 is the Act of Parliament that established the Greater London Authority, the London Assembly ^[58] Having won the first mayoral election in 2000, Ken Livingstone opted to exercise these powers as promised in his independent manifesto,^[59][60] and carried out a series of consultations with interested parties. Kenneth Robert Livingstone (born 17 June 1945 is a British Socialist Politician. The basic scheme was agreed in February 2002, and charging commenced, with some concessions accepted, on 17 February 2003. Events 1500 - Battle of Hemmingstedt. 1600 - Philosopher Giordano Bruno is burned alive at Campo de' Fiori Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. On introduction, the scheme was the largest ever undertaken by a capital city. ^[61] The extension of the zone into West London came into effect on 19 February 2007 despite the majority of residents opposing it in the two consultations. Events 197 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus defeats usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[62][63] In April 2003 the Dartford Crossing toll, which was due to be scrapped that month as the cost of construction had been paid for and a sufficient maintenance fund accumulated, was instead converted into a congestion charge. The Dartford Crossing joins Dartford and Thurrock across the River Thames, to the east of London. ^[64]

Proposals in Edinburgh for a system of a £2 charge for one of two cordons were rejected following a public referendum in 2005 by 74% of the votes cast. Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow. The Edinburgh congestion charge (also known as Edinburgh road tolls) was a proposed scheme of Congestion pricing for Scotland 's capital city A referendum (plural referendums or referenda) ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita ^[65]

There is currently a proposal for a Manchester congestion charge scheme. ^[66] Unlike the current version of the London charge, two cordons will be used, one covering the urban area of Manchester and another covering the city centre. Manchester City Centre is the Central business district of both Manchester and Greater Manchester, in North West England. ^[67]

Road signs

Main article: Road signs in the United Kingdom

A typical roundabout sign on a primary road

Signage on the UK network conforms broadly to European norms, though a number of signs are unique to Britain and direction signs omit European route numbers. Road signs in the United Kingdom conform broadly to European norms though a number of signs are unique to Britain and direction signs omit European route numbers The international E-road network is a numbering system for Roads in Europe developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE. All length distances are shown in miles or yards,^[68] speed is in miles per hour^[69] whilst height is shown in both feet and metres. A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States A yard (abbreviation yd) is a unit of Length in several different systems including English units Imperial units and United A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International Until recently the government was obliged to convert all signs to metric under a commitment made at the time of the UK's accession to the European Economic Community. Her Majesty's Government, or when the monarch is male His Majesty's Government, is the title used by the Government of the United Kingdom, based at The European Community (EC is one of the Three pillars of the European Union (EU created under the Maastricht Treaty (1992 The European Commission has now abandoned that requirement. The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. ^[70]

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 roads. It was introduced in 1965 and is governed by the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions. The Traffic Signs Regulations and Directions 2002, SI 2002/3113 (commonly abbreviated to TSRGD) prescribes the design and conditions of use of Traffic signs Signs may be of an informative, warning or instructional nature. Instructional signs are generally circular, warnings are triangular and the informative are rectangular or square. Motorway informative signs use white text on a blue background, primary roads are indicated by green directional and distance signs with yellow text, whilst non primary use black text on a white background. ^[71]

Driving

a UK National speed limit roadsign

See also: Driving in the United Kingdom

In the UK, vehicles drive on the left and on multi-lane carriageways drivers are expected to keep to the left lane except when overtaking. Most countries post signage known as traffic signs or road signs, at the side of Roads to Driving in the United Kingdom is governed by various legal powers and in some cases is subject to the passing of a driving test. Right-hand traffic and left-hand traffic mean regulations requiring all traffic to keep either to the left or the right side of the Road. ^[72] In Great Britain, the Highway Code applies to drivers. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands The Highway Code is the official road safety manual for Great Britain. ^[73] In Northern Ireland the Highway Code for Northern Ireland applies. ^[74]

Indicated speed limits are shown in mph^[69] and are in increments of 10 ranging from 20 miles per hour (32 km/h) to 70 miles per hour (113 km/h). For a discussion of the maximum speed possible in the universe see Speed of light and Special relativity. Unless a speed limit is indicated the national speed limit applies, which varies between class of vehicles and type of road. In a built up area (usually indicated by street lights),^[75] unless signs indicate otherwise, a limit of 30 miles per hour (48 km/h) applies. In the UK Highway Code, a built up area is a settled area in which the Speed limit of a Road is automatically 30  Mph. Other limits are shown in the table. ^[76]

Notes ¹ Generally in the UK, these vehicles are electronically speed limited to 90 km/h (56 mph). A governor is a device used to measure and regulate the Speed of a Machine, such as an Engine. * = 60 if articulated or with trailer
For a road to be classed as a dual carriageway, the two directions of traffic flow must be physically separated by a central reservation. The Mathematical or Engineering study of traffic flow, and in particular vehicular Traffic Flow, is done with the aim of achieving a better understanding On divided roads including Expressways Motorways or Autobahns the central reservation (British English, median (North American ^[77]

See also

• Transport in the United Kingdom

References

External links

• Highways Agency network map
• Map of Scottish Trunk Roads