CNT/HH/3/5/RD33(c)

Communication Watford - Tring Motorway A41(M)

Date range	1955-1982
Location	Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies (see all files stored here)
Catalogue	See entry

Context

Over several decades, the Commission for the New Towns (CNT) was responsible for the development of Hemel Hempstead. Running along the western fringe of the New Town was the A41. This file contains essentially all of the CNT's dealings with the Ministry of Transport and its successors regarding the A41, though it's titled for the thing that takes up the bulk of the paperwork, which is the A41(M) proposals.

Earlier papers in the file, dating from the 1950s and running through to the mid-60s, relate to the existing A41 trunk road and are to do with some minor improvement schemes, waiting restrictions and that sort of thing.

The file then moves on to the A41(M) at the point where plans are drawn up for the motorway in about 1968. The CNT's interest was twofold - first, they owned the land the Two Waters Link Road would be built upon, which is the spur from the motorway towards the Plough Roundabout in Hemel Hempstead town centre; and second, they were not convinced by the Ministry's plan for the spur itself. They didn't like the idea that all traffic to and from the motorway would be funnelled into the Plough Roundabout, with the Eastern Road Construction Unit's designs even showing the spur laid out for a grade-separated junction at London Road. The CNT declared that this was a terrible idea that would overload the Plough Roundabout. ERCU said this was not their problem.

Paperwork is also here relating to draft orders being made for the A41 Kings Langley Bypass in 1982, a much watered-down scheme for a mix of single and dual carriageway with at-grade roundabouts.

People with camera copies

Chris Marshall has a partial copy.