MT 106/277

Highway policy: traffic control; urban motorway design

Date range	1965-1970
Location	National Archives (see all files stored here)
Catalogue	See entry
File base	Series MT, subseries MT 106

Context

More or less a dumping ground on general thoughts and ideas to do with planning an urban motorway network in London. The Ministry's involvement with this was minimal, but they were consulted on some matters of policy, and these discussions are held here.

We learn that:

• Direction signs on the Westway and West Cross Route were representative of plans for the whole network, with a gantry sign 500m before the start of the deceleration lane, a second gantry at the start of the deceleration lane, and a ground-mounted sign at the diverge nose.
• The GLC proposed a motorway control centre from which overhead signals could be set. No site was chosen for this.
• There was to be signage from the urban motorway network to petrol stations located nearby.
• A survey was conducted into opportunities for fuel on the radial routes; from this we learn that motorway service areas were proposed:
  • on the M3 at Virginia Water
  • on the M40 at Loudwater
  • on the M1 at Scratchwood and Breakspears - the latter marked in between J7 and 8!

People with camera copies

None known.