MT 106/454

Proposed M12 Motorway South Woodford to Brentwood Bypass: traffic study and economic apprasial; minutes, notes of meetings, correspondence and reports

Date range	1970-1972
Location	National Archives (see all files stored here)
Catalogue	See entry
File base	Series MT, subseries MT 106

Context

This file mainly contains an economic report on the plans for the M12, as existed then, and correspondence and other paperwork surrounding that report. It was written by Brian Colquhoun and Partners and was titled "Report on M12 Motorway: Traffic Study and Economic Appraisal".

The gist of the report, and the file itself, is that the M12 offered unusually good returns on investment, had a very good impact on journey times between its end points and (by relieving the A12) on local journeys on Eastern Avenue, and could be easily and comfortably be justified even without the rest of the Ringways network going ahead. Despite that it wasn't built.

The version of the M12 discussed here is the original, running from Woodford Interchange (M11 J4) to the A12 Brentwood Bypass, intended as a bypass of the congested A12 Eastern Avenue for long-distance traffic, and also acting as a distributor for the suburbs lying north of the A12. Later versions do not get a mention here, though the report does - at the very end - mention that Maplin Airport has just been announced and will undoubtedly have an effect on the motorway but working out what the effect will be, and whether plans for the M12 would have to change, is not in scope.

Contents of note

• Draft and final published version of the report in full, with little to tell them apart
• Some basic information on costings, from which conclusions can be drawn about junction layouts here and on part of M15 - though no actual diagrams to confirm
• Useful outline of the history of the M12 proposal and the iterations the design went through to reach this point
• Indication that ERCU had orders ready to publish for the M12, but that they were awaiting completion of the GLDP inquiry before doing so
• Lots of diagrams of traffic assignment networks used in the economic appraisal - no actual road layouts or plans

People with camera copies

None known.