MT 120/284/2

Trunk road preparation pool schemes: London Ringway 3 Uxbridge Road (A4020) to M 1 motorway including link to North Orbital Road.

Date range	1970-1975
Location	National Archives (see all files stored here)
Catalogue	See entry
File base	Series MT, subseries MT 120

Context

This is the better half of MT 120/284/1 and continues looking at various routes for Ringway 3. This starts from when R3 was still being pursued, right through the period of the Layfield Report and then the few years afterwards when it decided to build a cut down scheme in the form of an extended A312 Parkway northwards to Yeading.

A large report by Herts CC is included which spells out the environmental issues among other things that concerns the council.

Next we have the Pièce de Résistance. A huge report by Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners with preliminary investigations into the R3/M1 interchange. As no line of R3 was yet fixed the consultants had to work on all the lines for R3 then still under consideration. This results in a vast number of maps being drawn with some quite magnificent layouts. There were three possible sites for the junction: Bushey South, Bushey North and Berrygrove. Due to the lack of a fixed line for R3 the consultants couldn't offer any recommendations as to their preferred choice. This is frustrating in a way as we're still no closer to knowing what a final layout for the junction would be.

Along with the above report there are maps showing the planned major roads in the area. These show the amount of vehicles using each stretch per day by 1996. There are various maps with each showing a different line for R3 along with a do nothing option. These show R3 would taking most traffic that now uses the northwest section of M25.

Finally we have a large 6" map showing two outer routes, one passing through Pinnerwood and the other through Moor Park. This shows the location of every bridge apart from side roads in urban areas. Also shown is a long tunnel beneath Pinner Green together with a viaduct over Moor Park. Junctions are shown as small circles which is a little disappointing.

Overall this file is the most detailed I've so far seen for the northwest section of Ringway 3. It's a pity the report on the M1 junction came so late in the day and the choice of route wasn't yet fixed as I'm sure if the Layfield Report came a year later we would have seen the line of R3 fixed and real design work undertaken for the junctions. As it stands, this document falls just short of being Delightful.

Contents of note

• Report by Herts CC.
• 6" map of two outer routes showing bridges, viaduct and tunnels and whether the bridges are over or underbridges.
• Preliminary report by Alex Gibb & Partners into the design and location of the R3/M1 interchange with numerous maps and plans.

People with camera copies

James Bancroft has copies of the juicy maps, reports and some of the correspondence.