MT 121/298

Motorway programme from 1970: plans

Date range	1963-1964
Location	National Archives (see all files stored here)
Catalogue	See entry
File base	Series MT, subseries MT 121

Context

As the first 1000 mile motorway programme was in full swing, discussion at the Ministry turned to what roads ought to be considered for construction after that period. The key proposals were thought to be:

• Southampton to Midlands
• Midlands to Ipswich
• M4 to Cardiff and Swansea
• M5 south of Bristol
• regional motorways, for which the examples given were Manchester-Preston, Manchester-Liverpool, North Chester motorway, etc.

Nothing terribly surprising there, but interesting nonetheless. It bears a surprising similarity to a document faked for April Fool's Day 2006, called Trunk Roads Into The Seventies.

Contents of note

• A report, which appears to be the final outcome of these discussions - for 1964 at least - with comments from those who contributed to it.
• Discussion of the "Basingstoke Motorway" proposal and, if it were to be extended, whether it should go west or south from Popham. The weight of opinion at that time was that the A33 was adequate to link Southampton to London, that a northern motorway from Southampton should without question go to the Midlands via Oxford, and that the M3 should therefore continue west to at least the A34 and possibly beyond along the A30/A303 corridor. Next to this, in my notebook, I appear to have written "IN YOUR FACE, JUKES!". I can't imagine what that might refer to.

People with camera copies

Chris Marshall has a partial copy, including that report.