GLC/TD/C/P/02

KEY MAPS TO PRINCIPAL TRAFFIC ROUTES

Date range	1972
Location	London Metropolitan Archives (see all files stored here)
Catalogue	See entry
File base	Fond GLC, subfond TD/C

This file is truly delightful. It is likely to bring a smile to your face, probably because it contains the sort of thing that makes trawling through dusty archive documents worthwhile. The thing in this file that makes your day might actually have nothing to do with its subject matter.

Context

A broad-brush summary of the GLC's active road proposals circa 1965, plotted out on the whole of Greater London as depicted on a nine-sheet Geographia street plan. Road proposals are indicated by hollow outlines which make them difficult to spot but there is lots of useful information here so it's worth squinting your way through everything.

In particular it confirms a number of route alignments that were previously unclear.

The downside is that it is strictly Greater London only, and all proposal lines terminate at the government boundary, meaning that many radials sputter out before they cease to be of interest, and Ringway 3 comes and goes as it circumnavigates the city.

Contents of note

The maps confirm the following:

• A40 was to be improved on-line to GLC Primary Road standard;
• A406 was to be improved on-line for its full length between M4 and M11, and is labelled Ringway 2;
• A13 was to be improved on-line with limited numbers of access points;
• A2 was to form the Dover Radial Route as now;
• A20 was to be improved on-line to M20, with the only off-line section being a smoother curve onto the Sidcup Bypass;
• Ringway 3 reached a stage in planning where it ran directly onto the SCRPDR without continuation west.

People with camera copies

Chris Marshall devoured everything it had.