Information

These pages offer a quick way to look up information and learn about the British road network - a miniature reference library of useful knowledge and trivia.

Abbreviations

S2, D3, D4M - talk among road enthusiasts bristles with arcane abbreviations for different types of road. What do they mean? All is explained in our handy guide.

British Roads FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about the road network, some more obscure than others.

Dictionary

A glossary of the terms often used by people discussing British roads. Some are engineering terms, some were created by road enthusiasts, some have multiple meanings. All are defined here as clearly as possible.

Interchanges

Explore the different types of interchange you'll find all over the UK on limited access roads — roads with flyover junctions that separate fast moving traffic from the local road network.

Road signs

They're everywhere, but what do they mean? Join us on a journey through the UK's road sign system, from the colours and shapes that form their building blocks to the meaning of the most complex parking restrictions.

What's new

London’s other forgotten motorways

We’ve spent years documenting the unbuilt urban motorway network planned for London. Today we’re unveiling more new routes that have never been seen before!

The middle of nowhere

A national system of road numbers radiating from a central point suggests there is… well, a central point. But if you go looking for it you’ll find it doesn’t exist.

Not so Smart

There have been rumours for months. Now the announcement has been made - “all new Smart Motorways scrapped”. What does this mean and who are the winners?

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Clear and legible

A century ago, one short memorandum issued by the Ministry of Transport laid the groundwork for a system of standardised, uniform road signs and a great deal more.

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