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

A century of motorways

It's 100 years since the opening of the world's first motorway, the Autostrada from Milan to the Lakes.

Schrödinger’s speed limit

In 2022, Manchester City Council say they reduced the speed limit on the Mancunian Way to 30mph. But it’s not clear if they did. It’s not even clear if they can.

Sorry, wrong number

Road numbering is a system with clear rules. What happens when the people responsible for numbering roads don't follow them?

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Sir James Drake

County Surveyor and Bridgemaster for Lancashire in the 1950s and 60s, Drake was instrumental in the motorway revolution.

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