A2

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.

London's ancient main road to Canterbury and Dover has been bypassed over and over again, and in the sixties was supposed to be replaced in part with an urban motorway. Parts were finished in the end, even if they weren't quite to the original designs.

Completing the story of London's epic Ringways, we've just published the Southern Radials, five more motorways that never saw the light of day.

In days gone by, new roads were often celebrated with a grand opening ceremony and the issue of a commemorative booklet heralding the exciting new highway. You'll find some of them here, complete with a glimpse of all that empty tarmac and a healthy dose of modernist optimism.

The strangest part of London's planned inner Motorway Box - not just because it's nothing like the other three sides, but also because it actually got built.