A40

M50, A40 and A449

Strensham to Newport

Between them, the M50, A40 and A449 form a single dual carriageway route connecting the West Midlands to South Wales, incorproating one of the UK's oldest and most scenic motorways.

Routes

M40 and A40

It's one of London's most complete radial routes, but the road envisioned by sixties planners would have been bigger: perhaps a motorway, perhaps double-deck, perhaps not.

Routes

Out of London: A40 07 September 2018

The A40 travels more than 260 miles west from St Paul's Cathedral in London. This is what a journey along its whole route, from start to finish, looks like.

Routes
A40

Opening booklets

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.

Histories

Oxfordshire Signs

This is the story of one man at Oxfordshire County Council who pre-empted the development of modern road signs - much to the annoyance of the men from the Ministry.

Routes
A40
Histories

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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Major incidents

What happens when there's a big accident on a trunk route? Who picks up the pieces, and why does it take so long?