A419

A417 and A419

Gloucester to Swindon

One of the few new cross-country routes created in recent years, the A417 and A419 together form a strategic link between the M4 and M5.

Routes

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The monster seen from below

What might it have been like to stand in one spot and witness the arrival, and the uncertainty, of plans for an urban motorway in West London?

The road that made no sense

It was the UK's only single-carriageway motorway, and twenty years ago it ceased to exist. This is the story of the strange fascination it held, and of my place in history.

The forever bottleneck, part 2

The second part of the story, where we learn why exactly the M4 gets narrower on the final approach to Europe’s biggest city.

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Road signs

A field guide to the UK's road signs, explaining the colours, shapes, symbols and everything else you need to know to avoid putting a foot (or a wheel) wrong.