M5
Imperfectly Odd: the Strensham Loop 30 April 2021
For a while, the M5 ended at a 270-degree loop - but long after the motorway was extended, it kept on catching drivers unawares. But it left behind an unexpected legacy of safer driving.
The zombie motorway rises again 07 June 2018
It's been on the cards since the 1920s. Is the Western Orbital Motorway now finally going to happen?
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.
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?
Have you seen...
To the Limit
Speed limits are more emotive and divisive than almost anything else about the road network. How do you sort the fact from the opinion? And how did we end up with the speed limits we have?
