60 years of motorways 05 December 2018
Today marks the sixtieth birthday of the motorway network, and of one entirely forgotten bridge in Lancashire.
Routes
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Preston Bypass
M6 Preston Bypass
The "Preston By-Pass" was Britain's first motorway, opened in 1958. These books show the road as it was on opening day and share some of the thrill of this pioneering project.
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Preston Bypass
The very first motorway was eight miles of relief for the Lancashire town of Preston. It goes without saying that there's an interesting story to be told about it.
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Histories
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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Biographies
What's new
Grand openings
Our much-loved Opening Booklets section has two new publications for you to explore, and we’re making some overdue changes to make them easier to find and easier to read.
Silver bullet
The Silvertown Tunnel is finally open for business. One question remains: what’s it for?
Skid Risk, Accident, Fog
For the first time, we can share pictures of the pioneering experiment that lit up the Worcestershire countryside with enormous signs 61 years ago.
Have you seen...
A1(M) Darlington Bypass
Opened in May 1965, the A1(M) Darlington Bypass was one of the UK's earliest motorways and made huge strides in linking the North East to the rest of England. Explore the pioneering spirit of its engineers in the book they produced to mark its opening.
