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.

Routes

Sir James Drake

County Surveyor and Bridgemaster for Lancashire in the 1950s and 60s, Drake was instrumental in the motorway revolution.

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.

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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.