Roads in Britain go back to pre historic times, many of todays roads where once early tracks between villages, however the first serious road building in Britain was the Romans, added to by the Anglo Saxons as the built new villages this evolved.
MoreTurnpikes system which improved and modernised the road system in the 18th and 19th centuries. These where named after the pike that stood outside the Toll House that turned once the toll had been paid. Many of the turnpikes where the basis for the modern road system.
MoreIn 1871 Roads come under the control of the Local Authorities. A few years later that decade the first motor vehicle appeared, by 1900 Cars where starting to appear on Britains Roads, many local athorities started to spray roads with tarbut it look World War 1 to truly mechanise Transport. During the 1920's the Government reorganised the roads giving each a number
MoreMotor traffic continued to increase on Britains roads in the 1920's and 30's, some forward thinking authrities where already planning replacements for their main roads, however this had to be put on hold as World War 2 raged. It was this war that saw the end of the horse and cart as a regular means of transport. By the 1950's Britains roads where becoming crowded. The Government took the desision to make a new type of road the Motorway, the first opened was the M6 Preston Bypass,, still Britains longest Motorway.
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Plaque at Junction 31 of the M6 at Preston showing this was Britains first Motorway.
Plaque at Junction 31 of the M6 at Preston showing this was Britains first Motorway.
Plaque at Junction 31 of the M6 at Preston showing this was Britains first Motorway.
Plaque at Junction 31 of the M6 at Preston showing this was Britains first Motorway.
Plaque at Junction 31 of the M6 at Preston showing this was Britains first Motorway.
M6 was Britains First Motorway the 9 mile section of the Preston Bypass opened on 5th December 1958. The last section the Cumbria Gap was opened exactly 50 years later on 5th December 2008
The M6 is Britains Longest Motorway at 232 Miles running off the M1 at Catthorpe near Rugby to Gretna on the England - Scotland Border .