1923/4 Eltham bypass / Sidcup Arterial Road (the first modern bypass according to an old Shell book about Roads)

The following changes from the original 1922/23 classification appear on the 1928/29 edition of MoT Road Map sheet 38 covering the Southampton, Portsmouth and Salisbury areas:

A3024 extended from Northam Bridge to Botley
A3049 number allocated to Western Road, Cosham (between A3 & A27)
A3067 number allocated to Burgess Road, Southampton between A33 and A335

B2177 number allocated to Bedhampton to Purbrook road

B3036 renumbered A3051
B3042 through Stockbridge and Romsey to Southampton renumbered A3057
B3054 west of Lymington renumbered A3068
B3056/7 renumbered A3069 (B3056 retained for Shrubbs Hill Road, Lyndhurst)
B3057 number re-used for Burgess Road, Southampton between A35 and A33/A3067
B3085 through Winterbourne Gunner to Salisbury renumbered A3052
B3090 through Wylye renumbered A3036
B3333 number allocated to South St, Bury Rd and Ann's Hill Rd, Gosport
B3334 number allocated to Brockhurst to Titchfield road
B3347 number allocated to Winkton to Christchurch road
B3351 number allocated to Corfe Castle to Studland road
B3368 number allocated to Branksome to Poole Head (B3369 junction)
B3369 number allocated to Poole to Sandbanks road
B3379 number allocated to road running north-eastwards from Stockbridge (later to become the A30)
B3380 number allocated to Wimpson Lane, Southampton between A35 and A3057

Isle of Wight:

B3322 between Parkhurst and Totland renumbered A3054
B3325 renumbered A3055
B3325 number re-used for Northwood to Cowes road via Gurnard
B3326 renumbered A3056
B3326 number re-used for Monkton Street, Ryde
B3327 re-routed to run Godshill to Ventnor via Whitwell
B3340 number allocated to Steyne Road, Seaview
B3341 number allocated to Castle Road and Hill, Carisbrooke

My first post, though I've enjoyed reading the forums for a while.

1926 A4 Portway from Hotwells to Avonmouth in Bristol.

I use this road most days, and the southern end through the Avon Gorge must be one of the most spectacular main roads within any city. And with the queue in the morning peak, there's plently of time to enjoy the view.

From CD Buchanan "Mixed Blessing : The Motor in Britain" (1958) :

P.119 :
1920 : work started on Great West Road from Kew Bridge to Hounslow and Croydon bypass
By 1921 : work started on Eltham bypass; Shooters Hill bypass; part of South Circular near Woolwich; North Circular; Hammersmith and Acton sections of Western Avenue; East Ham and Barking bypass; New Cambridge Road
P.122/3 :
By 1925 : work started on reconstruction of Perth to Inverness to 18 foot width, new bridges, short diversions; completion of most of Croydon bypass and Great West Road; work started on Tyne Bridge and a new bridge at Berwick; Mersey Tunnel about to start
P.124/5 :
By 1928 : Bypasses now finished for Eltham, Sidcup, Farningham, Wrotham, Harrietsham, Lenham, Charing, Willesborough; 10th October Tyne Bridge opened by George V

Hi Owen,

Any mention of the A106 (now A12 of course) Eastern Avenue, and Woodford Avenue (was A406, now A1400)?

And East Ham and Barking Bypass completion in 1927?

Sorry Sunil, I've extracted just about every titbit of road opening info I could find from that book. There's a very vague comment about the North Circular work being underway in 1921, and that's it beyond what I've already quoted.

A1 Wansford bypass 1929

The road through Glen Coe itself may have opened in the 1920s, but I've definitely seen a bridge on the A82 dated 1930-something.

The A86 Laggan road opened in the 1920s, at which point the road over the Corrieyairack Pass ceased to be maintained, although the authorities continued to maintain the bridges for a time because the Corrieyairack was still being used as a drove road.

A1 Colsterworth bypass 1925

A3 Kingston bypass 1927

North East London: North Circular Road. A406?

Bridge carrying Wadham Road[A406] over railway line opened in 1929, replacing level crossing.

I have a Bartholomews atlas of London showing a railway bridge over the road, but a later edition shows the layout correctly, so I asume the first is a misprint.

Last week I stumbled across (and immediately bought) a "Newnes Motorists Touring Guide" in two volumes - an atlas and a gazetteer. It's not dated, but studying this thread I reckon it's probably a 1928/29 edition. It's got virtually everything this thread says was opened in 1928, but not the Wansford bypass which B1040 says was opened in 1929 or other later schemes. The real tell tale is the Blackburn northern bypass which Bryn says was opened in 1928 - the NE section is shown as unclassified, the NW section is not shown.

If anyone has any specific questions, please let me know.

Last week I stumbled across (and immediately bought) a "Newnes Motorists Touring Guide" in two volumes - an atlas and a gazetteer.

I have a copy of the gazeteer, but not the atlas. There are a few statistics in the narrative, such as the number of cars on the roads; that might also give you a pointer as to the date.

Fen causeway, Cambridge 9/12/1926
Now A1134

1929 - A4 Twyford bypass

1926 - A38 Willand bypass. Now B3181

I can't see a bypass of Willand on the 1926 MOT Map of the area. What's your source?

I was looking at The Book of Willand by the Willand History Group, published by Halsgrove as one of a series. I don't know their sources though, as I was only reading the Transport chapter, before putting it back on the shelf, as you do.

Good pics as well, including an aerial view of the temp rbt at the north end of the Cullompton bypass, first time I've seen it. Called the Rydon rbt. apparently.

1928 Bridge over the Cam on B1085 (now A1123) at Dimmock's Cote between Stretham and wicken

source
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report ... mpid=18967