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Network changes - 1970s

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A list of the changes to the road network in Great Britain from 1970 - 1979. Includes road openings and renumberings.

Road Openings

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Year Number on opening Location County Notes
1970 M1 Fiveways Interchange Middlesex 0.5 mile southern extension of J2 and Fiveways Flyover opened 7 July 1970. Both flyover carriageways were used for Northbound flows onto M1 and A1 Watford Way pending the opening of M1 to J1. The NE carriageway changed to a Southbound flow from the M1 to A1 following an Order of 16 December 1978.
1970 M5 Ray Hall - Quinton Staffordshire • Worcestershire The extension from J3 to M6 was opened on 15 May 1970 by Fred Mulley, Minister of Transport. Also opened was the M6 section to J9 Bescot to complete the north - south section of the Midland Links motorway. It included 15 bridges, a canal aquaduct, 1.6 mile of viaduct and a 4.2 mile elevated section. Composite steel and reinforced concrete was used for the viaducts and elevated section for its relative simplicity of construction and flexibility of application to the great range of conditions. The cost of the full 11.3 mile scheme from Quinton to Bescot was £18.5 million. There was now a 187-mile continuous motorway route from Ross-on-Wye to Carnforth. The south eastern link at Ray Hall interchange opened on 20 July 1970 allowing M6 J7 to M5 traffic flows.
1970 M5 Strensham Interchange- Piffs Elm Interchange Gloucestershire • Worcestershire The 8.3 mile motorway from J8 to J10 was opened on 16 June 1970. The opening had been scheduled in May but was delayed due to defects in the road surface. The official opening included a champagne party on a bridge over the motorway during which Nicholas Ridley, Conservative candidate for Cirencester and Tewkesbury, made a speech. The Mayor of Tewkesbury was to have driven a hired vintage car as the first vehicle on the motorway. The Liberal candidate for Cirencester and Tewkesbury, Denys Robinson, on learning about the ceremony, was misdirected by the Town Clerk's Office to another part of the motorway. He drove quickly to the ceremony and remonstrated with the Town Clerk. The Liberal candidate for Cheltenham, Dudley Aldridge, had meanwhile gone to one end of the section and was let through by the police. Those at the official ceremony looked on with a mixture of surprise and horror as Mr Aldridge's cars streaked under the bridge and unofficially opened the motorway!
1970 M6 Great Barr - Ray Hall Staffordshire The 2 mile section from J7 to J8 (to connect to the M5 to M6 north section) was opened on 20 July 1970. Also opened was the M5 south eastern link at Ray Hall Interchange allowing M6 J7 to M5 traffic flows.
1970 M6 Ray Hall - Wednesbury (Bescot) Staffordshire The 1.5 mile section from J8 to J9 was opened on 15 May 1970 by Fred Mulley, Minister of Transport. The M5 section from Ray Hall to J3 Quinton was also opened.
1970 M6 Carnforth Interchange - Thrimby Lancashire • Westmorland The 34 mile section from J35 to the southern end of extended Penrith Bypass at Thrimby was fully opened on 23 October 1970 by John Peyton, Minister of Transport. The 7.7 mile southbound carriageway of the J35 to J36 Crooklands Interchange, Farleton, section had opened earlier on 13 August 1970. Contractors were: Carnforth to Killington - W & C French (Construction) Ltd.; Killington to Tebay - John Laing Construction Ltd.; Tebay to Thrimby - Christiani-Shand. Cost £34.5 million.
1970 M6 Carlisle Bypass Cumberland The 6.8 miles from J42 Golden Fleece, Carleton to J44 Kingstown was opened on 15 December 1970.
1970 M8 Kingston Bridge, Glasgow Lanarkshire J19 Anderston Interchange to J20 West Street Interchange with a temporary gyratory terminus at Scotland Street. Opened by HRH The Queen Mother on 26 June 1970. 3 miles of elevated motorway and 2 miles of new roads. The bridge was 270m long over River Clyde. Contractor was a Duncan Logan Ltd. / Marples Ridgeway joint venture, cost £11.5 million.
1970 M8 Newbridge Roundabout to Dechmont Midlothian • West Lothian The 6.4 mile motorway from the then J2 A8 M9 roundabout just east of Newbridge to 0.7 miles west of J3 at Dechmont to connect into the existing M8 westward section was opened on 30 November 1970 by Gordon Campbell, Secretary of State. The 0.6 mile connection to the Dechmont temporary junction at the A8 A899 roundabout just north of J3 (which opened on 23 September 1969) was closed then removed. The motorway had dual 24 foot carriageways and hard shoulders. Cost was £4.7 million. The Glasgow to Edinburgh route now comprised of 24 miles of motorway and 11 of dual carriageway and had taken 9 years and cost £17 million.
1970 M8
M898
Southbar Interchange - Erskine Bridge Toll Plaza Interchange Renfrewshire The 1.5 mile from M8 J29A at the west end of the M8 Renfrew Bypass to M898 J1 was opened on 27 December 1970 per The Gazette. It included the construction of M8 J30 Craigton Interchange, although the M8 westwards section for the Bishopton Bypass was not to open until 1975. Erskine Bridge opened on 2 July 1971.
1970 M9 Newbridge Roundabout to Muriehall Midlothian • West Lothian The 2.3 mile motorway from the A8 M8 roundabout just east of Newbridge to a temporary junction with the then A9 (later renumbered B9080) 1 mile west of J1 (later J1a) Kirkliston Spur was opened on 25 November 1970. The motorway had dual 36 foot carriageways and hard shoulders. Cost was £3 million, including the Kirkliston Spur.
1970 M9 Spur Kirkliston Spur West Lothian The 1 mile motorway bypass of Kirkliston from the then M9 J1 (later renumbered 1a) to a roundabout junction with B800 0.6 miles north of Kirkliston was opened on 25 November 1970. Later renumbered M90. The B800 was renumbered A8000 and provided a connection to the Forth Road Bridge.
1970 M32 Hambrook/Frenchay - Eastville Gloucestershire Stapleton Bypass. 2.7 miles from J1 to J2 opened on 22 July 1970 per The Gazette. The Hambrook Spur, north of J1 to M4 (opened in 1966), was renumbered M32.
1970 M41 London: West Cross Route Middlesex The 0.5 mile section from Westway Roundabout to Holland Park Roundabout was opened (along with A40(M) Westway) on 28 July 1970. The adjacent sections were never built. It was downgraded to A3220 on 30 June 2000.
1970 M61
A666(M)
Worsley Braided Interchange to Horwich Link Lancashire The 6.5 miles from the then M62 (later M60) J14 to M61 J6 was opened on 17 December 1970 per the Gazette. It included the A666(M) Kiersley Spur to Kearsley Interchange.
1970 M62 Chain Bar, Cleckheaton - Gildersome Street Yorkshire 4 miles from J26 to J27 opened on 10 October 1970 per The Gazette.
1970 M62 Worsley - Whitefield Lancashire 6 miles from J13 to J17 was opened on 14 October 1970, without ceremony. It included the A580 (westbound) to M62 links of Worsley Braided Interchange. Lighting from Worsley Court House Junction to Clifton was by overhead lanterns slung from overhead cables running above the central reservation.. Cost £12 million. The Gazette notice only included the section north-east of A580 although the Liverpool Echo report stated it was from J13. The short "missing" section was covered by a separate Scheme promoted by Lancashire County Council as a local authority motorway (as the earlier Stretford-Eccles bypass had been), so may have had a separate notice which has not been found.
1970 M62 Rockingstone Moss (Moss Moor) - Outlane, Huddersfield Yorkshire 7 miles from J22 to J23 was opened on 10 December 1970 per The Gazette. It included the section atop the dam of Scammonden Water reservoir which had been constructed at the same time.
1970 M62 Gildersome Street - M1 Lofthouse Interchange Yorkshire 5.5 miles from J27 to J29 opened on 15 December 1970 per The Gazette.
1970 A1(M) Birtley Bypass Durham The 1.8 mile section from the current J63 to J65 opened on 16 January 1970 per Newcastle Evening Chronicle. The Gazette stated a later opening date of 1 June 1970. It was an upgrade of the existing A1 dual carriageway.
1970 A194(M) A1(M) Birtley - White Mare Pool Interchange Durham The 3.5 mile motorway was opened on 1 June 1970 per The Gazette. Forecast cost was £3.3 million.
1970 A40(M) London: Westway Middlesex The 2.5 mile elevated motorway from Wood Lane, Shepherds Bush to Marylebone Flyover was opened on 28 July 1970 by Michael Heseltine, Parliamentary Secretary to Ministry of Transport, amid angry demonstrations. A crowd of 200 residents, some of whose bedrooms were 50 feet from the motorway, jostled for position as the ribbon was hastily cut and demanded to be rehoused. They sang uncomplimentary songs written specially for the occasion and a 100 foot long banner on Acklam Road stated “Get us out of this hell”. Greater London Council announced in the following week that they would be rehoused. Cost was £30 million. It was to be downgraded to A40 in 2000 (although The Gazette notice has not been seen).
1970 A58(M)
A64(M)
Leeds Inner Ring Road: Woodhouse Lane Interchange to North Street Yorkshire Leeds Inner Ring Road Motorway: Stage 2. The 0.8 mile eastwards extension was opened in May 1970 per the Yorkshire Post of 18 June 2019 (note that the Gazette notice gave a date of 1 December 1971). The eastbound carriageway extended eastwards onto York Road, east of Regent Street. The westbound carriageway commenced, temporarily, from the slip road at North Street / North Briggate. There was a further temporary slip road from the eastbound carriageway to North Street / New Briggate (until this was severed by the eastwards extension of the westbound carriageway onto York Road in 1973).
1970 A1 Blagdon Bends Bypass Northumberland The 2.5 mile dual carriageway between Stannington Bridge and Seaton Burn was opened on 24 March 1970 by Viscount Ridley, Chairman of Northumberland County Council. Cost £700,000.
1970 A1 Alnwick Bypass Northumberland Stage 1. The 3 mile single carriageway was opened on 16 October 1970 by the Duke of Northumberland. It had a 24 foot carriageway with 12 foot verges to allow for future dualling. Work started on 4 March 1968. Contractor was A.M. Carmichael Ltd, Edinburgh and cost £1.25 million.
1970 A1 Morpeth Bypass Northumberland The 4 mile dual carriageway was opened on 11 November 1970 by Viscount Ridley, Chairman of Northumberland County Council. Cost £2.5 million.
1970 A19 Shotton to Low Hills Improvement Durham 1.9 mile online dualling from Stockton Road, just south of Little Thorpe Interchange to the north end of Shotton Bank. Shown on July 1970 OS Route Planning map not on September 1969 edition. It was included in the Land Compensation Act notice of 29 June 1974, for schemes completed after 16 October 1969. although no opening date was given. It may have opened in 1969.
1970 A19
A689
Wolviston East and North Bypasses Durham Shown on July 1970 OS Route Planning map. Under construction on May 1970 OS Quarter inch map. Dual carriageways. The section south of the original Wolviston Interchange and the northbound lane to the north later became unclassified.
1970 A108 Tyne Tunnel Northern Approach Road Northumberland Stage 2. The 5.75 mile road between Seaton Burn and Holystone Interchange was opened on 20 October 1970 by Dr. William Reid, acting Chairman of the Northern Economic Council. It had taken 28 months to construct, 4 months over schedule due to allowing mining subsidence to settle. Cost £3 million. It was dual carriageway except for 2 miles at the Seaton Burn end. There were 11 bridges on route. It completed the Eastern bypass of Newcastle. Renumbered to A1 between 1977 and 1990, then A19.
1970 A120 Bishop's Stortford Link Road Hertfordshire Causeway Link Road was opened on 6 June 1970 by Mrs L.R. Peterson, Chairman of Hertfordshire County Council. A relief road for the town centre. Later renumbered A1250.
1970 A140 Horsham St Faith Bypass Norfolk Newton St Faith to Holt Road, B1149, which was renumbered southwards as A140 to join the original A140 by Filters Lane. Reported by Bristol Evening Post on 27 August 1970 that it had been opened.
1970 A189 South-east Northumberland Spine Road Northumberland Stage 1: Salters Lane, Longbenton to Annitsford Roundabout was due to be officially opened on 3 August 1970. 2.7 mile dual carriageway. Cost £1.5 million.
1970 A20 Folkestone: Churchill Avenue Kent Folkestone Bypass. The 1.7 mile road was opened on 18 September 1970 by the Earl of Radnor. Tender price £213,798. There was previously a track on the route. Cherry Garden Avenue provided the western link. Later renumbered as A259.
1970 A27 Shoreham-on-Sea Bypass Sussex Was to open in a few weeks time per a 24 February 1970 BBC South Today News Report (about the existing toll bridge then owned by the railway). 2 mile dual carriageway including the Adur Viaduct. Contractor was Sir Robert McAlpine and Sons Ltd., tender value £2.7 million.
1970 A39 Truro Relief Road Cornwall Tregolls Road. The final section of the dual carriageway Relief Road was reported as opening in a few days time by the 11 May 1970 West Briton and Cornish Advertiser.
1970 A327 Arborfield Garrison Bypass Berkshire Everley Road. Reported as recently completed in April 1970. Work on the connections to the existing roads was taking place in November 1969. It may have opened in late 1969.
1970 A369 Portishead Relief Road Somerset Wyndham Way, from High Street to Bristol Road. Opened in November 1970 per a "25 years ago" article in the 16 November 1995 Clevedon Mercury.
1970 A379 Dartmouth Relief Road Devon College Way, linking to Dartmouth Higher Ferry. Opened in February 1970 per the Torbay Express of 12 November 1970. There is a reference to the opening of College Way by Princess Elizabeth on 24 June 1949 in the Torbay Herald of 2 June 1953 but this may have just been a separate new road to the college gates.
1970 A379 Teignmouth Relief Road Devon The opening of the dual carriageway by Gerald Whitmarsh, County Council Chairman, was reported by the Bristol Evening Post of 26 June 1970. It had been accompanied by heckling from some locals. Cost £250,000. It was part of a £622,000 redevelopment scheme for the town centre.
1970 A47 Honingham Bypass Norfolk Shown on July 1970 OS Route Planner map. Was under construction on December 1969 OS one inch map.
1970 A444 Bedworth Bypass Warwickshire The £2.2million dual carriageway opened on 23 February 1970.
1970 A449 Raglan Interchange to Usk Interchange Monmouthshire The 5 mile dual carriagway was opened on 16 October 1970 by Peter Thomas, Secretary of State for Wales.
1970 A451 Kidderminster Inner Ring Road Worcestershire Stage 2 – Worcester Cross Ringway between Coventry Street and Comberton Hill. Opened on 15 June 1970. It ran through one of the most densely populated areas of the town centre and involved the demolition of tightly packed 19th Century cottages. Of the £814,000 forecast cost, £400,000 was for land purchase and compensation. The local playhouse was demolished and Kidderminster amateur theatre group won their compensation claim case at the Lands Tribunal for the present day cost of building a new theatre of £167,000.
1970 A461 Wednesbury Northern Inner Ring Road Staffordshire Bypass of Upper High Street. The 0.2 mile dual carriageway from the roundabout at High Bullen to Walsall Street was opened on 21 September 1970 by Alderman Ray Wimbury, Mayor of West Bromwich. Cost £218,000.
1970 A4067 Abercraf Bypass Brecknockshire Opened in 1970 by Tudor Watkins, County Council Chairman, per the opening plaque.
1970 A4097 Marston Bypass Warwickshire The 1.25 mile single carriageway road was to be opened on 16 December 1970 by Major T.W. Kimpton, Chairman of the Roads Committee of Warwickshire County Council. It was built to provide better access to the Kingsbury Oil Terminal (which had opened in Spring 1969) from the Birmingham direction and relieve the bottleneck at the single lane Hemlingford Bridge. It was largely on an embankment with flood culverts across the Tame valley. Contractor was Sheldon Contracting Co. Ltd. of Solihull, cost £325,000. At the eastern end it joined the unclassified Kingsbury bypass recently built.
1970 A4177 Haseley Knob Bypass Warwickshire The 1 mile bypass cost £120,000. It was part of a 2 year scheme to improve the Five Ways to Balsall Common road and effectively create a western bypass for Kenilworth. That scheme was complete in February 1971.
1970 A50 Tunstall Bypass Staffordshire Haymarket Roundabout to Scotia Road (near Butterfield Road), a bypass of the northern part of High Street. Opened in May 1970. Cost £100,000.
1970 A50 Markfield Bypass Leicestershire The 1.25 mile dual carriageway from M1 J22 to Field Head was opened on 26 January 1970.
1970 A58 Prescott Bypass Lancashire The dual carriageway opened on 10 February 1970. Cost £400,000.
1970 A59 Clitheroe and Whalley Bypass Lancashire Also bypassed Chatburn and Billington. 8 mile single carriageway road. Opened in 1970 per BFI film archive. Shown on the July 1971 OS Route Planner Map, but as under construction on the December 1970 OS Quarter inch map. Cost £3.4 million.
1970 A506 Skelmersdale Regional Road Lancashire Phase 2 - Pimbo Interchange to M6 J26 Orrell Interchange, a bypass for Up Holland. 1.65 mile dual carriageway opened on 1 October 1970 by Lord Rhodes, Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire, estimated cost £2.45 million. Contractor was Dowsett Engineering Construction Ltd. It was upgraded to M58 in 1977.
1970 A617 Chesterfield - M1 Link Road Derbyshire Stage 1: 2.5 miles from the J29 link at Heath to Winsick, the Heath and Temple Normanton Bypass, was opened between the April 1970 OS Quarter inch map and the July 1970 OS Route Planner map. Dual 24 foot carriageways with 15 foot central reservation and 12.5 foot verges. Forecast cost was £1.08 million.
1970 A698 Jedfoot Bridge Diversion Roxburghshire The diversion and new bridge over Jed Water was completed in 1970 per the 1970 Scottish Development Department Report. Cost £110,000.
1970 A6110 Stanningley Bypass Yorkshire A section of the Leeds Outer Ring Road planned during the First World War. Dual carriageway from A647 Bradford Road to join Ring Road Bramley east of Swinnow Lane. Shown on February 1970 OS Quarter inch map. Not on March 1969 map. It may have opened in 1969. Later renumbered A647.
1970 A74 Kirkpatrick Fleming Bypass and to Gretna Dumfriesshire The 4.17 mile offline dual carriageway was reported as due to open in Spring 1970 per Wishaw Press of 6 February 1970. Note it was included on the September 1969 OS Route Planning map, so parts may have opened earlier. Reconstructed as A74(M) in 1992.
1970 A74 Mossband - M6 Cumberland 4.6 mile online dualling from just south of Mossband Viaduct to M6 J44 Kingstown Interchange. Reported in The Scotsman of 27 August 1970 that only the Gretna section of A74 remained to be improved, intimating that this section had been completed. Shown on the July 1971 OS Routefinder map. Reconstructed to M6 in 2008.
1970 A702 Causeway End Re-alignment Lanarkshire The re-alignment at the A72 Symington Junction south of Biggar was completed in 1970 per the 1970 Scottish Development Department Report.
1970 A720 Edinburgh Ring Road: Wester Hailes Road Midlothian The online and offline dualling (of former B701) for 1 mile southwards from Bankhead Roundabout, Calder Road (A71) was completed in 1970 per the 1970 Scottish Development Department Report. The 1971 OS One inch map shows dualling to just north of Viewfield Road. Cost £470,000. Later renumbered B701.
1970 A749 Greenlees to Nerston Lanarkshire The dualling (with a diversion) from just north of Cairnmuir Road to Nerston was completed in 1970 per the 1970 Scottish Development Department Report. Cost over £300,000. It is unclear if this includes the Nerston Bypass section, which was shown on the 1972 OS One inch map.
1970 A82 Alexandria Bypass Dunbartonshire Section 1 (South): The 1.28 mile dual carriageway from Barloan Toll, Dumbarton to Renton Road was due to be opened on 14 August 1970 (per The Scotsman of 12 August 1970). It included a bridge over River Leven Contract value was £2.4 million.
1970 A85 Dalmally Diversion Argyll The diversion was completed in 1970 per the 1970 Scottish Development Department Report. It is expected that this is the section north of the current Village Loop Road.
1970 A87 Kyle of Lochalsh - Balmacara Ross-shire The 3.25 mile diversion near the shore of Loch Alsh was completed by the end of 1970 per the 1970 Scottish Development Department Report. It bypassed the longer and steeper route via Erbusaig.
1970 A87 Balmacara - Dornie Ross-shire The 4.12 mile improvement was completed by the end of 1970 per the 1970 Scottish Development Department Report. It included diversions at Kirkton, Auchtertyre and Ardelve.
1970 A803 Colzium Diversion Stirlingshire The 0.54 mile diversion east of Kilsyth was to be added to the List of Roads, Highways and Bridges made up by the Council on 25 June 1970. It would have opened earlier.
1970 A849 Mull: Glenmore - Ishriff Argyll The 4 mile reconstruction with diversions was completed in 1970 per the 1970 Scottish Development Department Report.
1970 A856 Skye: Borve - Kingsburgh Inverness-shire The 5 mile reconstruction with some diversions was completed in 1970 per the 1970 Scottish Development Department Report. Later renumbered as A87.
1970 A863 Skye: Drynoch Bends Diversion Inverness-shire Part of the 3.1 mile reconstruction scheme between Meadale and Drynoch which was completed in 1970 per the 1970 Scottish Development Department Report.
1970 A863 Skye: Roskill - Ose Inverness-shire The 3.7 mile reconstruction with diversions was completed in 1970 per the 1970 Scottish Development Department Report.
1970 A886 Clachan of Glendarvel Diversion Argyll Part of the 3.36 mile reconstruction scheme between Glendarvel and Lephinkill which was completed in 1970 per the 1970 Scottish Development Department Report.
1970 A890 Strome Ferry Bypass Ross-shire The 7.75 mile single track road from Strathcarron to South Strome was opened on 5 October 1970 by Gordon Campbell, Scottish Secretary. It subsumed the former B856 between Strathcarron Station and Strathcarron Junction. It included 1 in 7 gradients, crumbling rockfaces enclosed in steel mesh and an avalanche shelter, the first on a British Road. There had been 2 landslides at that location during construction. It replaced the queues at the ferry, which did not run on Sundays giving the only option of a 143 mile detour via Inverness. Consulting Engineers were Babtie, Shaw and Morton of Glasgow. It was the last big contract for Duncan Logan Construction Ltd. of Muir of Ord who went into liquidation. Cost £862,000.
1970 A9 M9 - Dunblane dualling Perthshire The dualling of Stirling Road from Keir Roundabout to the existing dual carriageways in Dunblane was opened in 1970 per the 1970 Scottish Development Department Report. Later renumbered as B8033.
1970 A9 Stirling Inner Relief Road Stirlingshire Phase 2: Craigs Roundabout to Customs Roundabout (by New Stirling Bridge). The 0.9 mile northern extension dual carriageway was opened on 11 November 1970 by Provost Robert McIntyre. Cost £960,000. This completed the Relief Road.
1970 A92 Monduff Diversion Kincardineshire The 0.75 mile dual carriageway south of and about the current Newtonhill Junction was completed in 1970 per the 1970 Scottish Development Department Report. Due date was mid-September 1970 per Aberdeen Press of 29 July 1970.
1970 A96 Bishopston Diversion Aberdeenshire The 1.25 mile road was completed in 1970 per the 1970 Scottish Development Department Report.
1970 B1330 Bedlington Station Bypass Northumberland Clayton Street, Bedlington Station to Stakeford Road. Speed limits for the yet to open road were discussed in committee per the 26 September 1970 Newcastle Evening Chronicle. It may have opened in 1971. Later renumbered as A1147.
1970 B970 spur Aviemore: Spey Bridge Diversion Inverness-shire Diversion south of the old bridge and a new junction with the then A9 (later B9152). Part of the 2.25 mile reconstruction scheme between Aviemore and Coylumbridge which was completed in 1970 per the 1970 Scottish Development Department Report.
1970 B4095 Redditch: Warwick Highway Warwickshire Stage 1 - Studley Road to Birmingham Road (A435). Opened in 1970 per the Birmingham Daily Post of 26 February 1976. The 16 October 1971 edition also mentioned that it had been built. The section west of Icknield Street Roundabout was dual carriageway and initially known as Henley Highway. The eastern half mile was online. Later renumbered A4189.
1970 - Drumchapel Link Road Dunbartonshire Duntreath Avenue. The 0.61 mile road connecting to A82 was completed in 1970 per the 1970 Scottish Development Department Report. It was a potential Class 2 road but it remained unclassified.
1970 - Shieldaig - Kenmore Ross-shire The 7 mile road was officially opened on 11 May 1970 by Princess Margaret. It was described as recently completed by the Aberdeen Press of 25 February 1970. It linked the coastal communities which had previously only been linked by a track. The 1972 OS One inch map shows the road progressing from the Kenmore spur to Arinacrinachd. Part of Applecross northern coastal route of which the remainder of the road to Applecross Bay took until 1975. Later renumbered C1091 (Highland).
1970 - Skelmersdale Glenburn Road Lancashire 1.6 mile dual carriageway connecting the Stanley Industrial Area to the A506 Regional Road (now M58) was opened on 1 October 1970 by Lord Rhodes, Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire. Contractor was Buckton Contractors Ltd., estimated cost £1.48 million. The section south of Halfmile Island was later renumbered A5068.
1970 - Tonbridge Eastern Bypass Kent Stage 1 - Hadlow Road to Vale Rise. Opened 2 July 1970 by Councillor John Brooker. It included Cannon Bridge over River Medway. Cost £470,000. Later renumbered A26.
1971 M20 Wrotham Heath - Maidstone Kent The 6.5 mile Ditton Bypass from Wrotham Heath (later J2a of M26) to J5 Aylesford Interchange was opened on 7 December 1971. It had dual 36 feet 3 lane carriageways with a 13 foot central reservation and hard shoulders. Contractor was Costain Civil Engineering Ltd.. The section between Wrotham Heath and J3 Addington became part of M26 in 1980.
1971 M3 Bagshot/ Lightwater - Popham Surrey • Hampshire The first section of M3 opened in 2 stages. The 9 miles from J6 Black Dam (Basingstoke East) to J8 Popham on 28 May 1971 and the 18.5 miles from J3 Bagshot/ Lightwater to J6 Black Dam (Basingstoke East) on 18 June 1971. It was 4 months behind schedule following a steel shortage, weather hold-ups and cracks being found in concrete bridge beams.
1971 M4 Stanton St Quintin - Tormarton Wiltshire • Gloucestershire The 10.75 mile eastwards extension from J17 to J18 was opened on 15 June 1971.
1971 M4 Badbury - Stanton St Quintin Wiltshire The 5 mile section from J15 Badbury to J16 Spittleborough (then known as Lydiard Tregoze) was opened on 19 October 1971 and the 12.5 miles from J16 to J17 Stanton St Quintin was opened on 9 November 1971 per The Gazette.
1971 M4 Holyport, Maidenhead - Badbury Berkshire • Wiltshire The 50.5 mile section from the A330 bridge, just east of J8/9, to J15 was opened on 22 December 1971 by Michael Heseltine, Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department of Environment. It completed the M4 from London to Newport and was the longest stretch of motorway to open in one go since the M1/M10/M45 in 1959. The then M4 had taken 12 years to build and had cost £140 million. The interchange at J8/9 Holyport opened along with the A308(M) spur and Bray Interchange was closed. The official Jaguar had to be pushed away by police at the opening ceremony since it would not start! A number of windscreens were shattered following the opening due to stones and mud left on the road.
1971 M5 Piffs Elm Interchange - Stroudwater Interchange Gloucestershire The 14.7 mile motorway from J10 to J13 was opened on 6 April 1971. Cost £15 million.
1971 M5 Stroudwater Interchange - Almondsbury Roundabout Gloucestershire The 18.9 mile motorway from J13 to J16 was opened on 3 December 1971 by Michael Heseltine, Under-Secretary of State at Department of Environment. The ceremony was at Michaelwood Service Area. Cost £14 million. It created a 285 mile continuous motorway between Bristol and Carlisle. There were 26 bridges and Almondsbury Interchange, described as the largest interchange in Europe, was finally fully operational.
1971 M6 Coleshill - Castle Bromwich Warwickshire The 5.5 mile section from J4 to J5 opened on 15 February 1971 and was the first section of the M1 to Birmingham motorway. Each right hand lane was closed initially whist the tensioned safety fences were installed. It had dual 36 foot carriageways, 10 foot wide hard shoulders and a central reservation varying between 8 and 15 feet. Cost £4 million.
1971 M6 Ansty - Coleshill Warwickshire The 12 mile section from J2 to J4 opened on 1 July 1971. It was the first motorway with a four lane section, this was to accommodate slow vehicles on the 1 in 30 gradient at Maxstoke. Other "firsts" recorded were having central crash barriers built in, and the new international sign for motorways at its entry points. Cost £9.5 million.
1971 M6 Catthorpe - Ansty Warwickshire • Leicestershire The 12 miles from M1 J19 to J2 opened on 15 November 1971 to connect to the Castle Bromwich section opened earlier in the year. Cost £9 million.
1971 M6 Catterlen - Golden Fleece, Carleton, Carlisle Cumberland The 12.3 miles from J41 to J42 was opened on 1 July 1971 by Graham Page, Minister for Local Government and Development. It linked the southern motorway to the Carlisle bypass, opened in 1970 and completed the Birmingham to Carlisle section, creating a 243 mile motorway from south of Gloucester to Carlisle. Tender cost was £6.943 million.
1971 M9 Craigforth - Keir Roundabout Stirlingshire • Perthshire Stirling Bypass Stage 1 from J10 to J11 was opened on 6 April 1971. The 2.5 mile scheme included a bridge over the River Forth and 0.5 mile of dual carriageway to the north of J11 on the then A9, later renumbered as B8033. Cost was £3.5 million. A 150 year old house at the entrance to Keir Estates was taken down and rebuilt 0.75 miles away since it stood in the motorway's path. The Estate was owned by Colonel William Stirling, former wartime Commando leader.
1971 M40 Beaconsfield Bypass Buckinghamshire A 1 mile eastwards extension from the Temporary Terminus with A40 at Holtspur, west of Beaconsfield (1 mile west of J2) to J2 Beaconsfield Interchange was to be opened on 17 March 1971 by Michael Heseltine, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at Department of Environment (per Reading Evening Post). No notice of opening has been seen in The Gazette.
1971 M56 Sutton - Hapsford Cheshire The first section of M56 to open was J12 to J14 on 21 February 1971, the Frodsham and Helsby Bypass. The 5 mile section cost £9 million and was more than twice the then National average cost per mile of motorways. Sir Alfred McAlpine and Son Ltd. had the contract to remove 1 million tons of peat on the marshes and replace with solid sandstone. Christiani Shand had the £3.5 million contract to build the Weaver Viaduct, three-quarter mile of elevated motorway and approach embankments over the River Weaver and Weaver Navigation Canal. It was 3,200 feet long, had 33 spans and had 60 feet navigational clearance over the canal and 27 feet over the river.
1971 M56 Preston Brook - Sutton Cheshire The 2.7 miles from J11 to J12 opened on 23 September 1971. It opened with just the western bridge at J11, the second bridge and roundabout being completed within a couple of months.
1971 M62 Whitefield - Rockingstone Moss (Moss Moor) Lancashire • Yorkshire The 13.2 miles from J17 to J22 opened on 3 August 1971 (the westward entry slip road at J22 opened on 6 October 1971 per The Gazette). The Queen visited the motorway on 14 October 1971 for the official inauguration. The 1,221 feet summit at Windy Hill makes it the highest motorway in Great Britain. Wire rope central crash barriers were used in places because normal Armco barriers would have acted as snow traps. Elaborate snow fences and screens were also built to prevent blockages during heavy snow. Contractor was the Sir Lindsay Parkinson Organisation, main contract cost £12.5 million. Special bridges had been built before the M62 construction began at a cost of £7 million.
1971 M66 M62 Simister - Rhodes (Middleton) Lancashire 1.1 mile southwards from M62 J18 Simister Island to a then termination roundabout on A576 at Rhodes Interchange. The Gazette notice for the adjacent M62 section and the opening of Simister roundabout was 3 August 1971. It was part of the proposed Manchester Ring Road and was later renumbered M60.
1971 M73 M74 Maryville - A8 Baillieston Lanarkshire The 1.4 miles from J1 to J2 opened on 19 May 1971 per the Gazette. Contractor was Balfour Beatty.
1971 M90 Kinross and Milnathort Bypass Kinross-shire The 7.96 miles from the Temporary Terminus with the then A90 at Kinnaird, north of Maryburgh, (between J4 and J5) to a temporary terminus with the then A90 just east of J8 Arlary Junction was opened on 13 December 1971 by George Younger, Under-secretary for Scotland, per Aberdeen Press (note that the notice in The Gazette gave a date of 18 February 1972 and completion was in 1972 per the 1972 Scottish Development Department Report).
1971 M602 Eccles Bypass Lancashire The 2 miles from J1 Eccles Interchange to J2 Gilda Brook Roundabout was opened on 3 November 1971 per The Gazette and Opening Booklet.
1971 A308(M) Holyport, Maidenhead - Braywick Berkshire The short spur from M4 J8/9 to the A308 and A330 was opened on 22 December 1971.
1971 A1
A59
Allerton Park Interchange and Western Link Road Yorkshire The flyover was opened on 29 January 1971 per Birmingham Mail. A 1.5 mile diversion of A59 linked directly to the Interchange and provided a Flaxby Bypass. Parts of the scheme may have opened earlier.
1971 A1 Eaton Socon Bypass Bedfordshire • Huntingdonshire The 3.2 mile dual carriageway was opened on 1 May 1971 per the Noise Insulation Regulations notice. Contractor was R McGregor and Sons.
1971 A1
A6108
Scotch Corner Diversion Yorkshire The new dual carriageway to the east of the existing junction and the two level interchange with A66 and A6108 (including diversion of A6108) was opened on 19 July 1971 by Maj. F.W. Chadwick, Chairman of North Riding County Council Highways Committee. Contractor was Brims & Co., tender value was £574,000.
1971 A1 Tickencote - South Witham Rutland • Lincolnshire The 8.5 mile dual carriageway was opened to traffic on the 11th August 1971 by the Earl of Gainsborough - the Chairman of the council. It was built by Turriff of Salisbury in two years for Rutland County Council at a cost of £2.25 million.
1971 A1 Seaton Burn and Wide Open Bypass Northumberland The 2.7 mile dual carriageway opened on 22 June 1971. Cost £1.6 million. The experimental surfaces ordered by the Department for Environment were cracking after just 3 years, necessitating £250,000 of repairs.
1971 A1 Gateshead Central Area Bypass Durham Gateshead Highway. The 0.8 mile dual carriageway, including the 0.55 mile Gateshead Viaduct, was opened on 1 September 1971 by Charles Gair, Divisional Road Engineer. It was criticised by the Architects Journal for not taking into account environmental considerations such as the tall lighting masts illuminating adjacent buildings, and noise impact. Some nearby flats were evacuated during construction. Designed by Ove, Arup & Partners. Contractor was John Mowlem and Co. Ltd., contract value £2.4 million, total forecast cost £4 million. The under-carriageway heating was switched off in 1975 since it was found to be no more effective than gritting. The electricity cost was £55,712 which was more expensive than the £51,433 cost of gritting the whole of Gateshead District! Later renumbered A167.
1971 A11 Wymondham Bypass Extension Norfolk Harts Farm Road. The single carriageway road from Avenue Road to Norwich Road (by Turner Close) opened in August 1971 per a Diss Mercury report (21 August 2008). Later renumbered as B1172. The Norwich Road connection has been severed due to a diversion.
1971 A12 Marks Tey and Stanway Bypass Essex Also a bypass of Beacon End. Marks Tey Roundabout to Spring Lane Roundabout, Cymbeline Way (original Colcheter Bypass). Shown on July 1971 OS Route Planner map. Not on July 1970 edition.
1971 A19 Easington and Seaham Bypass Durham 2 schemes: New Seaham to Seaton Diversion / Easington to Cold Hesledon Diversion. From Stockton Road, Seaton (A1018 spur) through Seaton Interchange and Little Thorpe Interchange to Thorpe Road, Little Thorpe (A1086 spur). The 6 mile dual carriageway was reported to be opening next week by J.W. Clark, County Council Chairman, per the Newcastle Journal of 23 October 1971. The £4.5 million scheme had started in October 1969. In February 1970 the contractor Carmichaels, Edinburgh went into voluntary liquidation and the County Council stepped in to complete the work.
1971 A165 Coniston Bypass Yorkshire Reported as now open by the Hull Daily Mail of 9 February 1971.
1971 A168 Dishforth Bypass Yorkshire The 1.4 mile dual carriageway from 1013 yards north-east of Duckhill Lane to Blind Lane, West Heads (0.3 miles east of A1) was opened in July 1971 per the Noise Insulation Regulations Notice.
1971 A189 South-east Northumberland Spine Road Northumberland Stage 2a: Annitsford Roundabout to Moor Farm Roundabout (Tyne Tunnel Northern Approach Road) was opened on 5 May 1971. 0.7 mile dual carriageway. Stage 2b: Cramlington Bypass from Moor Farm Roundabout (Tyne Tunnel Northern Approach Road) to Bebside (A193) was opened on 15 September 1971 by Graham Page, Minister for Local Government and Development. 4.5 mile dual carriageway. Contractor was Tarmac Construction Ltd., contract price £1.3 million.
1971 A1105 Hull: South Orbital Road Yorkshire Stage 1: Widening of Hessle Road from the former Bean Street / Daltry Street to Porter Street plus dual carriageway extension from Porter Street to a new roundabout at Mytongate, and a southern extension of Ferensway from Anlaby Road to the roundabout. Hull Daily Mail of 18 June 1971 reported that it was to open "midnight tomorrow". Cost £710,000. Later renumbered A63.
1971 A2 Dartford Second Bypass Kent Dartford Diversion: Rochester Way, Dartford Heath to Watling Street, east of Bean Interchange. The final length of the 6.5 mile dual carriageway was due to be officially opened on 28 May 1971 by William Simmons, Chairman of the County Council's Roads Committee. Old road renumbered A2018, B2174, A225 & A296.
1971 A21 Tonbridge Bypass Kent The 6.5 mile dual carriageway was opened on 12 July 1971 by Edward Heath, Prime Minister. Construction had started in September 1968. Contractor was Willetts Motorways Ltd. and cost £5.5 million. It included a viaduct over the River Medway.
1971 A282 Dartford Bypass Link Kent Princes Way (First Dartford Bypass) to Darenth Interchange. Dual carriageway. Shown on July 1971 OS Route Planner map. Not on July 1970 edition.
1971 A31
A32
Alton Bypass Hampshire Shown on May 1971 OS One inch map. Not on March 1971 OS Quarter inch map. Dual carriageway. Also bypassed Chawton and Holybourne, with link road to Holybourne. Also an A32 section to complete the Chawton Bypass.
1971 A38 Plympton Bypass Devon The 4 mile D3 dual carriageway was due to be opened on 6 May 1971. Cost £4.75 million. The Government agreed a temporary closure for its use in a Tour de France stage on Saturday 29 June 1974 citing the benefits including strengthening links between the South-West of England and Brittany.
1971 A38 Lichfield Eastern Bypass Staffordshire The 4 mile dual carriageway from Streethay to Wall Island was opened on 27 April 1971 by Herbert Bourne, Chairman of Staffordshire Roads and Bridges Committee. Cost £2.75 million. Provision was made to build a flyover from A5 West to A38 North at Wall Island but this was never built.
1971 A329 Reading Inner Distribution Road Berkshire Stage 2: Castle Street Roundabout to a roundabout on Southampton Street. The 0.45 mile D2 road was due to be opened on 10 January 1971. An official opening was to be held on 2 February 1971. 24 foot carriageways and 6 foot central reservation. Contractor was Cementation Construction Ltd., cost was just over £2 million. Stage 3, the Southampton Street flyover, was forecast to be started in 2 years, but did not open until 1986.
1971 A4 Theale Bypass Berkshire The 1.6 mile dual carriageway was fully opened on 13 December 1971. Bi-directional operation on a single carriageway had started on 4 August 1971.
1971 A4 Calne Inner Relief Road Wiltshire Curzon Street to Market Hill, a bypass for High Street. Demolition work for the road was to continue after shop closures in May 1970. Shown on October 1972 OS One inch map. It may have opened in 1972.
1971 A40 Andoversford Bypass Gloucestershire An ATV Today clip of 20 September 1971 reported a crash on the bypass (MACE Archive). Work was ongoing in March 1970. It may have opened in 1970. Dual carriageway.
1971 A40 Carmarthen Diversion Carmarthenshire Section C: Llysonnen Road to Blue Street. The 1.5 mile dual carriageway was substantially completed and brought into use by the end of 1971 per the Cymru : Wales 1971 Report. The section east of Pont Lesneven roundabout was later renumbered A4212.
1971 A45 Cambridge: Elizabeth Way Cambridgeshire The new bridge over River Cam and approach roads were opened on 13 July 1971. Contractor was Mallik and Reed, cost £2 million. It allowed A45 traffic to avoid the city centre. Later renumbered A1134.
1971 A48 Cardiff: Eastern Avenue Glamorgan • Monmouthshire The 6 mile dual carriageway from Gabalfa Interchange to St Mellons Roundabout was opened on 19 November 1971 by Queen Elizabeth II. Cost £4 million.
1971 A442 Telford: Eastern Primary Shropshire Queensway and Brocton Way via the then unconnected Tweedale Interchange. 2.7 mile dual carriageway from Priorslea to Brockton Roundabout (Sutton Hill). Opened on 4 October 1971 by Raymond Brookes, Chairman of Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds. Contractor was Tarmac Construction Ltd. of Wolverhampton, price £2 million.
1971 A462 Darlaston Bypass Staffordshire The official opening of St. Lawrence Way was held on 23 July 1971 by Sir Harmar Nicholls MP.
1971 A470 Tongwynlais - Nantgarw Glamorgan Stage 1 of the Cardiff - Merthyr dual carriageway scheme was opened on 3 December 1971 by Peter Thomas, Secretary of State for Wales. The 3.25 mile road cost more than £5 million.
1971 A496 Furnace Bridge Diversion Denbighshire The 0.2 mile diversion to avoid a notorious bend and bridge north of Tal-y-Cafn in Conwy Valley was reported as completed by the Liverpool Daily Post of 25 February 1971. 24 foot carriageway. Contractors were the Council's direct labour team (£95,000) and C.J. Pierce and Co. of Southall, Telford (£87,000). Later renumbered as A470.
1971 A52 Whatton Bypass Nottinghamshire Opened on 12 May 1971. A week later it was found that 2,000 tons of hot rolled asphalt was faulty and sections of the bypass required resurfacing. The bypass was designed to allow future dualling. It included a 50 foot span bridge over River Smyte. Constructed by Nottinghamshire County Council direct labour, cost £190,000.
1971 A591 Kendal Bypass Westmorland The 3.25 mile road was opened on 26 August 1971 by James Cropper, High Sheriff of Westmorland. It had dual 24 foot wide carriageways. Contractor was John Laing Constructions Ltd., cost £1.75 million.
1971 A5268
A56
Chester Inner Ring Road Cheshire Stage 3: St Oswalds Way. The North-eastern section from A5116 Fountains Roundabout to A51 The Bars and the A56 link on Hoole Way to Hoole Way Roundabout was opened on 31 October 1971 to complete the Ring Road. Some work remained to be done, which would involve temporary lane closures. Dual carriageways.
1971 A63 Elloughton Bypass Yorkshire The 3.25 mile dual carriageway westwards extension from Welton (Cowgate) to South Cave was fully opened on 29 October 1971 by A.W.P. Newton, Chairman of East Riding County Council Highways Committee. A short section at the east end through the Welton Road Interchange had opened on 13 September 1971. Contractor was Gleeson Civil Engineering Ltd. of Surrey, cost £1.63 million.
1971 A68 Witton-le-Wear Bypass Durham Described by a Council report in the Newcastle Journal of 24 November 1971 as recently completed. 1.25 mile including the four span bridge over River Wear. Estimated cost £800,000.
1971 A607 Belton Bypass Lincolnshire The 0.6 mile road opened on 9 November 1971. Forecast cost was £68,000.
1971 A7 Selkirk: Commonburn - Bigwood Diversion Selkirkshire The realignment to the south of the town was due to be completed in Spring 1971 per the 1970 Scottish Development Department Report. The first stage had opened in August 1970.
1971 A74 Broomhouse dualling Lanarkshire 0.25 mile dualling of Hamilton road westwards from the then M74 Temporary Terminus at Maryville Interchange. It was by the since closed Calderpark Zoo. Work started in 1970 per the 1970 Scottish Development Department Report but was not reported in the 1972 report indicating a 1971 completion.
1971 A75 Kirkdale - Ravenshall Diversion Kirkcudbrightshire The realignment to the south of Creetown was nearly complete per the 1970 Scottish Development Department Report indicating a 1971 completion.
1971 A77 Ayr Bypass Ayrshire Stage 3 (final stage): the 2.61 mile road from Holmston (A70) to Maybole Road, Alloway (A79) was due to open in Autumn 1971 per Hansard of 15 July 1969. Not shown on July 1971 OS Route Finder map, so it may have opened later. Opened before the 1972 Scottish Development Department Report.
1971 A801 M9 J4 Lathallan to Bowhouse West Lothian First stage of a Grangemouth to Whitburn (M9 - M8) link road. The 1.9 mile 24 foot S2 road was in progress in 1970 per the 1970 Scottish Development Department Report but not shown in the 1972 report indicating a 1971 completion.
1971 A828 Dalnatrat and Polanach Diversions Argyll The 3 mile reconstruction from Appin House to Dalnatrat with diversions was in progress in 1970 per the 1970 Scottish Development Department Report but not shown in the 1972 report indicating a 1971 completion.
1971 A838 Kyle of Tongue Causeway Sutherland The 1.56 mile scheme with a causeway and bridge from Melness Brae to Tongue Lodge was due to be opened on 3 September 1971 by Catherine Mackay, County Council member (per the Aberdeen Press of 1 June 1971). Contractor was Alexander Sutherland Ltd. of Golspie.
1971 A849 Mull: Ishriff - Ardura Argyll The 4.17 mile new road was in progress in 1970 per the 1970 Scottish Development Department Report but not shown in the 1972 report indicating a 1971 completion. It was shown on the January 1971 OS One inch map so part or all may have opened in 1970. A short section of the old road route at Torness was used.
1971 A863 Skye: Bracadale - Meadale Inverness-shire Section 6: The 4 mile reconstruction with diversions was in progress in 1970 per the 1970 Scottish Development Department Report but not shown in the 1972 report indicating a 1971 completion. The main diversion was following the coast below Boust Hill and bypassing Coillore. It was shown on the 1973 OS One inch map, the causeway across Loch Beag by Bracadale being shown then as under construction.
1971 A898 Erskine Bridge Renfrewshire • Dunbartonshire The bridge and dual carriageway on 3.35 miles between Toll Plaza Interchange, Erskine (M898) to Old Kilpatrick Interchange (A82) was opened on 2 July 1971. A single cable-stayed bridge designed by Freeman Fox & Partners. The central span is 305m flanked by anchor spans of 110m each. BBC2 had a scheduled 1 hour 20 minutes programme at 2.25pm "H.R.H. Princess Anne opens the Erskine High Level Bridge".
1971 A8011 Cumbernauld: A80 Southern Link Dunbartonshire The dual carriageway from a new flyover at Auchenkilns Junction (east of Condorrat, then A80) to Glasgow Road (by A73) was opened on 12 July 1971. The original roundabout junction was replaced with a flyover over A73. Originally known as Pollockshole / Low woods Interchange. There was one way running on the southern carriageway over the A73 bridge whilst work continued which was expected to be completed on 19 July 1971. Cost £0.5 million.
1971 A98 Boydlie House Diversion Aberdeenshire The work on the diversions and realignment to the west of Fraserburgh had started in 1970 per the 1970 Scottish Development Department Report but not shown in the 1972 report indicating a 1971 completion.
1971 A993 Bo'ness Bypass West Lothian Shown on July 1971 OS Route Planner map. Not on July 1970 edition. Created from former B9110 with a new bypass at Muirhouse and a deviation at Drum Road.
1971 B9074 Trondra - Burra Link Zetland The twin bridge scheme of Trondra Bridge and Burra Bridge connecting the islands to the Shetland Mainland were opened on 18 October 1971 by George Younger, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Development. The 3 mile road reconstruction part of the scheme was completed in 1972 per the 1972 Scottish Development Department Report so some road works may have continued after the bridge openings. Twin 500 feet spans. Contractor was Cleveland Bridge and Engineering Co. Ltd..
1971 - Empingham - Edith Weston Rutland The 2 mile road was opened on 11 August 1971 as a diversionary route for roads lost due to the Rutland Water reservoir project. It was built on the line of an existing track.
1971 - Irvine Southern Approach Road Ayrshire The road from Merryvale Roundabout, on the A737 Ayr Road, to Annick Road roundabout was reported as due to open next week by the Irvine Herald of 4 June 1971. It had been opened by 23 June 1971. It was designed to reduce congestion at The Cross. The section west of Milgarholm Roundabout was later renumbered A71 and that to the north as a spur of B7081.
1972 M1 Stourton - Holbeck, Leeds Yorkshire The Leeds South East Urban Motorway. 2 mile section from the then J43 at Stourton Interchange to J47 at Dewsbury Road (Holbeck Interchange) opened on 15 December 1972. It became J7 to J3 of M621 upon the opening of the M1 to A1(M) extension in 1999. The connection of the northbound lane at J41 Hunslet Interchange opened on 7 August 1976 per The Gazette.
1972 M4 Morriston and Llansamlet Bypass Glamorgan The 3.8 miles D2 from J44 Lon-las to J46 Llangyfelach was opened on 24 August 1972 per the Land Compensation Act notice (of 16 July 1981). Note that the Neath Guardian of 25th August 1972 had a report stating that every effort was being made to open the motorway before the August Bank Holiday. The inauguration ceremony was on 16 September 1972 by Peter Thomas, Secretary of State for Wales, per the Ceremony Brochure. No notice of opening has been seen in The Gazette. At the planning stages the road number A48(M) had been used. The Brochure and the OS Quarter inch map revised to August 1972 shows it as M4. The main contractor was John Laing Construction Ltd., tender price £3,576,000 with some advance contract work having been done by RM Douglas, price £494,000.
1972 M6 Castle Bromwich - Great Barr Staffordshire • Warwickshire The 8 mile connecting link from J5 to J7 was opened on 24 May 1972 by Peter Walker, Secretary of State for the Environment. It included the full opening of J6 Gravelly Hill Interchange, otherwise known as "Spaghetti Junction" and completed the Midland Links Motorways which had cost a total of £110 million. The 3.5 mile elevated section between Castle Bromwich and Gravelly Hill was the longest in Britain. The opening had been delayed for 6 months due to having to fix stiffening plates to the ends of the box girders on the section due to problems encountered elsewhere. No notice of opening has been seen in The Gazette, just a speed limit notice for J6. Mr Walker also opened Perry Barr motorway police headquarters and Hilton Park Services. Was believed at the time to be the last section of the M6, but J44-J45 ws added in 2008.
1972 M8 Glasgow Inner Ring Road: Charing Cross Section Lanarkshire J17 Charing Cross to J19 Anderston Interchange was opened on 4 February 1972 by Gordon Campbell, Secretary of State. It completed the north and west flanks of Glasgow Inner Ring Road at an estimated cost of £28.5 million.
1972 M9 Muriehall to Lathallan West Lothian • Stirlingshire The 10 mile motorway from the temporary junction with the then A9 (later renumbered B9080), 1 mile west of J1 (later J1a) Kirkliston Spur, to J4 at Lathallan was opened on 18 December 1972 by George Younger, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Development. Contractor was Tarmac Construction Ltd., cost £7.5 million. In 1970 planners had to find a 3.7 mile new route around Philipstoun after retired shale miners told them that the ground was so undermined on the announced route that it would not support a motorway. This held up the start of construction.
1972 M18 Thorne Bypass Yorkshire The 2.5 miles from a Temporary Terminus with A1146 Thorne Road (south of J5 North Ings Interchange) to J6 Waterside was opened on 21 June 1972 per The Gazette.
1972 M53 Mid Wirral Motorway Cheshire 10.5 miles from J1 Bidston to J5 Hooton was opened on 1 February 1972, along with the Moreton Spur and A554 Leasowe Road Link, by Lord Leverhulme, Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire. Dual 36 feet carriageways with 13 foot central reservation and 9 foot 6 inch hard shoulders. Moreton Spur had dual 24 foot carriageways. Contractor was a Sir Alfred McAlpine and Son Ltd. / Leonard Fairclough Ltd. consortium, tender cost £11.6 million. The opening of J1 flyover and connections to the Wallasey Docks and new Mersey Tunnel links was delayed until 22 May 1972. Single lane traffic was then allowed on the Bidston viaducts following preliminary £20,000 improvements and strengthening work to the steel box girder bridges. Full opening was expected in August or September 1972.
1972 M56 Wythenshawe - Bowdon Roundabout Cheshire The 7 miles from J3a to J7 and spur to A556 opened on 4 January 1972. It had dual 3 lane carriageways of 36 feet, 10 foot 6 inch hard shoulders and a 13 foot central reservation. There was a short section near the future J3 interchange with the proposed Sharston Bypass which had dual 4 lane carriageways of 48 feet. The Bowdon Spur from J7 had dual 2 lane carriageways of 24 feet. It included 24 bridges, 4 subways, 1 culvert, 2.5 mile of road diversions and the 800 yard Manchester Airport Link road from J5. Contractor was Holland and Hannen and Cubitts {Civil Engineering} Ltd., tender price £6.8 million.
1972 M57 Knowsley Wood - Switch Island, Netherton Lancashire Liverpool Outer Ring Road Phase 1 from J5 A580 East Lancs Road to J7 was opened on 5 April 1972 by William Harris, Director General Highways, Department of Environment. The 3.5 mile dual 3 lane motorway cost £3.8 million.
1972 M606 M62 J26 Chain Bar - Bradford (Staithgate) Yorkshire The 2.3 miles from J1 to J3 (on Rooley Lane) was to open on 8 August 1972 per The Gazette. The flyover at Chain Bar Interchange was to open on 11 July 1973.
1972 M73 A8 Baillieston - A80 Mollinsburn Lanarkshire The 4.94 miles from J2 to J3 was opened on 10 April 1972 by George Younger, Scottish Office Under-secretary for Development. It completed the M73 from M74 to A80 at a cost of £10.5 million. Contractor was Balfour Beatty. It had a fork junction with the then A80 near the present J3. M73 was extended north-easterly in 2011 as part of the M80 completion project.
1972 A18(M) Thorne Bypass Yorkshire The 1 mile Tudworth Hall Link from M18 J5 North Ings Interchange to Tudworth Roundabout (later M180 J1) was opened on 21 June 1972 per The Gazette. Later renumbered M180. A short section of westbound carriageway from Tudworth Roundabout was abandoned following the M180 re-alignment in 1978.
1972 A38(M) Aston Expressway Warwickshire The complete 2 mile motorway from M6 J6 Graveley Hill Interchange to Dartmouth Circus was opened on 1 May 1972 by Coun. Harold Edwards, Chairman of the Public Works Committee. At Graveley Hill it was initially connected to the local roads, until the M6 Castle Bromwich to Great Barr section opened on 24 May 1972. The 7 lanes were to operate on a tidal flow basis controlled by overhead gantry signs, although this did not commence until the computer system was ready on 24 May 1972. The central "seventh lane" was marked in red tarmac and there were no hard shoulders. Speed limit was 50 mph. Cost £13.2 million.
1972 A627(M) Oldham to Rochdale Lancashire The complete 3.5 mile motorway from J1 Chadderton Roundabout, Oldham to J4 Sandbrook Park Crossroads, Rochdale opened on 7 January 1972. It included the 0.6 mile Slattocks Link Road motorway spur from J2 Slattocks Interchange to A664 Rochdale Road at Slattocks. Cost £6.8 million.
1972 A16 Holton-le-Clay Bypass Lincolnshire The 1.5 mile road opened on 28 November 1972 (per the Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph of 29 January 1973). Cost £137,000.
1972 A19 Castle Eden Bypass Durham 3 mile dual carriageway from the north end of Shotton Bank to south of the Hutton Henry junction. Shown on July 1973 OS Route Planning map, not on July 1972 edition. It was shown as under construction on the May 1970 OS Quarter inch map. It was included in the Land Compensation Act notice of 29 June 1974, although no opening date was given. It may have opened in 1973.
1972 A19
A168
Thirsk Bypass Yorkshire The 4.3 mile dual carriageway from South Kilvington Interchange (116 yards south of Green Lane, Spital Bridge, Kilvington) to Topcliffe Road Interchange (520 yards north of Gristhwaite Lane) was opened on 5 September 1972 per the Noise Insulation Regulations Notice. Contractor was Gleeson Civil Engineering Ltd., tender price £4.1 million.
1972 A108 Sunderland Bypass Durham 3 sections. February 1972 – 3.5 miles from Seaton Interchange to A690 Herrington Interchange. 20 March 1972 – 2.25 miles from Hylton Grange Interchange to Testos Roundabout. 8 May 1972 – 2 miles from A690 Herrington Interchange to A183 Chester Road Interchange. Generally two lane 24 foot wide dual carriageways with 15 foot central reservation and 12 foot verges. The final middle section was delayed by national safety concerns re the steel box girder Hylton Viaduct under construction, which did not open until 30 September 1974. Later renumbered A19.
1972 A164 Willerby Bypass Yorkshire The bypass of Main Street was due to open on 28 January 1972 per the Hull Daily Mail of 21 January 1972. Single carriageway from the then De la Pole Hospital (later Willerby Hill Business Park) via Grange Park Lane to Great Gutter Lane then along the new Beverley Road to Willerby Square. Cost £224,000. Later renumbered B1232 on the Great Gutter Lane to Willerby Square section with Grange Park Lane becoming unclassified.
1972 A1073 Crowland Bypass Lincolnshire The 1.4 mile road from Peterborough Road to Postland Road opened on 8 or 15 September 1972. Forecast cost was £196,000. Later became unclassified after opening of the 2nd bypass in 2010.
1972 A1231 Washington – Sunderland Durham Washington Cross Route - stage 1: Ferryboat Lane (to connect to Hylton Grange Interchange on the, then incomplete, Sunderland Bypass) to the northern end of Queen Alexandra Bridge at Low Southwick. The 2.25 mile single carriageway was to be opened on 18 December 1972. Cost £605,000. Both the westwards extension to Washington and Hylton Viaduct on the southbound Sunderland Bypass were still to be completed. The section east of the later Northern Spire Bridge was later renumbered A1290
1972 A229 Blue Bell Hill - M20 Kent The 2.5 mile offline dual carriageway from just south of Barham Common Lane (and former Upper Bell pub) to M20 Sandling Interchange was opened on 26 February 1972. The 1 mile climb section up the chalk escarpment had a gradient of 5.2% and a crawler lane. Contractor was Mears Construction Ltd., cost £1.75 million.
1972 A38 Ashburton Bypass extension Devon The northwards extension from just south of Dolbeare Road to south-west of the Mead Cross junction was mentioned as used in a report by the Torbay Express and South Devon Echo of 11 April 1972. Note that it was still shown as under construction on the September 1972 OS One inch map.
1972 A38 Haldon Hill Diversion Devon The 2.25 mile dual carriageway from Haldon Hill Racecourse to the Kennford bypass was fully opened in April 1972. One carriageway for bi-directional running had been opened in early March 1972 and the old road temporarily closed to allow completion work. Carriageways were 24 foot wide and the original twisting route was bypassed. It included the interchange with A380 at the bottom of Telegraph Hill. Cost £1.5 million.
1972 A350
A365
Melksham Relief Road Wiltshire Western Way and Beanacre Road link. Opened on 22 May 1972. Cost £550,000.
1972 A45 Bury St. Edmunds: Callum Road Extension Suffolk The 0.7 mile road across The Butts meadows to the south of the town was due to open on 22 September 1972. From the existing Callum Road at River Linnet to A134 Sicklesmere Road. Cost £300,000. Renumbered A1302 when the bypass opened in December 1973.
1972 A333 Southwick Bypass Hampshire Shown on 1972/73 Philip's Road Atlas, not on July 1972 OS One inch map. Later renumbered B2177.
1972 A404 Marlow Bypass Buckinghamshire • Berkshire The 6 mile dual carriageway from M40 J4 Handy Cross to Burchetts Green Roundabout was opened on 20 December 1972 by David Smith and Major John Young, Lord Lieutenants of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire. The section south of Bisham Roundabout was online dualling. It included the new Longridge Bridge over River Thames. Contractor was Fitzpatrick and Sons Ltd., cost £4.25 million.
1972 A417 spur Gloucester: Barnwood Link Road Gloucestershire A417 Barnwood Bypass to A40 Elmbridge Court Roundabout, at west end of Golden Valley Bypass. The 0.9 mile dual carriageway was opened on 14 October 1972. (note that it was not shown on the OS one inch map revised June 1973). Later OS 1:50000 maps do not show a road number so it has been reported as A417 which Gloucestershire County Council uses, rather than as an A40 spur.
1972 A420 Fyfield Bypass Berkshire Completed in 1971-72 per Berkshire County Surveyors' Department reports. Contractor was Ameys Asphalt Ltd., tender cost £193.307, total forecast cost £235,588.
1972 A435 Wythall - Redditch dualling Worcestershire • Warwickshire The 5 mile dual carriageway from Station Road, Wythall to just south of Coventry Highway junction, Redditch was due to have opened on 22 August 1972 but a building workers' strike delayed the opening. Online with sections off line at Portway and Gorcott Hill. Cost £2 million.
1972 A446 Swinfen - Weeford Dualling Staffordshire Dualling from the Lichfield Eastern Bypass to A5, including a bypass section for Swinfen, in advance of the Sutton Coldfield Bypass. Birmingham Mail of 21 April 1981 gave an original Land Compensation claim date of June 1975 which would indicate a completion date of June 1972. Later renumbered A38.
1972 A449 Usk Interchange to M4 J24 Coldra, Newport Monmouthshire Usk Bypass. 8 mile concrete surfaced dual carriageway. Reported on 6 December 1972 by Coventry Evening Telegraph that it had opened last week. The Burton Daily Mail of 7 December 1972 reported that it was to be opened "tomorrow" by Peter Thomas, Secretary of State for Wales. The official opening may have been later than the actual opening. Cost £4.5 million. This completed the dual carriageway from Raglan and the M50 at Ross-on-Wye to Newport.
1972 A50 Sudbury Bypass Derbyshire The dual carriageway opened in June 1972. 1.9 mile scheme. West of Ashbourne Interchange to Flackers Lane was an online upgrade. This section is now unclassified. Traffic surveys by the school children showed that traffic through the village was reduced from an average of 861 vehicles per hour to 15. Contractor was Henry Boot Construction Ltd., cost £400,000. Multiplex with A515.
1972 A54 Middlewich Inner Relief Road Cheshire St. Michael's Way, from Chester Road to Kinderton Street, opened in October 1972. 0.3 mile. Cost £310,000.
1972 A57 Saxilby: Odder to Burton Lane Diversion Lincolnshire The 1.6 mile diversion from the winding road section between Saxilby and Lincoln was opened on 15 December 1972 per the Noise Insulation Regulations notice. Improvement work was also carried out between B1241 Mill Lane, Saxilby and west of Odder Bridge. This involved rebuilding the carriageway and widening to 24 feet, putting in hard verges and drainage and footpath lengths on the north side. Contractor was Kesteven County Council, cost £65,178. These were in advance of detrunking the road.
1972 A515 Clifton Bypass Derbyshire Derby Daily Telegraph of 26 June 1970 reported that work on phase 2 (the village section) had just started and was expected to take 18 months. It may have opened in 1971. Cost £183,000. Phase 1 was the Collycroft Diversion at the Wyaston junction at the top of Collycroft Hill which was nearing completion in the 26 June 1970 report, cost £60,000.
1972 A577 Skelmersdale: Eastern Primary Road Lancashire Stannanought Road. The 4 mile road from Birch Green Road to Windmill Roundabout was due to open on 26 October 1972.
1972 A6
A589
Lancaster: Greyhound Bridge Lancashire The bridge over the River Lune was opened on 29 November 1972 by Mrs D. Henderson, Mayor of Lancaster. It was the second crossing of the river and was a conversion of a railway bridge that had been built in 1911. Cost £549,529. It formed a one-way gyratory with Skerton Bridge.
1972 A601
A52
Derby Inner Ring Road Derbyshire Stage 2 - St Alkmund's Way dual carriageway eastwards from the previous temporary connection on Bridge Gate to The Cock Pitt Roundabout (for Traffic Street). Also the spur from Eastgate Junction to Pentagon Island. Opened on 30 July 1972. It included 2 bridges over River Derwent - Causey Bridge and Holmes Bridge. Cost £3.5 million.
1972 A614 Clifton Bridge (Nottingham) Nottinghamshire The Eastern span was opened to create a dual carriageway. The single carriageway sections of the Nottingham Outer Ring Road between the current A6005 and A606 had also been dualled by 1971. Currently part of A52
1972 A638 Flushdyke Diversion, Ossett Yorkshire Wakefield Road, Gawthorpe to 0.2 mile west of M1 J40 Flushdyke Interchange. Shown on September 1972 OS Quarter inch map. Not on July 1971 OS Route Planner map. Dual carriageway except for 0.2 mile west of B6128.
1972 A671 Whalley Eastern Bypass Lancashire The 1.1 mile single carriageway was opened by James Wallis, Regional Transport Controller for Department of Environment. Cost 0.5 million.
1972 A6009 Mansfield Inner Ring Road Nottinghamshire The first section from B6033 Bath Lane to A60 Nottingham Road was opened early on 25 July 1972 to provide a diversion for the flooded Church Street. The dual carriageway from Albert Street to Bridge Street was operational, with a single carriageway on the other section temporarily until works were complete.
1972 A71 Livingston Diversion - Bankton Road Midlothian Phase 1: Crofthead Interchange to a temporary junction with A899 Livingston Road and the former A71 eastbound on Main Street, Mid Calder, 300m to the north-west of the later Lizzie Brice's Roundabout. The 1 mile road opened on 28 February 1972 (along with the Livingston Road connection to the north). Crofthead Interchange flyover opened as part of phase 2 in April 1977.
1972 A71 Edinburgh: Calder Road dualling Midlothian The dualling between Wester Hailes Road (then A720) and Longstone Road was completed in 1972 per the 1972 Scottish Development Department Report. Cost £870,000. An extension of the dualling to Stevenson Drive was started in the year.
1972 A84 Cambusbeg - Laighlands Diversion Perthshire The 0.7 mile diversion was completed in 1972 per the 1972 Scottish Development Department Report.
1972 A85 Glendoick - Inchyra dualling Perthshire The 2.75 mile online dualling south-westwards from the future site of Glendoick Junction (east of the village) was opened on 18 December 1972. Contractor was Shellabear Price (Scotland) Ltd., cost £640,000. Later renumbered A90.
1972 A87 Clachan Duich Bridge and Causeway Ross-shire The contract for the reconstruction of the section from Shiel Bridge to Inverinate was awarded in August 1970 and was expected to be opened by mid 1972. Completed in 1972 per the 1972 Scottish Development Department Report. The improvement scheme was 1.92 miles and included the construction of a 0.4 mile long causeway across the head of Loch Duich with bridges over Allt a Chruinn and the River Croe and associated improvements near Kintail Lodge and Inverinate. It removed the need for a 2.5 mile detour around the head of the Loch at Morvich. Contractor was William Briggs Construction of Dundee, contract price £440,000. It completed the reconstruction of A87 to S2 over the 50 mile length from Kyle of Lochalsh to Invergarry.
1972 A861 Sallachan Bypass Argyll Shown on 1972 OS One inch map. It is expected that this was part of the 3.25 mile reconstruction scheme between Inversanda and Carnoch which was almost complete per the 1972 Scottish Development Department Report. Forecast cost was £279,500.
1972 A899 Livingston Road Midlothian Stage 3 - Almond Road to A71 south-west of Mid Calder opened on 28 February 1972. It included a 1000 foot long and 60 feet high Almond Valley Viaduct over the River Almond. The D2 road cost £510,000. This completed the Livingston "Spine road" between A8 and A71.
1972 A9 Gleneagles Crossroads dualling Perthshire The 0.6 mile dualling was completed in 1972 per the 1972 Scottish Development Department Report.
1972 A9 Helmsdale New Bridge Sutherland Aberdeen Press of 14 September 1972 reported that it was to be opened that day. The 0.3 mile road running south from Stafford Street provided a bypass for Dunrobin Street and Telford's Bridge. Sutherland County Council had expressed disappointment to the Scottish Development Office that they were not allowed to organise an official opening on that date.
1972 A92 Arbroath Inner Relief Road Angus Phase 2 between Panmure Street (near to Catherine Street) and West Grimsby was completed in 1972 per the 1972 Scottish Development Department Report. Cost £170,000. A start had been made on the next phase between East Grimsby and Dundee Road.
1972 A94 North Water Bridge Diversion Angus • Kincardineshire The 1.9 mile diversion scheme from west of Nether Pert Farm to east of Balmakewan Lodge and the new single carriageway bridge over the River North Esk to the north-east of Brechin was completed in 1972 per the 1972 Scottish Development Department Report. It also included a new Luther Bridge over Lutherburn. Cost £500,000. Later renumbered as A90.
1972 A96 Fochabers Bridge Moray The new bridge over the River Spey and 0.82 mile approach roads were opened on 25 May 1972. There was an official opening in July 1972 by the Secretary of State.
1972 A941 Craigellachie Bridge Banffshire • Moray The new bridge over the River Spey and 0.23 mile approach roads were due to open in in the middle of June 1972 per the Aberdeen Press of 6 June 1972. Cost £400,000.
1972 A911 Milton of Balgonie Bypass Fife Completed in 1972 per the 1972 Scottish Development Department Report. Cost £250,000.
1972 A977 Drum - Park Neuk Diversion Perthshire Stage 2 of the diversion was completed in 1972 per the 1972 Scottish Development Department Report.
1972 B772 Paisley Relief Road: Hammills Bridge Renfrewshire The new bridge over River Cart connecting Gordon Street to Mill Street was completed in 1972 per the 1972 Scottish Development Department Report. The 1974 OS One inch map shows it as a continuation of B772. Later renumbered A761.
1972 B1103 Newmarket: Fred Archer Way Suffolk The 0.2 mile road from Wellington Street to Fordham Road was opened on 15 November 1972. Rain had prevented the tarmac surfacing before the official opening which was two days previous by Councillor Les Ball. Cost £35,000.
1972 B3054 Beaulieu Bypass Hampshire The western bypass from Palace Lane to High Street was opened by Peter Walker, Environment Minister on "Friday last week" per a 1 April 1972 New Milton Advertiser report. It had been planned alongside the new Beaulieu Complex and National Motor Museum opening in the July. Total cost was £25,000. 60% of the finance came from the Beaulieu Estate and local industry. High Street became one way.
1972 - Daventry Eastern Bypass Northamptonshire South Way was officially opened on 14 December 1972 by Tom Boardman, Minister for Industry. Later renumbered A425. Daventry was being expanded as part of an overspill scheme for the reception of population and industry from Birmingham.
1972 - Peterborough Northern Bypass Northamptonshire Stage 1: Soke Parkway (west section) from A47 Thorpe Wood Interchange to A15 Lincoln Road was opened on 5 October 1972. The 3 mile dual carriageway cost £2 million. It included a new bridge over the East Coast Main Line, two other road bridges, two footbridges, five pedestrian subways and a big footbridge complex at Lincoln Road Interchange. It was the first section of a 34 mile planned parkway system, as the city was expected to double in size over the next 15 years. The Parkway name came from the intensive tree and shrub planting along them. Later became A47 on completion of the bypass.
1972 - Redditch: Coventry Highway Worcestershire • Warwickshire Initially known as Ravensmere Primary. Stage 1: 2 mile dual carriageway from a temporary roundabout with Marfield Lane (then B4497) to A435 south of Gorcott Hill. Opened on 8 December 1972 by Reginald Eyre, Under-secretary at the Department of Environment. Later renumbered A4023.
1972 - Smethwick: Soho Way Staffordshire The section from a roundabout on Crocketts Lane to Baldwin Street was reported by the 17 September 1972 Birmingham Weekly Mercury to be "completed within the next two months". Baldwin Street to Windmill Lane was reported as having opened in 1967, but waiting for slum clearance and additional funding delayed the second section. Dual carriageway. Later renumbered as A457.
1972 - Wolviston to A178 Durham Seal Sands Road. Under construction on 1971/72 Philips Road atlas. Shown on 1972/73 edition. Later renumbered as A1185. The connection to Wolviston Back Lane has been severed due to a diversion.
1973 M5 Portbury - Edithmead Somerset The 22.5 mile section from J19 to J22 was opened on 25 January 1973. The official opening date was to have been 23 January 1973 but heavy and continuous rain followed by overnight frosts prevented the completion of the road markings in time. Cost £33 million. Portbury is now known as Gordano Interchange.
1973 M5 Edithmead - Dunball Somerset The 5 mile Highbridge Bypass from J22 to J23 was opened on 5 July 1973. It was to have opened in August but was opened early to relieve Highbridge of summer holiday traffic. There was a half mile contraflow in the middle section using the southbound carriageway whilst the remaining bridgeworks were completed.
1973 M5 Dunball - Huntworth Somerset The 4.7 mile Bridgwater Bypass from J23 to J24 was opened on 18 December 1973 by John Peyton, Minister of Transport. Cost £8 million. It had two 36 foot carriageways, 9 foot 6 inch hard shoulders and a 13 foot wide central reservation. There were 7 new bridges and a viaduct over the River Parrett.
1973 M9 Pirnhall - Craigforth Stirlingshire Stirling Bypass Stage 2 from J9 to J10 was opened on 28 December 1973 (per Edinburgh Gazette), 4.7 miles. There was an official opening on 22 May 1974 by Lord Hughes, Minister of State at the Scottish Office.
1973 M40 Denham - Beaconsfield Buckinghamshire A 7.2 mile eastwards extension, J1 (start of M40) to J2 was opened on 23 August 1973. It incorporated a grooved concrete road surface, developed by the Cement and Concrete Association and designed to reduce skidding, as a trial. Prior to opening, in October 1972, part of a month old bridge had to be blown up due to suspect concrete in one of the supports. It required more than 70 small explosions due to houses nearby at Windsor Road, Gerrard's Cross.
1973 M57 Tarbock - Forest House, Prescot Lancashire Liverpool Outer Ring Road Phase 2 (south). The southern 2.1 miles from J1 M62 to J2 A57 was opened on 30 November 1973, the same day that the M62 was opened east of Tarbock Interchange to M6.
1973 M62 Ainley Top, Elland - Chain Bar, Cleckheaton Yorkshire The 7.5 miles from J24 to J26 was opened on 5 July 1973 by Keith Speed, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at Department of Environment. It was the final section of the "Trans-Pennine" motorway
1973 M62 Tarbock - Croft Interchange Lancashire 10.5 miles from J6 M57 to J10 M6 was opened on 30 November 1973. On approval in 1967 it was numbered M52 as part of the South Lancashire Motorway from Liverpool to Manchester.
1973 M621 M62 Gildersome - Beeston (Leeds) Yorkshire The 3.2 miles from M62 J27 to J1 was opened in 1973 per a National Audit Office report of 2018. No Gazette notice has been seen. The concrete surface required reconstruction and overlay in 1981-84 at £2.3 million.
1973 A1(M) Welwyn to Stanborough Hertfordshire The 3.8 mile section opened on 10 August 1973 per The Gazette. J6 (north exit onto Welwyn Bypass) to Stanborough temporary junction 0.8 mile south of J5, about 148 yards north of the new A1 bridge crossing the then A6129 Stanborough Road (later B197). There was no southbound exit just a continuation onto A1. There was a temporary northbound exit from A1 which connected to B197 Great North Road 0.1 mile north of Stanborough village roundabout.
1973 A64(M) Leeds IRR: York Road extensions Yorkshire Leeds Inner Ring Road Motorway. The 729 yard eastbound carriageway extension from east of Regent Street to east of Woodpecker Junction and the 372 yard section of the westbound carriageway between Woodpecker Junction and the Vicars Lane slip road at North Street Interchange were opened on 11 February 1973 per the Gazette. The 380 yards former gap on the westbound carriageway under North Street Interchange opened on 14 December 1973 per The Gazette. These completed the eastern end of the motorway.
1973 A329(M) Loddon Bridge, Reading - A321, north Wokingham Berkshire The 2.75 mile central section opened on 30 January 1973. It included M4 J10 Winnersh Interchange, a two level interchange with 4 miles of access roads. The section north of Loddon Bridge had been delayed due the River Loddon bridge collapse in October 1972 whilst under construction. The eastern access was a temporary terminus on A321 Twyford road, north of Wokingham.
1973 A1 Haggerston Northumberland A 1.8 mile single carriageway deviation to bypass 3 sharp bends. Work started May 1972. May have opened in 1974. Cost £300,000.
1973 A10 Puckeridge Bypass Hertfordshire The 2.5 mile dual carriageway opened on 21 February 1973. Initially, just the northbound carriageway was in use whilst the southbound carriageway was completed. Contractor was Mears Construction Ltd., cost £700,000.
1973 A12 Margaretting Bypass Essex Dual carriageway from north end of Ingatestone bypass to rejoin A12 Three Mile Hill at the current Webbs Farm Interchange. Contract was issued in January 1971 to Robert McGregor and Sons of Chesterfield. The road was involved in a test case in October 1973 when a challenge to the accuracy of the new "Vascar" electronic speed computer was rejected.
1973 A12 Mountnessing Bypass Essex Dual carriageway between Marylands Interchange and Trueloves Interchange (the gap between the Brentford and Ingatestone Bypasses). Shown on July 1973 OS Route Planning map. Not shown on July 1972 edition. It may have opened in 1972.
1973 A17 Sleaford Northern Bypass Lincolnshire Stage 1: The western section from Holdingham Roundabout (A15) to Sleaford Rugby Club Junction (A153) was due to be opened on 14 November 1973. The 1.4 mile section had, for a period, just one carriageway in operation. It became fully dual carriageway when the eastern section opened on 27 March 1975.
1973 A120 Wix Bypass Essex Mentioned as to be opened shortly by Hansard of 19 July 1973.
1973 A134 Thetford: Mundford Road Extension Norfolk The 0.5 mile road from Croxton Road to A11 Norwich Road was opened in the week to 23 March 1973. It alleviated congestion at the Croxton Road railway bridge. Cost £230,000. Later renumbered A1066.
1973 A134 Wereham Bypass Norfolk The 0.5 mile single carriageway road was opened on 25 June 1973 . The road split the village in two, with the main concern being the children crossing it to go to school. The road had a 30mph limit.
1973 A165 Bridlington: Well Lane Bypass Yorkshire The 0.45 mile road from Easton Road to Scarborough Road was opened on 26 March 1973. Cost £90,000.
1973 A177 Thorpe Thewles Bypass Durham 1.5 mile Dual carriageway. Shown on February 1974 OS One inch map. Not on March 1972 OS Quarter inch map. Opened between those dates.
1973 A1078 King's Lynn Northern Ring Road Norfolk Edward Benefar Road - Stage 2. The section from New Inn, South Wootton to Estuary Road was opened on 15 February 1973 by S.J. Pope, County Council Highways' Committee Vice-chairman to complete the road. Contractor was the County Council's Direct Labour Organisation, cost £246,000. The first section had opened in January 1969 to provide access to the docks, cost £180,000.
1973 A1174 Beverley Eastern Bypass Yorkshire The 0.5 mile road from Grovehill Road to Hull Road, Figham was opened on 1 March 1973 by A.W.P Newton, Chairman of the County Council's Highway Committee. It included a bridge over Beverley Beck and Waterside Road. The existing Swinemoor Lane was used for the northern section of the bypass from A1035 Hull Bridge Road. Contractor was A.F. Budge (Contractors) Ltd. of Retford, cost £265,000.
1973 A27 Arundel Bypass Sussex Shown on 1974 Philips Road Atlas. Not on 1973/74 edition. It may have opened in 1974.
1973 A34 Oxford Southern Bypass Dualling Oxfordshire The final section to be dualled of 1.5 miles from South of Harcourt Hill turn, North Hinksey to Hinksey Hill Interchange was expected to be completed by Christmas 1973 per a report by the 5 October 1973 Reading Evening Post (of the Abingdon Bypass opening.)
1973 A34 Abingdon Bypass Berkshire Stage 1: Oxford Southern Bypass (Hinksey Hill Interchange) to a temporary junction with Steventon Road south of Drayton (now B4017). The 8.25 mile dual carriageway was to be opened on 4 October 1973 by David Smith, Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire. Contract cost £4.4 million. It was 6 months ahead of schedule due to taking advantage of dry spells since work began in January 1972. Abingdon Mayor Councillor Peter Merritt fulfilled his promise of buying the 250 workers of the Amey-Fairclough consortium contractors a pint if the road was opened before the Michaelmass Fair.
1973 A38 Chudleigh and Chudleigh Knighton Bypass Devon The 4.5 mile dual carriageway opened on 21 June 1973 per Chudleigh History Group. It is, however, shown on the OS Dartmoor one inch map, major roads revised 1972. It was reported on 9 November 1972 as nearing completion. Tender price £3.9 million.
1973 A38 Ivybridge and Bittaford Bypass Devon The 4.2 mile dual carriageway from Wrangaton Cross to Westover Junction (including those junctions) was opened on 21 December 1973. It had dual 25 foot carriageways, a 15 foot central reservation and 12 foot side verges. Contractor was Peter Lind and Co. Ltd., tender price £3.4 million.
1973 A38 Sutton Coldfield Bypass Warwickshire The 6 mile dual carriageway from Minworth to Canwell (north of Bassetts Pole) opened on 10 August 1973. Contractor was R.M. Douglas Construction Ltd., contract value £2.8 million, total cost £4 million. The adjacent A4097 and A446 sections were utilised to form the bypass. The improvement of the former A4097 between Gravelly Hill and Minworth was to be completed in the autumn giving a wholly dual carriageway route from Birmingham to the Derby boundary.
1973 A40 Llywel Diversion Brecknockshire Opened in September 1973 per the Cymru : Wales 1973 Report
1973 A41 West Bromwich Expressway Staffordshire The Town Centre Bypass opened on 7 May 1973. Dual carriageway.
1973 A43
A47
Duddington Bypass Northamptonshire • Leicestershire Northern A47 and Eastern A43 bypasses. Reported as opened by the Stamford Mercury of 23 November 1973. The first vehicle to "open" the bypass was driven by Sandie Andrew who had been stopped, given a box of chocolates by the site agent, and directed onto the new road. 1.85 mile roads and an 80 foot span concrete bridge over River Welland. Contractor was Robert MacGregor and Sons Ltd., contract price £406,533.
1973 A45 Eltisley Northern Bypass Cambridgeshire Opened on 23 May 1973 per the Noise Insulation Regulations notice. Later renumbered A428.
1973 A45 Bury St Edmunds Bypass Suffolk The 4 mile dual carriageway from just west of Westley Interchange to just east of Moreton Hall Interchange (at east end of Rougham Hill) was officially opened on 7 December 1973 by Eldon Griffiths, Parliamentary Under-secretary to Department of Environment. 7.3m concrete carriageways with 1m marginal strips. Contractor was A. Monk & Co. Ltd.. Later renumbered A14.
1973 A45
A154
Trimley and Walton Bypass Suffolk Constructed at same time as the Felixstowe Southern Relief Road which opened in 1973. It was under construction per the Bury Free Press of 9 November 1972. Due date had been Autumn 1972. It may have opened in late 1972. The A45 section was dual carriageway and later renumbered A14.
1973 A45 Felixstowe Southern Relief Road Suffolk Described as recently completed in the Hansard debate of 19 July 1973. It was under construction per the Bury Free Press of 9 November 1972. On 30 November 1972 the Department of Environment issued a completion date of 1973. Dual Carriageway southwards to Dock Gate 1 Roundabout. Later renumbered A14.
1973 A48 Chepstow Inner Relief Road Monmouthshire Stage 1: Mount Pleasant to Station Road was opened on 2 March 1973. Contractor was Haywood Group of Chepstow, cost £140,000.
1973 A429 Malmesbury Bypass Wiltshire Opened on 30 January 1973 by Peter Sturgis, Chairman of the County Council Planning Committee. Cost £390,000. Improvements were also carried out at the north end on the unclassified road (later B4014) at the Filands, connecting to the Tetbury Road. Cost £55,000.
1973 A451 Kidderminster Inner Ring Road Worcestershire Stage 3 – Constitution Hill Ringway between Comberton Hill and Worcester Road. Opened 17 August 1973 by Keith Speed, Parliamentary Under-secretary at Department of Environment. Contractor was Wrekin Construction Ltd., cost £1.7 million. It included a 320m sculptoral concrete retaining wall designed by the sculptor William Mitchell, which is visible from the town. The water cascade which ran dry and was switched off in 1986 was restored and opened again in March 2021 as a memorial to those who died during the Covid pandemic.
1973 A470 Nantgarw - Abercynon Glamorgan Stage 2 - Nantgarw to Upper Boat opened on 29 June 1973. Stage 3 - Upper Boat to Abercynon opened on 18 December 1973. The 7.5 mile dual carriageway cost over £13 million.
1973 A483 Wrexham Bypass Denbighshire The 4 mile road from Croes Foel to Plas Acton was opened on 14 December 1973 by Peter Thomas, Secretary of State for Wales. It had dual two lane 24 feet carriageways, 2 two level interchanges and 2 terminal roundabouts. Contractor was Sir Alfred McAlpine and Son, cost £2,797,080.
1973 A4086 Llanberis Bypass Caernarfonshire Opened on 14 July 1973 by Geronwy Roberts, MP for Caernarfon. It was built on the route of the former Caernarfon to Llanberis railway, alongside Llyn Padarn. Cost £98,000.
1973 A58 Halifax Inner Relief Road Yorkshire Burdock Way. The dual carriageway from Kings Cross Street (now Aachen Way) to New Bank was opened on 6 April 1973 by Mayor Maurice Jagger (per Yorkshire Post of 23 December 2014).
1973 A500 Potteries "D" Road : Talke - Etruria Staffordshire Stage 3 : the 4.25 mile dual carriageway was officially opened on 27 June 1973 by Keith Speed, Junior Transport Minister. Contractor was John Laing Construction Ltd., contract price £3.8 million.
1973 A515 Little Cubley - Harehill Improvement Derbyshire The works to provide a 24 foot single carriageway with 12 foot verges and some re-allignment on the 1.5 miles between Mill Lane, Little Cubley and New Road, Harehill were expected to be completed in July 1973 (per the 16 February 1973 Derby Daily Telegraph).
1973 A71 Bonkle Bypass Lanarkshire The 1.9 mile road from Morningside Road, Newmains to Allanton was opened on 6 August 1973 by Joseph Russell, Chairman of the County Council Drainage, Roads and Lighting Committee. 24 foot carriageway. It also included a new junction at Newmains Cross. Contractor was Fram - Drysdale Ltd. of Paisley, cost £470,000.
1973 A74 Gretna Bypass Dumfriesshire • Cumberland The 2.5 mile dual carriageway opened on 4 May 1973 from 0.5 mile north of Gretna Green to 1 mile north of Metal Bridge over River Esk. It was the last stretch of road to be dualled on the M6 / A74 / M74 route. Lord Polworth, Minister of State, Scottish Office did the opening ceremony at the Scottish end and Keith Speed, Under-Secretary of State to the Department of Environment, did the honours at the English end. There had been a brief opening of the Southbound lane over Easter 1973 for the holiday traffic. The A75 northern bypass was noted as under construction on a map in The Scotsman. Cost £3 million. Reconstructed to A74(M) in 1992.
1973 A76 Hurlford Bypass Ayrshire It was almost complete per the 1972 Scottish Development Department Report, indicating a 1973 completion. Shown on June 1973 OS One inch map. Built in conjunction with A77 Kilmarnock Bypass.
1973 A77 Kilmarnock Bypass Ayrshire The 7.5 mile dual carriageway from Meiklewood Interchange to Coodham (Bogend) was opened on 2 February 1973 by George Younger, Under-secretary of State for Development, Scottish Office. Contractor was Whatlings Ltd., cost more than £5 million.
1973 A85 Kinfauns - Inchyra Perthshire The 2.56 mile online dualling was in progress in 1972 per the 1972 Scottish Development Department Report but not shown in the 1974 report indicating a 1973 completion. Later renumbered A90.
1973 A814 Glasgow: Clydeside Expressway Lanarkshire The 3.5 mile dual carriageway between Whiteinch Interchange, Partick and M8 J19 Anderston Interchange was opened on 27 April 1973 by Glasgow’s Lady Provost Mary Gray. It connected the Clyde Tunnel with the motorway inner ring road. Pointhouse Bridge had been completed in 1969 leaving the remaining 2.19 mile section between Lancefield Street on Stobcross Street to Broomhill Avenue on Dunbarton Road to be completed in 1973. Carriageways were 7.3m wide. Consulting engineer was Sir William Halcrow and Partners. Contractor was Balfour Beatty & Co. Ltd., forecast cost £5.75 million. The interchanges at both ends had been built previously.
1973 A863 Skye: Ose - Bracadale Inverness-shire The 3.9 mile reconstruction with diversions was almost complete per the 1972 Scottish Development Department Report indicating a 1973 completion. It replaced the 9 foot wide single track road with passing places with an S2 18 foot carriageway within a 30 foot highway width, and included a causeway across Loch Beag. It was the last scheme of the improvement of the 25 mile length of A863. Forecast cost was £480,000.
1973 A884 Claggan - Lochaline Argyll The 4 mile reconstruction with diversions was in progress in 1972 per the 1972 Scottish Development Department Report but not shown in the 1974 report indicating a 1973 completion.
1973 A9 Camelon (Falkirk): Main Street dualling Stirlingshire The 0.42 mile dualling between Stirling Road and Canal Street was in progress in 1972 per the 1972 Scottish Development Department Report but not shown in the 1974 report indicating a 1973 completion.
1973 A907 Dunfermline: Carnegie Drive Fife Northern Link Road: the 0.24 mile dual carriageway from Ingliss Street to Holyrood Place (Sinclair Gardens Roundabout) was in progress in 1972 per the 1972 Scottish Development Department Report but not shown in the 1974 report indicating a 1973 completion.
1973 B3136 Shepton Mallet Inner Relief Road Somerset Stage 1: Rectory Road. Opened in September 1973.
1973 - Balerno Bypass Midlothian Bavelaw Green, a bypass of Main Street, was due to be completed by 28 February 1973 per the West Lothian Courier of 2 February 1973.
1974 M3 Sunbury Cross - Bagshot/ Lightwater Middlesex • Surrey The 13.75 mile eastward extension between the terminus at J1 to J3 opened on 6 August 1974 per The Gazette.
1974 M5 Avonmouth - Portbury Gloucestershire • Somerset The 3 mile section from J18 to J19 including Avonmouth Bridge was opened on 23 May 1974. The opening had been delayed by 2 years due to technical and labour problems. Initially traffic was restricted to a single lane each way with a 40 mph speed limit but due to the congestion it was increased to 2 lanes each way in early June and lasted until at least October. Cost £5.5 million. Avonmouth is now known as Lawrence Weston Interchange and Portbury as Gordano Interchange.
1974 M5 Blackbrook - Chelston Somerset The 6.4 mile Taunton Bypass from J25 to J26 opened on 11 April 1974 per the Land Compensation Act notice. It had been given priority over the adjacent northern North Petherton section.
1974 M23 Hooley - Pease Pottage Surrey • Sussex The 16 miles from J7 to J11 was opened on 19 December 1974 per The Gazette. Contractor was W. and C. French (Construction) Ltd.. It opened briefly with no intermediate junctions; J10 Crawley Interchange opened on 28 February 1975, J9 Gatwick Interchange on 23 April 1975 and J8 M25 Merstham Interchange on 10 February 1976.
1974 M40 Stokenchurch - Wheatley Oxfordshire 9.5 mile westwards extension from J5 to J8 opened on 28 March 1974 per The Gazette. J8 was the western end of the original M40 until 1991 and was at Waterstock Lane.
1974 M56 Sharston Bypass Cheshire • Lancashire Stage 1 - The 1.3 miles from J1 Kingsway Interchange to J2 Sharston Interchange opened on 26 March 1974 per The Gazette. Also opened was a 1.2 mile eastwards continuation of M63 (now M60) to Roscoes Roundabout.
1974 M56 Bowdon - M6 Lymm Interchange Cheshire The 5.2 miles from J7 to J9 opened on 16 December 1974. The dual 3 lane carriageways ran in cuttings for most of its length. Lymm Interchange was partly opened giving access from M56 to M6 northbound and the A50 roundabout. Contractor was Robert McGregor and Sons Ltd., tender cost £4.65 million.
1974 M57 Forest House, Prescot - Knowsley Wood Lancashire Liverpool Outer Ring Road Phase 2 (north) between J2 A57 and J5 A580 East Lancs Road was opened on 27 March 1974 by Alderman W. Cooper, Chairman of the Lancashire Highways committee (M57 was a Lancashire County Council Scheme). A 4 mile dual 3 lane motorway. It linked the two adjoining sections to complete the M57 which cost £15 million.
1974 M62 Croft Interchange - Eccles Interchange Lancashire 9 miles from J10 M6 to J12 M63 was opened on 22 August 1974 by Fred Mulley, Minister of Transport per Liverpool Echo. It completed the missing section of the Liverpool to Manchester motorway. Construction near Holcroft Lane, Culcheth involved the excavation of 3 million tons of peat which was disposed of on farmland bought for the purpose. The Gazette listed an opening date of 11 October 1974.
1974 M62 M1 Lofthouse Interchange - Whitley Bridge, Eggborough Yorkshire 17 miles from J29 to J34 opened on 27 August 1974. Cost £16 million.
1974 M62 Whitley Bridge, Eggborough - Pollington Yorkshire 3.5 miles from J34 to a Temporary Terminus with A645, 50 metres west of Green Lane (possibly Field Lane) north of Pollington, opened on 8 November 1974 per The Gazette. The Liverpool Echo on 22 October 1974 reported that it was to open on 29 October 1974, but there could have been some delay.
1974 M63 Sale Eastern and Northenden Bypass Cheshire • Lancashire The 4.3 miles southwards extension from J7 Chester Road to J10 Kingsway Interchange (now J4 M60) opened on 11 October 1974 per The Gazette. Tender cost was £9.1 million. Previously opened on 26 March 1974 along with the M56 Sharston Bypass Stage 1 contract was the 1.2 mile eastwards continuation of M63 from M56 at Kingsway Interchange to J11 Roscoes Roundabout (now J2 M60). Later renumbered M60.
1974 M80 Denny Bypass Stirlingshire The existing A80 dual carriageway (opened in 1963 or 1964) from J7 Haggs Junction to Ingliston, 1 mile north of Dunipace, was upgraded to M80 on 22 May 1974. The original Ingliston roundabout connection was removed.
1974 M80 Ingliston - Pirnhall Stirlingshire The 2.97 mile motorway from Ingliston, 1 mile north of Dunipace and the end of the Denny Bypass section, to M9 at Pirnhall opened on 22 May 1974.
1974 M876 Dennyloanhead - North Broomage Stirlingshire The existing A876 dual carriageway (opened on 13 October 1965) from M80 J8 Bankhead Interchange to J2 at North Broomage Roundabout was upgraded to M876 on 22 May 1974.
1974 A58(M) Leeds Inner Ring Road: Wellington Road extension Yorkshire Leeds Inner Ring Road Motorway Stage 3. The 650 yard westwards extension to Wellington Road from the new Westgate Interchange was opened in November 1974 per the Yorkshire Post of 18 June 2019 (note that the Gazette notice gave a date of 23 February 1975). This completed the motorway between Wellington Road and York Road.
1974 A329(M) Reading - Loddon Bridge Berkshire The 2.5 mile western section opened on 14 February 1974. The western terminus was with A4 at Sutton Seeds Roundabout. The westbound span of the Loddon Bridge was still under construction following the bridge collapse in October 1972, whilst under construction, and so the eastbound span had two way traffic for a further two months or so. The viaduct over the river and flood plain was 1100 feet long. Contractor was Marple Ridgeway and cost £2 million. Reported in Reading Evening Post, no opening notice seen in The Gazette. This section was later downgraded and became A3290.
1974 A329(M) A321, north Wokingham - Coppid Beech, Bracknell Berkshire The 2 mile eastern section opened on 14 November 1974. Contractor was Costain Civil Engineering Ltd. and cost £1.75 million. The temporary junction previously opened on A321 Twyford road, north of Wokingham was closed. Coppid Beech was also known as Amen Corner. Reported in Reading Evening Post, no opening notice seen in The Gazette.
1974 A16 Sibsey Diversion Lincolnshire From 200m north of Frithville Road (B1184) to 260m south of the junction opposite the Manor House. Opened on 3 June 1974 per the Noise Insulation Regulations notice.
1974 A17 Fleet Hargate Diversion Lincolnshire The road from 100m west of Winslow Gate to Tops Gate was opened on 24 January 1974. 24 foot carriageway, with a short link to A151. Contractor was Dredging and Construction Co. Ltd., tender price £151,813.
1974 A108 Sunderland Bypass Durham The final 1.5 mile section from A183 Chester Road Interchange to Hylton Grange Interchange was opened on 21 November 1974 per the Land Compensation Act notice (earlier sections had opened in 1972). It had been delayed by national safety concerns re the steel box girder Hylton Viaduct over River Wear. Construction of the viaduct was halted in June 1971 and did not recommence until early 1973. Extra stiffening was put in the girders. It had been due to open in September 1974 with contra flow on the northbound carriageway, with the southbound carriageway being expected to open two months later, so the LCA notice date may be the full opening. Contractor was W. and C. French (Construction) Ltd.. Later renumbered A19.
1974 A161
A631
Beckingham Bypass Extensions Nottinghamshire New A161 western bypass and an eastwards A631 dual carriageway extension of the existing southern bypass (to bypass the level crossing on Ramper Road). Opened on 18 January 1974. Contractor was A.F. Budge Ltd., cost £725,000.
1974 A189 South-east Northumberland Spine Road Northumberland Stage 5a: North Seaton Roundabout to Woodhorn. The 1.25 mile dual carriageway was opened on 17 June 1974. Cost £400,000. The bridge to the south, over the Wansbeck, linking the road to Bedlington and the rest of the Spine Road was opened in the next year.
1974 A1035 Tickton Bypass Yorkshire Opened in 1974 per “The History of the County of York: East Riding Volume 6” of 1989. The steel rolling bridge over the River Hull in the village was demolished and replaced by a footbridge in 1976.
1974 A38 Ashburton and Buckfastleigh Bypass Devon The 4 mile dual carriageway was not on the list of A38 sections under construction per Hansard of 31 July 1974 which would indicate that it had been completed prior to then. it was shown on the March 1974 OS Quarter inch map. Contractor was Sir Alfred McAlpine and Son Ltd., tender price £3.4 million. Work was due to start in April 1972 with a 2 year completion date. It may have opened in late 1973.
1974 A38 South Brent Bypass Devon The dual carriageway from Wrangaton Cross to Dry Bridge was estimated to complete in July 1974 per Hansard of 31 July 1974 (although it was shown on the March 1974 OS Quarter inch map). The contract had been let in May 1972 for £3.3 million.
1974 A38 Goodstone (Bickington) - Drumbridges (Heathfield) Devon Caton Cross to Drumbridges, including Coldeast and Bickington Bypasses. The 3.5 mile dual carriageway opened on 15 March 1974.
1974 A38 Lee Mill Bypass Devon Opened on 17 June 1974. Initially one carriageway of the 2 mile section between the Plympton and Ivybridge Bypasses was opened with the other carriageway expected to open by the middle of July 1974. Cost £1 million.
1974 A369 Portishead - Portbury Link Road Somerset From Wyndham Way, Portishead to the Sheepway junction at the west end of the link to M5 J19 Gordano Interchange. Was due to open on 19 December 1974. Contractor was Robert Hobbs of Nailsea, cost £300,000.
1974 A390 Threemilestone Bypass Cornwall It had opened by 12 December 1974. Shown as under construction on the March 1974 OS Quarter inch map.
1974 A46 Kenilworth Bypass Warwickshire The 6 mile D3 road from Stivichall Interchange, Coventry, to Guy's Cliff Interchange, at the north end of Warwick Bypass, was opened on 21 June 1974 by Charles Smith-Ryland, Lord-Lieutenant of Warwickshire. A new technique in concrete laying gave it a grooved surface to reduce skid risk when wet. The grooves allowed water to run off the road. Contractor was Higgs and Hill., cost £6.2 million. First official vehicle on opening was a 1927 Four ton lorry renovated by the contractors during their 1974 centenary celebrations.
1974 A46 Cheylesmore and Stivichall Bypass Warwickshire The 1.5 mile dual carriageway from London Road railway bridge to Stivichall Interchange was opened on 22 August 1974. The flyover for southbound traffic at Whitley Island remained closed until June 1975 due to concerns about one of the ten spans having had a weak concrete mix. However the span remained since, unusually, it gained in strength. Contractor Dowsett Engineering Co. Ltd., cost £3 million. Renumbered as A444 and A4114 in 1989 when Coventry Eastern Bypass was opened.
1974 A49 Leominster Inner Relief Road Herefordshire The 0.5 mile road was reported as opening at the weekend of 25 / 26 May 1974 (per Birmingham Evening Mail of 23 May 1974). An upgrade to existing streets with some re-alignment and 24 foot carriageway. Cost £122,000. Later renumbered A44 / B4361.
1974 A426 Blaby Bypass Leicestershire Tender was accepted in February 1973 for the 16 month contract, price £435,000. Shown on April 1975 OS Quarter inch map. 1.5 mile dual carriageway.
1974 A449 Ombersley Bypass Worcestershire The 1.3 mile dual carriageway was to open on 22 October 1974. Cost £780,000. Worcester News carried a photo of resident Timothy Geraghy sweeping the road prior to opening. It completed the 9.75 mile dual carriageway between Waresley (Hartlebury) and M5 J6.
1974 A454 Willenhall Bypass Staffordshire The Keyway. The 1 mile dual carriageway from Portobello Island to Bilston Road (A463, now B4484) was officially opened on 27 March 1974 per an ATV Today news clip on Mace Archive. Cost £1.3 million. When the grant from the Environment Department was made to Walsall Council in December 1970 it was planned to link the road at the south-eastern end to the proposed Bilston Link Road. That road was then put on hold so the Willenhall bypass terminated on Bilston Road, but with the grade separated roundabout constructed. The urban A463 was then used eastwards as the bypass route.
1974 A465 Glynneath - Rhigos Roundabout, Hirwaun Glamorgan • Brecknockshire The 5.5 mile dual carriageway was opened on 3 May 1974. It had dual 24 foot carriageways and the steepest gradient was 1 in 20. It included the 100 foot high Pontneathvaughan Viaduct passing over the confluence of Nedd Fechan and the Mellte. Contractor was Cementation Construction Ltd., cost £9.5 million. A temporary section of dual carriageway west of Glynneath Interchange ran to the north of River Neath to rejoin the old road at the Lamb and Flag, Glynneath. The Glynneath to Aberdulais section opened later.
1974 A474 Neath Southern Link Road Glamorgan The 0.8 mile dual carriageway from Court Herbert to Stockham's Corner was opened on 7 April 1974. It opened prior to the A465 section between Llandarcy and Aberdulais (opened February 1975) to which it connected at Neath Abbey Interchange.
1974 A53 Market Drayton Bypass Shropshire The 3.5 mile road from Shrewsbury Road to Newcastle Road was opened on 2 May 1974 by R. Fletcher, former County Council Roads and Bridges Chairman. 7.3 m wide. Contractor was Percy Bilton Ltd., cost £750,000.
1974 A553 Bidston Bypass Cheshire 0.7 mile dual carriageway opened on 3 January 1974. Contractor was Costain Civil Engineers (London), cost £1.4 million. It included a spur road to Bidston Station. The M53 link was later and by 1977.
1974 A591 A590 Kendal Link Westmorland 4 miles of grade-separated dual carriageway from M6 at Crooklands Interchange north-westward to a tie-in with A6 at Low Sizergh Barn, with GS roundabout at Brettargh Holt and short south-westward link from there to another A6 tie-in at Heaves. Main route was A591 on opening, became A590 later. Northern tip of route was and remains A591 multiplexed with A6; the SW link was and remains A590 multiplexed with A6. Hansard 3 June 1974 says due to open October 1974; actual opening could have been early 1975.
1974 A68 Drygrange Bridge Diversion Roxburghshire The 1.43 mile road and new Leaderfoot Bridge were completed in 1974 per the 1974 Scottish Development Department Report.
1974 A610
A6096
Eastwood and Kimberley Bypass Nottinghamshire The road from the Nuthall Relief Road (west of M1 J26) to New Derby Road, east of Langley Mill was due to open on 29 June 1974 (per the Nottingham Evening Post of 27 June 1974). 3.5 mile dual carriageway plus the 0.6 mile A6096 Awsworth Link Road (Gin Close Way) to Main Street. Work included disused mine workings investigation and remedial work, 8 major bridges, an arch footbridge, 3 pedestrian subways and the demolition of the 43 span railway viaduct at Giltbrook. Contract price £2.3 million, total cost £3 million.
1974 A613 Gateshead Western Bypass Durham 4.8 mile dual carriageway between Blaydon and Team Valley. Later renumbered to A69 and renumbered again in 1990 to A1 on completion of the Newcastle Western Bypass. Bridge problems delayed the full opening to Birtley until 1975.
1974 A631 Gainsborough Relief Road Lincolnshire Thorndike Way. The 2.5 mile dual carriageway from Trent Bridge to Corringham Road was opened on 10 May 1974 by John Hedley-Lewis, County Council Chairman. Contractor was Tarmac Construction Ltd., cost £1.25 million. Named after the famous Gainsborough actress Sybil Thorndike.
1974 A653 Tingley: Dewsbury Road Diversion Yorkshire The road from M62 J28 Tingley Interchange to Hesketh Lane was opened on 22 February 1974 per the Land Compensation Act notice.
1974 A7 Tweed Bridge (Galashiels) Diversion Roxburghshire • Selkirkshire The 1 mile road and new bridge south of Galashiels were completed in 1974 per the 1974 Scottish Development Department Report.
1974 A75 Allanton - Dunjarg Kirkcudbrightshire The 1.75 mile improvement to the north-east of Castle Douglas was completed in 1974 per the 1974 Scottish Development Department Report. It is expected that this included the diversions south of Dunjarg.
1974 A78 Irvine New Town Northern Approach Road Ayrshire The 0.86 mile dual carriageway between Heathfield Junction (Kilwinning Road) and Fullarton Street was completed in 1974 per the 1974 Scottish Development Department Report. It included a 260 foot bridge over River Irvine. Later renumbered A737.
1974 A702 Clyde’s Bridge Diversion Lanarkshire The 0.64 mile road and new bridge at Wandel were completed in 1974 per the 1974 Scottish Development Department Report. Forecast cost was £190,000.
1974 A721 Motherwell Ring Road Lanarkshire Phase 1: The 0.5 mile section from Hope Street to West Hamilton Street was opened on 30 October 1974 by Bailie David Monteith, covenor of the Town Council's Streets Committee. Contractor was to be R.J. McCleod (Contractors) Ltd., tender price £1.3 million. It was part of the Town Centre Development Scheme. It was then known as Brandon Street Bypass. Phase 2 was to be a road parallel with the railway northwards to Bellshill Road.
1974 A8 Edinburgh: Gogar dualling Midlothian The 1 mile dualling eastwards from the City Boundary at Gogarstone Road to Gogar Park was completed in 1974 per the 1974 Scottish Development Department Report. Gogar Park is just west of the later Gogar Roundabout.
1974 A8 Port Glasgow - M8 West Ferry Interchange Renfrewshire The 2.9 mile dualling westwards from the western terminus of the under construction M8 (J12, later J31) was completed in 1974 per the 1974 Scottish Development Department Report. Online with diversions at Langbank.
1974 A83 Glenbarr Diversion Argyll The 1.25 mile offline and online road was completed in 1974 per the 1974 Scottish Development Department Report.
1974 A814 Dumbarton: Artizan Bridge Dunbartonshire Relief Road - Stage 1: the new bridge over River Leven and 0.37 mile road reconstruction westwards to Dalreoch were completed in 1974 per the 1974 Scottish Development Department Report.
1974 A830 Fassfern Improvement Argyll Completed in 1974 per the 1974 Scottish Development Department Report.
1974 B3199 Torquay: St Marychurch Relief Road Devon Stage 1: Fore Street to Petitor Road. Opened on 20 October 1974. Later renumbered as A379. Stage 2 opened in 1989.
1974 B7080 Irvine: Long Drive Distributor Road Ayrshire Phase 3 - Stanecastle Roundabout to Newmoor Roundabout (then A71). Irvine Herald of Friday, 13 December 1974 reported that it had opened at the weekend. Dual carriageway. Phase 2 southwards to Meadowhead Road was shown as open on the Herald's plan. It had not been shown on the June 1973 OS One inch map, although it only included selected revisions. Moss Drive had yet to open.
1974 - Edinburgh: West Approach Road Midlothian The 2.27 mile road westwards from Lothian Road to Westfield Road with a spur to Dundee Street was due to open on 15 December 1974 (per The Scotsman of 13 December 1974). Cost £550,000. It was noted as a potential Principal Road in the 1974 Scottish Development Department Report.
1974 - Rutherglen: Mill Street Diversion Lanarkshire Stage 1: the 0.53 mile dual carriageway was completed in 1974 per the 1974 Scottish Development Department Report. Later renumbered as A730.
1974 - Southport: Marine Drive Lancashire Stage 3: The northern 2 miles between the Esplanade and Crossens was to be opened on 1 July 1974 by Jean Jessop, Chairman of Sefton Council. Cost £300,000.
1975 M1 Staples Corner - Fiveways Interchange Middlesex The 2.34 mile northbound carriageway from J1 to J2 opened on 27 May 1975. The southbound carriageway opening was deferred pending the North Circular Road flyovers at Staples Corner being completed. The southbound carriageway opened on 31 July 1977 (per RAC World magazine).
1975 M5 Huntworth - Blackbrook Somerset A 2.7 mile section opened from J24 to a Temporary Terminus with a widened Moon Lane, Thurloxton on 2 July 1975 to provide an earlier bypass for North Petherton. The full 7.2 mile section from J24 to J25 was opened on 4 November 1975 but was still not designated as a motorway whilst work was completed on the northbound carriageway. Adverse weather had caused the delay. Speed limits applicable were therefore 60 m.p.h. on dual carriageway sections and 50 m.p.h. where traffic used one carriageway. The emergency telephones were not in operation and the advice for breakdowns was for the motorist to stop on the hard shoulder, raise the bonnet and switch on hazard lights if fitted and to wait with the vehicle until the police arrived. This advice applied on the contraflow sections with no hard shoulder in operation too! The motorway became fully operational on 25 November 1975, although there were still lane restrictions near to Moon Lane. Contractor was A. Monk and Co. Ltd. and tender cost £5,721,086.
1975 M5 Cullompton - Sandygate, Exeter Devon The 11.5 mile Sowton and Killerton sections from J28 to J30 was opened on 16 October 1975. It included the conversion of the southern section of Cullompton Bypass to motorway.
1975 M8 Bishopton Bypass Renfrewshire Stage 2 - the 3.23 miles from J30 Craigton Interchange (M898) to J31 West Ferry Interchange was opened on 18 November 1975.
1975 M8 Monkland Motorway Lanarkshire Stage 1 - the 1.95 mile eastwards extension from Glasgow Inner Ring Road at J15 Townhead Interchange to J12 Cumbernauld Road (A80) was opened on 30 May 1975 by Bruce Millan, Minister of State for Scotland. Estimated cost £7.8 million.
1975 M11 South Harlow - Bishop's Stortford Essex • Hertfordshire The 9.7 mile section from J7 Hastingwood to J8 Birchanger Green was opened on 23 June 1975 by Neil Carmichael, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Department of Environment. Contractor was Fitzpatrick and Son (Contractors) Ltd., tender cost £7.1 million, total cost £10.5 million.
1975 M18 Thorne Bypass - M62 Langham Yorkshire The 4.5 miles from J6 Waterside to J7 with M62 at Langham Interchange was opened on 30 September 1975 per The Gazette.
1975 M23 Gatwick Airport Link Surrey The 1 mile spur from J9 to J9a Airport Way was opened on 23 April 1975 per The Gazette. Contractor was W. and C. French (Construction) Ltd..
1975 M27 Cadnam - Ower Hampshire The 3.5 miles from J1 to J2 opened on 20 August 1975 per The Gazette (this superceded the earlier notice for a 14 August 1975 opening). The J2 roundabout and the 0.5 mile northern link road to Romsey Road at Ower was also opened as a Special Road under the same Gazette notice (later downgraded to A36). The first section of M27.
1975 M27 Windhover - Park Gate Hampshire The 3 miles from J8 to J9 was opened on 25 September 1975 per The Gazette.
1975 M27 Ower - Chilworth Hampshire The 7 miles from J2 to the then A33 (now M3) via the north-western spur at J4 opened on 22 December 1975.
1975 M32 Eastville - St Agnes Gloucestershire The final section of M32, the 1 mile from J2 to J3 at Lower Ashley Road Interchange, was opened on 6 June 1975 per The Gazette.
1975 M54 Wellington Bypass Shropshire The initial 5 mile section of M54 between Priorslee Interchange and J7 Cluddley was opened on 11 December 1975. Contractor was Gleesons Civil Engineering, cost £11 million. Priorslee Interchange closed when M54 was extended eastwards in 1983.
1975 M55 Broughton - Marton Circle, Blackpool Lancashire 12 mile extension from J1 to J4. Opened 3 July 1975 by Neil Carmichael, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Department of Environment. Contractor was a McAlpine/ Fairclough consortium, cost £14 million on a fixed price contract.
1975 M56 Sharston Bypass Cheshire Stage 2 - The 0.9 miles from J2 Sharston Interchange to J3 at Wythenshawe opened on 14 May 1975 per The Gazette. It connected the M56 westbound section to the link east of J2 to M63 (now M60) opened in the previous year. Contractor was Leonard Fairclough, tender price £5 million.
1975 M56 M6 Lymm Interchange - Preston Brook Cheshire The 5.2 miles from J9 to J11 was opened on 16 July 1975 by Gordon Oakes, Parliamentary Under-Secretary to Department of Environment. This section's completion had been delayed from the planned Summer 1974 by bad weather. It completed the centre section of M56 which was now 28.5 miles long and Lymm Interchange was fully opened. The Minister said that the motorway was not something for which a single individual can claim the whole credit. It was the outcome of contributions made by a great variety of people... some with white collars, some with blue collars and some with no collars at all. Contractor was Marples Ridgeway Ltd., tender cost £6.3 million.
1975 M62 Pollington - Goole Yorkshire 9 miles from the previous Temporary Terminus with A645, 50 metres west of Green Lane (possibly Field Lane) north of Pollington, to J36 opened on 30 September 1975 per The Gazette. Contractor was W. and C. French (Construction) Ltd..
1975 M62 Liverpool (The Rocket) - Tarbock Eastbound only Lancashire 4.2 miles from J4 (just east of Queens Drive) to J6 M57 was opened on 23 December 1975. It was only opened for traffic leaving Liverpool because the J4 Rocket flyover was not complete owing to shortages of materials, and opening the westbound carriageway would have led to chaos on the existing roads at the end of the motorway.
1975 M66 Simister - Heap Bridge, Bury Lancashire Bury Easterly Bypass: South section. The 3.2 mile northwards from M62 J18 Simister Island to J2 A58 Heap Bridge opened on 4 August 1975 per The Gazette.
1975 M271 Redbridge - Upton Hampshire Nursling Link. The 2.5 miles complete motorway, either side of M27 Rownhams Interchange, opened on 22 December 1975.
1975 M531 Ellesmere Port Motorway Cheshire J1 north of Hooton to J6 Stanlow Halt Interchange at Little Stanney opened on 22 December 1975. It included upgrading the Hooton Industrial Road to motorway standard (became A5032 until the appropriation as motorway) and 3 miles of new motorway through and south of Ellesmere Port. Cost £6 million. There are opening notices in The Gazette for the Hooton Industrial Road upgrade section but none found for the new section. Liverpool Echo reported that both sections opened together. Later renumbered M53 and J5 to J10.
1975 A1(M) Newcastle Central Motorway East Northumberland Town Moor - Tyne Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne was opened on 12 August 1975 by Derek Sleightholme, Chairman of Tyne and Wear County Council. Contractor was Costain Civil Engineering Co. Ltd. The 1.25 mile road cost £15 million. Later renumbered to A6127(M), now A167(M).
1975 A41(M) Tring Bypass Hertfordshire • Buckinghamshire The 2.4 miles between Tring Hill Interchange (then a roundabout) to a temporary junction with the then A41 0.2 miles east of the Cow Lane / London Road junction was to open on 17 July 1975 per The Gazette. Motorway status was removed on 6 July 1987 and the road became A41.
1975 A1 South Mimms Middlesex 1.3 mile online and offline dualling. From just north of B556 (former A111) to J1. Constructed at same time as Bignells Corner interchange (also known as South Mimms Interchange). Re-numbered A1(M) in 1979.
1975 A1 Wansford Bypass Bridge Huntingdonshire • Northamptonshire This bridge over the River Nene formed the new southbound carriageway and was east of the 1929 bridge, which became the northbound carriageway. The 0.6 mile of dual carriageway between Stibbington and Wansford completed the missing link, being the final section of A1 dualling between Hatfield and Birtley/ Eighton.
1975 A10 Hoddesdon Bypass Hertfordshire Hoddesdon - Ware Bypass Stage 1: Rush Green Interchange, Ware to Great Cambridge Road, Cheshunt (connecting directly, with also a short spur to Halfhide Lane. Shown on June 1975 OS Quarter inch map, under construction on June 1974 edition. It may have opened in 1974.
1975 A11 Cringleford and Eaton Bypass Norfolk Opened in 1975 per a 28 February 2015 Eastern Daily Press article and the 2014 Cringleford Conservation Area Plan. Contractor was May Gurney, cost £6 million.
1975 A11
A45
Newmarket Bypass Suffolk • Cambridgeshire Opened on 11 July 1975. It included a £60,000 subway to allow horses to cross to the heath. Later renumbered A14 with A11 south of A14 J36 Nine Mile Hill
1975 A11 Bishop's Stortford North-eastern Bypass Essex • Hertfordshire The 1.25 mile road from M11 J8 Birchanger Green to Stansted Road opened for the M11 opening to J8 on 23 June 1975. It provided a link from M11 to the then A11 prior to the Stump Cross M11 section being completed. The single carriageway had a 24 foot width with 12 foot verges. It is unsure if it opened as A11. Later renumbered A120.
1975 A14 Huntingdon and Godmanchester Bypass Huntingdonshire The 6.5 mile road from Alconbury (A1) to London Road, Godmanchester was opened on 30 September 1975 by Richard Dorling, former Huntingdon and Peterborough County Council Surveyor (note it was shown on the March 1975 OS Quarter inch map). Also a bypass for Great and Little Stukeley. Dual 24 foot carriageways with 3 foot 3 hard strips and a 15 foot central reservation, except for the single carriageway section from Godmanchester Interchange to London Road. Contractor was A. Monk & Co. Ltd., tender value £6.75 million. Renumbered A1307/A1198 in 2019 apart from the railway viaduct section which was demolished.
1975 A17 Sleaford Northern Bypass Lincolnshire Stage 2: The eastern section from Sleaford Rugby Club Junction (A153) to 340m west of Mount Lane, Kirkby-la-Thorpe was opened on 27 March 1975 by Joseph Godber, Grantham Division MP. 1.5 mile dual carriageway. This completed the bypass. Contractor was Kesteven County Council, forecast cost £1.75 million.
1975 A19 Teesside Diversion Durham • Yorkshire Stage 1: Portrack Interchange, Haverton Hill Road, south of Billingham to A174 Parkway Junction, south of Thornaby-on-Tees. The dual carriageway was opened in 1975 per the National Audit Office report of 2018. It included the 6,350 foot River Tees Viaduct. Hansard of 16 June 1975 suggested that Tees Viaduct would open with 2 way running on the northbound carriageway, pending full completion in the new year. Contractor was Cementation Construction Ltd.
1975 A19 Crathorne Yorkshire Crathorne Bypass (see 1976 Teesside Diversion).
1975 A140 Yaxley Bypass Suffolk The 1.5 mile road was opened on 22 October 1975. Contractor was Roadworks (1952) Ltd. of Kesgrave, cost £360,000.
1975 A189 South-east Northumberland Spine Road Northumberland Stage 5b: Bedlington Station to North Seaton Roundabout. The 2.6 mile dual carriageway and the bridge over the Wansbeck was opened on 29 April 1975 by Lieut. Col. Horace Davidson. The coaches to take the official guests from Newbiggin-on-the-Sea to the opening went in error to Newbiggin Hall Estate in Newcastle, before heading coastwards and using the yet to open spine road to collect the guests and return for the opening. Cost £340,000. This section bridged the gap to the northern section opened in 1974.
1975 A198 Dirleton Bypass East Lothian Was to be opened on 26 February 1975 per The Scotsman of the same day. There was still work at the east end, with single line traffic.
1975 A1065 Fakenham Western Bypass Norfolk Hempton Green to A148 Cheake Road. Opened in Summer 1975. The section across Hempton Green was previously unclassified.
1975 A1071 Boxford Bypass Suffolk The 0.75 mile road from School Hill to Sand Lane was described as imminent in the Suffolk and Essex Free Press of 27 November 1975. It may have opened in early 1976. 24 foot carriageway. The section to the east bypassing Calais Street and Watson's Corner had preliminary work starting at that time.
1975 A1178 Potters Bar Bypass (North Orbital) Middlesex The 2.9 mile dual carriageway from A1 Bignells Corner to A111 Southgate Road, Potters Bar was opened in 1975 per a National Audit Office report of 2018. Contractor was Balfour Beatty & Co., tender value £5 million. Included in legislation as The London "D" Ring Road (A1-A111 Section). It became part of M25 in 1984.
1975 A1179 Peterborough: Longthorpe Parkway Northamptonshire From Thorpe Interchange on Nene Parkway to Thorpe Road. Shown as opened on the April 1975 OS Quarter inch map. Under construction on the March 1974 edition. It may have opened in 1974 and it may have initially been unclassified.
1975 A1260 Peterborough: Nene Parkway Northamptonshire • Huntingdonshire Mentioned as opened in a 16 May 1975 golf course advert in Stamford Mercury. Shown as opened (and unclassified) on the April 1975 OS Quarter inch map. Under construction on the April 1974 edition. It may have opened in 1974. A connection from Hampton Roundabout to A15 London Road along Phorpres Way opened at the same time (as A1139).
1975 A30 Camborne and Redruth Bypass Cornwall The 6 mile dual carriageway between Treswithian and Scorrier opened on 11 June 1975. Single carriageway working used the eastbound carriageway of Gilbert's Comb Viaduct until the westbound carriageway was opened later.
1975 A30 Launceston Bypass Cornwall Opened in 1975 per the May 1988 Journal of Institution of Highways and Transportation.
1975 A34 Newbury - M4 Link Road Berkshire 3 mile dual carriageway from Western Avenue, Newbury to Chieveley Interchange. Described on 22 July 1975 as shortly to open. Also known as "Donnington Link" although it was the Donnington Bypass. The section south of Donnington Interchange was renumbered A339 when Newbury Bypass opened in 1998.
1975 A38, A516 Mickleover Bypass Derbyshire Derby Western bypass Stage 2. 3.5 mile dual carriageway from just south of Doles Lane, Findern to Kingsway Roundabout, Derby opened on 19 February 1975. Contractor was Robert McGregor and Sons, cost £5.5 million. It included the A516 dual carriageway spurs from Etwall Road, Mickleover (1.1 mile) and Royal Derby Hospital Roundabout (0.6 mile) with a D3 section on A38 between the spurs. A5111 Kingsway was also dualled from Kingsway Roundabout to 0.25 mile south of A52 Ashbourne Road. Later renumbered A38.
1975 A303 Wylye Bypass Wiltshire Completed in 1975/76 per Wiltshire County Council footpath appeal minutes of 15 October 2008.
1975 A361 Milverton Bypass Somerset The 1.5 mile road was opened on 17 September 1975 per a South West Film and Television Archive entry. Cost £500,000. Later renumbered B3227.
1975 A371 Shepton Mallet Inner Relief Road Somerset Stage 2: Old Market Road. Opened on 25 July 1975 per the Land Compensation Act notice.
1975 A41 Rock Ferry Bypass Cheshire 1 mile road from Tranmere Roundabout to Thornburn Road area to join the New Ferry Bypass. The opening was to be deferred for a month per the 19 December 1974 Liverpool Echo. The southbound carriageway had been in use from 24 November 1974 and was expected to be fully operational over Christmas before reverting to the one carriageway for a short period whilst work was completed. Cost £1.5 million.
1975 A45 Stowmarket to Claydon Bypass Suffolk 9.5 mile dual carriageway from north-west of Tot Hill Junction at Fishponds Way to 0.6 mile south of Claydon Roundabout at Claydon Hill. Also bypass for Needham Market and Great Blakenham. The 7 mile section north of Beacon Hill Interchange was due to open on 7 August 1975. The bypass was completed with the opening of the southern section on 27 Nov 1975. Provision for third lanes to be added in the central reservation later was made over the route south of Beacon Hill Interchange. Contractor was a W. & C. French (Construction) Ltd. / Kier Construction consortium, tender price £8.97 million. The concrete road needed strengthening nine years after opening since the pavement was not thick enough. The reconstruction and overlay in 1987-88 cost £2.5 million. Later renumbered A14.
1975 A47 Peterborough Northern Bypass Northamptonshire Stage 2: Soke Parkway (east section) from A15 Lincoln Road to Eye Road. The eastern part is now part of Paston Parkway. Shown on April 1975 OS Quarter inch map, not on March 1974 edition.
1975 A47 King's Lynn Southern Bypass Norfolk The 2 mile road from Pullover Farm, south of Pullover Roundabout to Hardwick Roundabout was opened on 22 May 1975 by Neil Carmichael, Parliamentary Under-secretary of State for Department of Environment. Dual carriageway. It had included 2 nine month settlement periods for embankments due to poor soil conditions and this resulted in the works taking 3 years. Ouse Bridge needed 76 steel “H” piles for the bed of each pier. Contractor was W. and C. French (Construction) Ltd., cost £4.7 million.
1975 A49 Stretton Roundabout Diversion Cheshire Diversion for M56 J10 (J9 to J11 opened on 16 July 1975). The diversion would have opened earlier during the motorway construction.
1975 A417
A419
Cirencester Ring Road Gloucestershire Phase 1: 2.5 mile Eastern Bypass dual carriageway from The Whiteway to Preston. It included the online dualling of Grove Lane (on the original Northern Bypass). Work started in December 1973 on the 15 month contract. Shown on the April 1975 OS Quarter inch map, not on the March 1974 edition. It may have opened in late 1974. Contractor was Amey Roadstone Ltd., tender price £830,000, forecast total cost £1.1 million. Abbey Way, which had opened in 1925, was used for the western connection to Gloucester Road. The April 1975 map also showed a spur from the Bristol Road Roundabout to the old road at Watermoor End. Later renumbered A435, A429 and A419.
1975 A419 Cricklade Bypass Wiltshire The 1.5 mile dual carriageway was due to open on 11 October 1975. Cost £1.5 million.
1975 A427 Stoke Albany and Wilbarston Bypass Northamptonshire Reported as now open to traffic by the Market Harborough Advertiser of 10 July 1975. There were some minor works to complete. Contractor was Mears Construction Ltd..
1975 A429 Ettington Bypass Warwickshire The 1.2 mile road opened in early Summer 1975. Cost was £375,000, which was £59,000 more than the original contract price due to a delay in issuing the contract which led to extra winter earthwork costs. Note that the A422 still passed through the village.
1975 A448 Bromsgrove - Redditch Worcestershire Finstall and Tardebigge Bypass. The 4 mile dual carriageway from Slideslow, Bromsgrove (just east of current Slideshow Island) to Birchfield Road, Webheath was opened "last month" per the 27 May 1975 Birmingham Evening Mail. Cost £1.5 million.
1975 A453 East Midlands Airport - M1 Link Road Leicestershire Kegworth Western Bypass. The 0.8 mile single carriageway road from Ashby Road to M1 J24 Kegworth Interchange was opened in early September 1975 by Coun. Kathleen Wildsmith, Vice-chairman of Leicestershire County Council's planning committee. Cost £250,000.
1975 A465 Llandarcy - Aberdulais Glamorgan The 3.75 mile dual carriageway was opened on 26 February 1975. Contractor was Sidney Green (Contractors) Ltd. of Henley-on-Thames in a consortium with Kier, contract price £6.87 million. Expected total cost (including Neath Southern Link opened in April 1974) was £13 million. Llandarcy Interchange was then with A48 (now M4 J43).
1975 A50 Blythe Bridge Bypass Staffordshire The 2.5 mile dual carriageway from Catchems Corner (in west) to Stonehouses was opened on 1 October 1975 by George Newman, Staffordshire County Council Chairman. Also at the opening were campaigners for M64. The road was 27.5 metres wide with 7 bridges and noise barriers. Contractor was Peter Lind and Co. Ltd., cost £2 million. The section east of Tean Roundabout was later renumbered A521 and the east section of Stonehouses junction became unclassified.
1975 A5036 Seaforth Dock Link Road Lancashire A dual carriageway link from the newly constructed Royal Seaforth Dock in Liverpool to the motorway system at Switch Island via the existing A567 dual carriageway from Kirkstone Road northwards. Phase 1, the dualling of Church Road southwards to Hawthorne Road was completed by April 1972, contractor Norwest Holst and contract cost £315,000. Phase 2 was the new Princess Way, with a bridge over the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and a new interchange with A565 at Crosby Road North, Seaforth. A single carriageway section south to Sandy Road opened on 4 November 1974 (dual carriageway from March 1975) and dual carriageway to Crosby Road on 22 February 1975. Total cost of scheme was £2.5 million.
1975 A6 Wilstead Bypass Bedfordshire Opened on 4 December 1975 per the Land Compensation Act notice. Formerly shown on OS maps as Wilshamstead. Another scheme in the 1970-75 Ministry of Transport programme was from Wilstead to the top of Wilstead Hill but at this stage it is unclear when this was carried out.
1975 A61 Barnsley Eastern Relief Road Yorkshire The 1 mile dual carriageway from Old Mill Roundabout to Alhambra Roundabout, Sheffield Road was opened on 15 September 1975 by George Moores, Chairman of South Yorkshire County Council Highways Committee. Contractor was A.F. Budge of Retford (per the Retford Times of 31 October 1975). The section of Harborough Hill Road north of Queens Road was built online. There had also been online dualling of Sheffield road to the A6133 Park Road junction.
1975 A61 Dronfield and Unstone Bypass Derbyshire The 3.5 mile dual carriageway was opened on 16 October 1975. Cost £6.5 million.
1975 A68 Earlston - Drygrange Roxburghshire Stage 2 - the 2 mile road with diversions was completed in 1975 per the 1975 Scottish Development Department Report.
1975 A68 Galadean Bridge Diversion Berwickshire • Roxburghshire The bridge and 0.75 mile road were completed in 1975 per the 1975 Scottish Development Department Report.
1975 A69 Heddon-on-the-Wall & Throckley Bypass Northumberland The 9 mile dual carriageway opened on 2 December 1975. Contractor was W. and C. French (Construction) Ltd., cost £6.3 million.
1975 A613 Gateshead Western Bypass Durham The remaining 1.3 mile dual carriageway section between Team Valley and Birtley. The first section had opened in 1974. Renumbered in 1990 to A1.
1975 A635 Ashton-under-Lyne Bypass Lancashire Park Parade. The 1 mile bypass was due to be completed in August 1975 per the Manchester Evening News of 18 April 1975. That edition reported that a short section of one carriageway (with bi-directional running) near Scotland Street Roundabout was to open at the weekend.
1975 A7 Ashkirk Bridge Diversion Roxburghshire The bridge and 0.79 mile road were completed in 1975 per the 1975 Scottish Development Department Report.
1975 A7 Bridgeheugh and Lindean Diversions Roxburghshire • Selkirkshire The 2.2 mile offline and online road was completed in 1975 per the 1975 Scottish Development Department Report. Tweed Bridge had been completed in 1974.
1975 A75 Skyreburn Diversion Kirkcudbrightshire The 1.49 mile road was completed in 1975 per the 1975 Scottish Development Department Report.
1975 A75 Twynholm Bypass Kirkcudbrightshire Stage 2 - the 1.88 mile road was completed in 1975 per the 1975 Scottish Development Department Report.
1975 A77 Innermessan and Dalmannock Diversions Wigtownshire The 1.25 mile road was completed in 1975 per the 1975 Scottish Development Department Report.
1975 A779 Livingston: Starlaw Road West Lothian Phase 1: Completed in 1975 per the 1975 Scottish Development Department Report. Estimated cost £144,218.
1975 A82 Alexandria Bypass Dunbartonshire Section 2 (North): the 3.79 mile north from Renton Road was opened in late 1975 per the 1975 Scottish Development Department Report. Dual carriageway, apart from the northern 0.5 mile.
1975 A82 Ballachulish Bridge Inverness-shire • Argyll The 170 foot bridge across Loch Leven and approaches (1.75 miles) was opened on 23 December 1975 by J. Morris, chief engineer of the Scottish Development Department. It allowed the bypassing of the lochside road via Kinlochleven and a saving of 12.5 miles, or a ferry crossing. Built by Cleveland Engineering and Bridge Company, cost £2.5 million.
1975 A830 Craigag - Drumsallie (Kinlocheil) Argyll The 2.6 mile improvement with diversions was completed in 1975 per the 1975 Scottish Development Department Report.
1975 A886 Lephinkill - Springfield Argyll The 3.68 mile improvement with diversions to the north of Colintraive was in progress at 15 May 1975 per the 1975 Scottish Development Department Report but was not on the 1976 report, indicating completion in 1975.
1975 A9 Almond New Bridge Diversion Perthshire Aberdeen Press of 3 July 1975 reported that the bridge and approaches (to the north of Perth) had opened last weekend. 1.75 mile road scheme.
1975 A9 Dingwall Inner Relief Road Ross-shire The 0.95 mile road was completed in 1975 per the 1975 Scottish Development Department Report. Later renumbered as A862.
1975 A92 Cammachmore Bypass Kincardineshire The 1.5 mile road was reported as nearing completion in the 27 March 1975 Aberdeen Press. Renumbered to A90 in 1994, then back to A92.
1975 - Cumbernauld: Westfield Road Dunbartonshire The 1.49 mile road from Mollins Road to B802 was completed in 1975 per the 1975 Scottish Development Department Report.
1975 - Dundee Inner Ring Road Angus Stage 3 - the 0.4 mile northern dual carriageway section between Lochee Road and Victoria Road was to open on 14 September 1975 per the Aberdeen Press of 10 September 1975. Cost £500,000. It is unclear if it was a classified road on opening. Later renumbered as A991.
1975 - Duncanston - Arduille (Black Isle) Ross-shire Completed in 1975 per the 1975 Scottish Development Department Report. Later renumbered as A9.
1976 M5 Chelston - Tiverton Parkway Somerset • Devon The 8.8 mile section from J26 to J27 was opened on 21 October 1976. Contractor was Tarmac Construction and cost £12.4 which also included the section southwards to the Cullompton Bypass. Tiverton Parkway was originally known as the Waterloo Cross Interchange or Sampford Peverell.
1976 M5 Tiverton Parkway - Cullompton Devon The 3.2 mile section from J27 to J28 was opened on 8 July 1976. Contractor was Tarmac Construction. It included the conversion of the northern section of Cullompton Bypass to motorway. Tiverton Parkway was originally known as the Waterloo Cross Interchange or Sampford Peverell.
1976 M8 Glasgow - Renfrew Motorway Lanarkshire • Renfrewshire The 4.2 miles between J20 West Street Interchange, Glasgow and J26 Hillington Interchange (Renfrew Bypass) was opened on 15 October 1976 by Bruce Millan, Secretary of State for Scotland (per the Souvenir Opening Brochure). Contractors were Balfour Beatty Construction (Scotland) Ltd. for east of J24 Helen street and Leonard Fairclough Ltd. for the western section. Contract costs were £14.7 and £12.5 million , and estimated final costs were £24.4 and £18.7 million respectively.
1976 M25 Godstone - Reigate Hill Surrey The 6 miles from J6 to J8 was opened on 10 February 1976 per The Gazette. The opening included the 4 level stack interchange with M23 at J7 Merstham Interchange. Contractor was W. and C. French (Construction) Ltd..
1976 M25 M3 Thorpe - A30 Egham (Runnymede South) Surrey The 2.5 miles from J12 to J13's Southern interchange, south of Runnymede Bridge, was to be opened on 1 December 1976 per The Gazette. Contractors were Bovis/ Fairclough.
1976 M27 Park Gate - Portsbridge Hampshire The 8.5 miles from J9 to the eastern end of M27 at Portsbridge, where it joined the A27 Farlington and Cosham Bypass, was opened on 11 March 1976 per The Gazette. It included the spur at J12 to A27 at Paulsgrove.
1976 M42 Monkspath - Coleshill Warwickshire First section of M42. The 8 mile section from J4 to J7a and temporary access, just to the north of M6, to the unclassified Coleshill Heath Road was opened on 8 November 1976 by Quinton Hazell, Chairman of the West Midlands Planning Committee. The junctions were originally numbered J1 Monkspath to J4 Coleshill Interchange. Three lane dual carriageways with 13 foot central reservation. Contractor was R.M. Douglas Construction Ltd., cost £25 million. A further 1.5 mile section had been constructed northwards to the River Cole but remained unopened until the northward extension in 1985.
1976 M62 Howden - North Cave Yorkshire 9 miles from J37 to J38 was to be opened on 19 February 1976 per The Gazette and Hansard (of 9 February 1976). J38 is the eastern terminus of M62 and connected onto the A63. This section was completed slightly ahead of the western M62 Ouse Bridge section.
1976 M62 Goole - Howden Yorkshire 3 miles from J36 to J37 opened on 24 May 1976. This completed the Yorkshire section of M62. The section included M62 Ouse Bridge. Guest of Honour was Martin Bingham, aged 9, who had asked the Boothferry local authority if he could attend the ceremony for the bridge opening. The 1.6km bridge had 28 piers and a mid span height of 30m.
1976 M62 Liverpool (The Rocket) - Tarbock Westbound Lancashire 4.2 miles from J4 (just east of Queens Drive) to J6 M57 was fully opened on 27 November 1976 (the eastbound carriageway having opened on 23 December 1975). The completion of J4 Rocket Flyover had been delayed due to shortage of materials. There were possibly some temporary arrangements since there is a notice of opening on 27 May 1976 in The Gazette for the 0.6 mile westbound carriageway through J4. Contract cost for the full scheme was £11.5 million.
1976 M69 A5 Stretton Baskerville (Three Potts) - M1 Whetstone Interchange Leicestershire The 10 miles from J1 to J3 was to have opened on 20 December 1976 but it was delayed due to snow preventing the white lines being completed. Reports in the Coventry Evening Telegraph said that it would be open by midday the next day if there was no more snow and it was opened on 21 December 1976 per the Land Compensation Act notice. Contractor was McAlpines, with Dowsetts building J1 and a short stretch to the north in advance of the opening of their southern section.
1976 M275 M27 Hilsea - Portsmouth Hampshire The connecting roads from M27 J12 Hilsea to M275 Portsmouth North-south Motorway (and hence M275) were opened on 11 March 1976 per The Gazette.
1976 M621 Beeston - Holbeck Interchange (Leeds) Yorkshire The Leeds South-West Urban Motorway. 1.7 mile section from J1 to J3 opened on 17 August 1976 per The Gazette. It connected to the The Leeds South East Urban Motorway, which had opened to Holbeck in 1972.
1976 A10 Ware Bypass Hertfordshire Hoddesdon - Ware Bypass Stage 2: The dual carriageway from Cambridge Road to Rush Green Interchange was opened 17 August 1976 by Brian Hall, Chairman of Hertfordshire County Council's Highways Committee. 2.6 mile D2 Dual carriageway. It included a viaduct across King's Meads, River Lea and New River. Outturn works cost £4.2 million.
1976 A12 Wickham Market and Ufford Bypass Suffolk Opened on 22 July 1976 (per Hansard of 28 July 1993). The 3.5 mile D2 dual carriageway was completed in July 1976 per the Policy for Roads: England 1978 Report. Outturn works cost £3.9 million.
1976 A16 Spilsby Bypass Lincolnshire The 0.7 mile road from 114m north of the entrance to Eresby House to Hundleby Road (A1115) was opened on 26 January 1976 per the Land Compensation Act notice.
1976 A19 Teesside Diversion Yorkshire Stage 2: The 6.8 mile D2 dual carriageway from A174 Parkway Junction, south of Thornaby-on-Tees to one mile south of Crathorne was completed in October 1976 per the Policy for Roads: England 1978 Report. The Craythorne bypass may have opened earlier. It included the 1,130 foot Leven Valley Viaduct. The opening had been delayed due to adverse ground conditions with the Leven Viaduct construction. Outturn works cost £9.6 million.
1976 A1139 Peterborough: Fletton Parkway Huntingdonshire Stage 1. The 2.5 mile D2 dual carriageway road from A1 Fletton Parkway Interchange to Hampton Roundabout, Nene Parkway was opened on 19 July 1976. Contractor was Mears Construction, outturn works cost £3.9 million.
1976 A1139 spur Peterborough: Orton Parkway Huntingdonshire The D2 dual carriageway road from Oundle Road to Orton South Interchange, Fletton Parkway was opened on 19 July 1976. Forecast cost was £361,000. It was stage 1 but subsequent stages were never built.
1976 A2 Boughton and Dunkirk Bypass Kent The 3 mile dual carriageway from Brenley Corner to the Gate Inn, Dunkirk was opened on 2 March 1976 by John Waite, Chairman of Kent County Council. Contractor was Mears, cost £3 million. This had doubled since the 1972 estimate and there would have been savings had it not gone to public enquiry.
1976 A2 Bridge Bypass Kent The 2.1 mile D2 dual carriageway from near Bekesbourne Road to south-east of Coldharbour Road was opened on 29 June 1976 by John Gilbert, Transport Minister (it may have been the official opening since the Noise Insulation Regulations notice stated an opening of 30 June 1976). Also 1.25 mile upgrade to dual carriageway towards Barham. Contractor was Mears Construction Ltd., contract price £3.25 million, outturn works cost £3.6 million.
1976 A2 Harbledown and Upper Harbledown Bypass Kent The 2.3 mile single carriageway road from 840 yards west of Plough Inn to Rheims Way was opened on 8 September 1976 by John Grugeon, leader of Kent County Council. Contractor was Mears Construction Ltd., outturn works cost £2.8 million. The section east of Harbledown Interchange became the A2050 after opening of the Canterbury Bypass in 1981.
1976 A3 Ripley Bypass Surrey Reported in October 1976 by Coventry Evening Telegraph as having been previously completed 3 months ahead of schedule. Contractor was Cementation.
1976 A3 Esher and Cobham Bypass Surrey The 7.3 mile D3 dual carriageway was opened on 15 December 1976 per Hansard. Contractor was W. and C. French (Construction) Ltd., outturn works cost £18.9 million.
1976 A30 Bridestowe Devon The 0.9 mile single carriageway bypass opened on 23 February 1976. Contractor was F. Thomas and Co. Ltd. of Ponsonooth, a member of Mowlem group. Cost £0.5 million. Later became unclassified when the Okehampton to Launceston dual carriageway section was opened in 1993.
1976 A30 Bodmin Bypass Cornwall The opening of the 6.3 mile D2 dual carriageway was delayed from 16 December 1976 due to heavy rain. There was to be a short delay. It was still 5 months ahead of schedule. The 0.5 mile extension of dual carriageway to Higher Carblake was to open on 13 December 1976. Both sections are listed as completed in December 1976 per the Policy for Roads: England 1978 Report. Outturn works cost were £10.4 and £0.5 million respectively. Contractor was Sir Alfred McAlpine, cost £8.5 million.
1976 A34 Litchfield and Whitchurch Bypass Hampshire The 4 mile single carriageway road from North of North Arch, Litchfield to Tufton was expected to open in January 1976 per Hansard debate report of 30 October 1975. Contractor Brimms & Co. Ltd., cost £2.4 million. It utilised the line of the disused Newbury to Winchester railway line in part. It was constructed to allow for it to be converted to dual carriageway later, which was completed in 1981.
1976 A38 Liskeard Bypass Cornwall The 2 mile road from Moorswater to Islandhop opened in February 1976 with no official opening per a BFI News clip. 24 foot dual carriageways. Contractor was Costain Civil Engineering Ltd., tender price £3 million, cost £5 million.
1976 A303 Marsh Diversion Devon • Somerset The 0.9 mile D2 dual carriageway was completed in July 1976 per the Policy for Roads: England 1978 Report. Outturn works cost £1.6 million.
1976 A303 Mere Bypass Wiltshire The 2.1 mile D2 dual carriageway was completed in July 1976 per the Policy for Roads: England 1978 Report. Outturn works cost £1.7 million.
1976 A380 Newton Abbot and Kingsteignton Bypass Devon Opened on 21 May 1976 by Councillor Charles Ansell, County Council leader (per a 30th anniversary article in Mid Devon Advertiser). 3.25 mile dual carriageway, cost £8.5 million. It included the 470 yard eleven span Teign Estuary Viaduct.
1976 A41 Solihull Relief Road Warwickshire The 2 mile bypass from the A41 diversion at M42 J5 Copt Hill to Lode Lane was opened "last week" per the 14 October 1976 Birmingham Mail. Seven Star Road had been improved to complete the bypass to Warwick Road. Cost £850,000.
1976 A48
B4286
Port Talbot Inner Bypass Glamorgan Heilbronn Way. The A48 section from Pentyla Roundabout to the roundabout by Port Talbot Parkway Railway Station (Station Road) was opened on 28 May 1976. The B4286 section from Pentyla Roundabout to Prior Street was opened on 12 September 1976. Dates per the Land Compensation Act Notice.
1976 A405 Rickmansworth Bypass (North Orbital) Hertfordshire The 6 miles from Maple Cross to Hunton Bridge, Watford was opened on 26 February 1976. It became part of M25 in 1985 (apart from Denham Way at the southern end which remained as a link road). Contractor was Costain.
1976 A439 Harvington Bypass Worcestershire Opened 6 November 1976. The 0.6 mile bypass cost £400,000. It was bypassed and declassified later by the A46 Alcester to Evesham dual carriageway.
1976 A473 Pencoed Bypass Glamorgan Opened in November 1976 (per the Glamorgan Gazette of 8 June 1978). A traffic census took place in January 1977. It was built in conjunction with the M4 J32 to J35 scheme which was opened on 22 December 1977. The bypass was formed by the link roads to J35 Pencoed Interchange. Cost £28.5 million.
1976 A55 Chester Southerly Bypass Cheshire • Flintshire The 5.8 mile road from A41 at Great Broughton to Broughton was opened on 22 December 1976 by Barry Jones, Parliamentary Under-secretary of State. It was D2 dual carriageway except for one mile at the Broughton end. Contractor was Sir Alfred McAlpine and Sons, outturn works cost £13.8 million.
1976 A57 East Markham Bypass Nottinghamshire Opened on 11 October 1976 by Frank Higgins, Chairman of the County Council's Environment committee. The new railway bridge bypassed the level crossing of the East Coast Main Line. Cost £0.5 million.
1976 A513 Stafford Eastern Distributor Road Staffordshire The one mile section from A34 Stone Road to B5066 Sandon Road (Stafford exit) was opened on 23 April 1976 to complete the road. Cost £597,000. The long term plan was to extend it to the A34 Cannock Road, but this has not yet been built.
1976 A590 Haverthwaite Diversion Lancashire The 1 mile single carriageway road was completed in November 1976 per the Policy for Roads: England 1978 Report. Outturn works cost £0.8 million.
1976 A63 M62 North Cave Interchange - South Cave Yorkshire Caves Bypass dualling. The second carriageway was to open along with the adjacent M62 section on 19 February 1976 (per Hansard of 9 February 1976).
1976 A64 York Southern Bypass Yorkshire The 8.9 mile D2 dual carriageway from Askham Bar to Malton Road, north of Hopgrove Roundabout was completed in April 1976 per the Policy for Roads: England 1978 Report. Outturn works cost £12 million.
1976 A66 Greta Bridge Bypass Yorkshire The 1.3 mile D2 dual carriageway was completed in June 1976 per the Policy for Roads: England 1978 Report. Outturn works cost £1.3 million.
1976 A66 Cockermouth and Embleton Bypass Cumberland The 7.3 mile single carriageway from Fitz Cottage Roundabout to Peel Wyke was completed in July 1976 per the Policy for Roads: England 1978 Report. Peel Wyke is at the north end of the Bassenthwaite Lake dual carriageway section. Outturn works cost £6.1 million. The section east of Cockermouth was built on the route of the former Cockermouth to Keswick railway.
1976 A66 Keswick Northern Bypass Cumberland The 2.9 mile single carriageway road from Portinscale in the west to High Briary was opened on 27 August 1976. The contractor was Tarmac Construction, Wolverhampton and works cost £3.84 million. Work started in early 1974. It included the spectacular 120 feet high Greta Bridge viaduct across the Greta Valley.
1976 A66 Brough Bypass Westmorland The 1.2 mile bypass plus 1 mile of adjacent D2 dual carriageway was opened on 27 August 1976. Outturn works cost £3 million.
1976 A68 Jedburgh Relief Road Roxburghshire Completed in 1976 per the 1975 and 1976 Scottish Development Department Report.
1976 A68 Camptown Bridge Diversion Roxburghshire The bridge and diversion was completed in 1976 per the 1975 and 1976 Scottish Development Department Report.
1976 A604 Brampton Link Road Huntingdonshire The 1.25 mile road from Thrapston Road, Brampton to the original Huntingdon and Godmanchester Bypass at Spittals Interchange was opened on 27 January 1976 by Charles Swift, Chairman of the Highways Committee. It saved having to use part of the Ring Road to access the Bypass. Contractor was Holland Construction Ltd., cost £650,000. Later renumbered as A14 then A141. The A1126 section to the north from Spittals Interchange to Ermine Street was not mentioned in the report so it may have opened earlier, at or after the opening in 1975 of the Alconbury to Huntingdon Bypass dual carriageway.
1976 A617 Pleasley Bypass Derbyshire • Nottinghamshire The dual carriageway was due to open in July 1976 (per the Nottinghamshire Evening Post of 9 June 1976).
1976 A620 Retford Northern Relief Road Nottinghamshire Amcott Way. Opened on 23 November 1976 by Ernest Davidson, vice-chairman of the County Council's Environment Committee. Contract price £533,000, total price £1 million.
1976 A696 Newcastle North West Radial Northumberland Stage 2: The final phase from Cow Hill Interchange to Town Moor Interchange (to join Central Motorway East) opened on 22 February 1976 per the Land Compensation Act notice. Contractor was A. Monk and Co. Ltd., contract price £1 million. Town Moor Interchange was then known as Brandling Interchange. Stage 1 had opened in June 1967. Later renumbered A167.
1976 A78 Irvine Bypass Ayrshire The 5.5 mile dual carriageway was opened on 12 March 1976 by Lord Kirkhill, Minister of State. Contractor was W. and C. French (Construction) Ltd., cost £8.75 million.
1976 A82 Fort William Relief Road Inverness-shire The 0.63 mile road was expected to open in Spring 1976 per the 1975 Scottish Development Department Report. The Transport Centre had opened in June 1975.
1976 A85 Barnhill Junction - Kinfauns Perthshire Kinfauns Diversion and online dualling. It was reported as nearing completion by the 24 September 1976 Aberdeen Press. The scheme also included Barnhill Junction and Friarton Bridge North Approach Roads and completed the dualling between Perth and Dundee. Contractor was Shellabear Price (Scotland) Ltd., contract price £2.34 million. Later renumbered to A90 in 1994.
1976 A827 Pitnacree Bridge Perthshire The three span, 80m long bridge over the River Tay and 0.45 mile approach road was opened on 26 March 1976. It was a bypass for the single lane Grandtully Bridge upstream. Consultant engineers were Blyth and Blyth of Edinburgh. Contractor was John McAdam and Son Ltd. of Aberdeen, cost £460,000.
1976 A837 Loch Assynt Lodge - Lochinver Sutherland The 9.9 mile scheme with diversions was work in progress in 1976 per the 1975 and 1976 Scottish Development Department Report, but was not on 1977 report indicating completion in 1976.
1976 A894 Scourie - Geisgeil Burn Sutherland The 5 mile scheme with diversions was work in progress in 1976 per the 1975 and 1976 Scottish Development Department Report, but was not on 1977 report indicating completion in 1976.
1976 A9 Knockinnan -Latheronwheel Improvement Caithness Completed in 1976 per the 1975 and 1976 Scottish Development Department Report. The Latheronwheel Diversion had been completed previously.
1976 A9 Drumochter Lodge - Crubenmore Inverness-shire Dalwhinnie Bypass. The 9.25 mile road was opened on 28 June 1976 by Lord Kirkhill, Minister of State at the Scottish Office. 24 foot single carriageway apart from 1 mile of dual carriageway at the north end. Contractor was Tractor Shovels (Contracts) Ltd. of Edinburgh, cost £6.75 million.
1976 A9 Dalmagarry - Slochd Inverness-shire Tomatin Bypass including the 249m Tomatin Viaduct across the River Findhorn. Aberdeen Press of 14 July 1976 reported that there was likely to be a delay to the opening due to late delivery of steel, but the Scottish Office had said that it would definitely be in use by the end of the year. The contract was almost complete at 31 December 1976 per the 1975 and 1976 Scottish Development Department Report. Contractor was Whatlings Ltd. of Glasgow, cost £6 million.
1976 A9 Loaninghead Crossroads Improvement Perthshire Completed in 1976 per the 1975 and 1976 Scottish Development Department Report.
1976 A94 Brechin Bypass Angus The 3.87 mile single carriageway road was opened on 17 May 1976 by Alick Buccanan-Smith, MP. Cost £1.5 million. Dualled in 1994 by Henry Boot (Scotland) Ltd., cost £12.5 million. Later renumbered A90.
1976 B4373 Dawley Bypass Shropshire The 1 mile road from New Road to Heath Hill Roundabout was opened on 9 August 1976. Contractor was Wrekin Construction Ltd. and contract price £440,000. It may not have been B4373 on opening since the Dawley - Donnington Distributor Road was then incomplete. It provided a bypass for the then A442 route.
1976 C22 Applecross - Arinacrinachd Ross-shire Applecross northern coastal route connecting Applecross to Shieldig was opened on 18 September 1976 by Princess Margaret. The final two sections between Applecross and Cuaig had been completed in the year, other parts had opened earlier. Cost £1.4 million. The Kyle of Lochalsh - Toscaig ferry ceased around the same time. Later renumbered as C1091 (Highland).
1976 - Raasay: Calum's Road Inverness-shire The 1.7 mile road from Brochel to Arnish was hand-built by local resident Calum Macleod on the line of a 3 foot wide path. He started work in 1964 after failed attempts to get the Council to construct the road to give better access to the north of the island. The 12 foot wide road was opened to light vehicles in 1976 per The Scotsman of 16 April 2014. 1974 is mentioned by the Sunday Times of 3 September 2006, but it may have arisen from the quote that it took Calum 10 years to build the road. The Council adopted the road in 1982 and provided passing places and a tarmac surface. Now Highland U4912.
1976 - Southport: Marine Drive Lancashire Stage 4: The final 0.75 mile section between Weld Road and the Esplanade was opened on 14 April 1976 by E. Rowland Ball, Mayor of Sefton. Cost £70,000. The Council spent £65,000 on the embankment and revetment, which reclaimed 350 acres from the sea. The coastal road ran for 9 miles from Woodvale to Crossens.
1977 M4 Pontarddulais bypass Glamorgan • Carmarthenshire The westernmost section from J46 Llangyfelach to J49 Pont Abraham was opened on 29 April 1977. The 8.5 miles of dual two lane motorway was designed and supervised by W.S. Atkins and Partners and constructed by Sir Alfred McAlpine and Son (Northern) Ltd. at a cost of £28 million at November 1976 prices.
1977 M4 Tredegar Park, Newport - St Mellons, Cardiff Monmouthshire The 4.7 miles westwards extension from J28 to J29a was opened on 21 October 1977 by James Callaghan, Prime Minister. Part D3 and part D2. The section between J29 Castleton Interchange and J29a St Mellons became the A48(M) Cardiff Spur when the M4 was extended westwards from J29 in 1980.
1977 M4 Pyle Bypass Glamorgan The 4.5 mile section from J37 Pyle Interchange to J39 Groes Interchange was opened on 11 November 1977 by John Morris, Secretary of State for Wales. It joined the Port Talbot bypass at Groes. Contractors were Bovis Civil Engineering Ltd. for the 4.5 miles dual 2 lane road west of J37 and R.M. Douglas Construction Ltd. for J37, the link roads (and the dual 3 lane section east to Stormy Down which remained unopened until the Bridgend Bypass section opened in 1981), with costs £23 million and £5 million respectively. It necessitated the demolition of Groes village and the rebuilding of the old Round Chapel in a new location. It included viaducts over the River Cynfig and Margam railway sidings and main line, and part building over the sand dunes at Kenfig. Marram grass was sown to prevent sand drifts affecting the road.
1977 M4 Coryton, Cardiff - Pencoed Glamorgan The 12.5 mile section of D3 from J32 to J35 was opened on 22 December 1977 by George Thomas, Speaker of the House of Commons. Cost £52 million.
1977 M5 Exeter Devon The 3.7 mile Exminster Section from J30 to J31, Sandygate to Pearce's Hill was officially opened on 27 May 1977 by James Callaghan, Prime Minister. This completed the M5. Notice was given in The Gazette of the 27 May 1977 opening but then a second notice was given with an opening date of 3 June 1977 and stating that the previous notice was superceded.
1977 M11 Redbridge - South Harlow Essex The 14.5 mile southern section from the former J3 Redbridge Roundabout on A12 Eastern Avenue to J7 Hastingwood was opened on 14 April 1977 per The Gazette, excluding the southbound carriageway between J3 and J4 which opened later (1 January 1980 per The Gazette, although it may have been a late notification). The section between the former J3 and J4 was later downgraded to A406 (0.45 mile northbound and 0.85 mile southbound). Contractor for south of Loughton was W. and C. French (Construction) Ltd. and Dowsett Engineering to the north.
1977 M18 West Moor, ArmthorpeThorne Bypass Yorkshire The 3.5 miles from J4 to the M18 Thorne Bypass at the previous Temporary Terminus with A1146 Thorne Road was opened on 11 August 1977 per The Gazette.
1977 M20 Swanley – West Kingsdown Kent 6 mile section from J1, the west end of the motorway at the Swanley Bypass, to a Temporary Terminus with A20, 0.2 mile south east of Pells Lane, West Kingsdown. The OS 1:50000 of 1978 (revised 1977) showed a T junction. It was opened on 24 May 1977 by Patricia Miles, wife of Derek Miles, former Chairman of the planning and transportation committee of Kent County Council. That date was also confirmed by the Land Compensation Act notice (it mentioned a 4.75 mile distance). Note that the Gazette gave the date of 6 August 1977. Contractor was Sir Alfred McAlpine and Sons (Northern), cost £12 million.
1977 M25 A2 DarenthM20 Swanley Kent The 3.3 miles from J2 to J3 was opened on 4 April 1977 by John Horan, Minister of Transport per a report in the Sevenoaks Chronicle (of 9 April 1977). Note that the Gazette notice of opening was not until 24 June 1980. It was stated in the Autumn 1977 RAC World Magazine that it would be appropriated as a motorway later, although motorway regulations would apply from date of opening. Contractor was John Laing Construction.
1977 M58 Skelmersdale and Up Holland Bypass Lancashire The first section of M58 was an upgrade to the A506 dual carriageway (previously known as the Regional Road) and opened on 17 September 1977. The 3.4 mile section from J4 Glenburn Road Interchange to J6 Orrell Interchange (J26 of M6) had dual 3 lane carriageways, hard shoulders and a 13 foot wide central reservation. Contractor was Percy Bilton and cost almost £2 million.
1977 M69 M6 Ansty Interchange - A5 Stretton Baskerville (Three Potts) Warwickshire • Leicestershire The 6.2 miles from M6 to J1 was opened on 12 July 1977 by John Horram, Under-secretary of State for Transport. It included the flyover over M6 and the southbound connection loop to M6 westbound and the roundabout. The northbound lane over the M6 flyover was unused until the opening of the Coventry Eastern Bypass. This completed M69. The extension of the M6 slip road to cross over the loop was opened on 11 November 1976. Contractor was Dowsetts, cost £15 million. Total cost of the 16 mile D3 M69 was just under £32 million.
1977 M90 Glenfarg Bypass Kinross-shire • Fife • Perthshire The 3.1 mile northwards extension from J8 Arlary Junction to a Temporary Terminus with the then A90 135m north-east of Paris Bridge on the Arngask Road (0.7 mile north of Glenfarg) was to be opened on 7 March 1977 per The Gazette.
1977 M90 Bridge of Earn Bypass Perthshire The 2.3 mile section from J9 Muirmont (Bridge of Earn) to J10 Craigend was opened for southbound traffic on 27 October 1977 per the Spring 1978 RAC World magazine. The Gazette has an opening date of 2 December 1977, which may indicate the full opening. Contractor was Whatlings Ltd., cost £8 million.
1977 M180 Brigg Bypass Lincolnshire The 4.5 mile section from a Temporary Terminus at Castlethorpe (east of J4 Broughton Interchange) to J5 Barnetby Top was opened on 2 September 1977 (note The Gazette listed an opening date of 23 September 1977). Cost £6 million. The town council had originally been informed that the opening would be on 17 August 1977 and had organised two weeks of parties, fun and festivities from then. Needless to say they were not pleased with the Ministry of Transport announcing that the opening would be put back for an opening by John Horam, Junior Minister, when the contractors had told the Council the road was ready to use.
1977 A1 Warenford Bypass Northumberland The 1 mile single carriageway deviation opened on 21 October 1977 per the Spring 1978 RAC World magazine. Outturn works cost £1.1 million
1977 A12 Hopton-on-Sea Bypass Suffolk The 1.2 mile D2 dual carriageway was reported as opened to traffic by the Lynn Advertiser of 11 February 1977. The Policy for Roads: England 1978 Report gave a completion date of July 1977 so some works continued. Outturn works cost £0.5 million. Renumbered A47 in 2017.
1977 A12 Wangford Bypass Suffolk Reported as open by the Winter 1977/78 RAC World magazine.
1977 A143 Bury St Edmunds: Parkway Relief Road Suffolk The northbound carriageway was opened on 18 July 1977. The southbound carriageway opened on 1 September 1977. Contractor was Jack Breheny Ltd., cost £800,000.
1977 A158 Horncastle Inner Relief Road Lincolnshire Jubilee Way from West Street to East Street. Opened in 1977 per a Grantham Journal article of 27 August 1982. The tender was awarded to the County Council's Direct Labour Organisation for £318,252 in September 1975. It was expected to be completed in about 12 months so it may have opened in 1976.
1977 A168 Topcliffe and Asenby Bypass Yorkshire The 2.2 mile D2 dual carriageway was opened on 29 September 1977 by J.W. Jamieson, Chairman of the County Council Highways and Transportation Committee. Contractor was Robert McGregor & Sons Ltd., tender price £2.6 million, outturn works cost £3.4 million. It was the final link in the dual carriageway between A1 and Teesside.
1977 A174 Marske-by-the-Sea Bypass Yorkshire The 2.75 mile road from Kirkleatham Bypass to A1085 Marske Road was opened on 9 December 1977 by W.T. Rodgers, Secretary of State for Transport. Contractor was A. Monk & Co. Ltd..
1977 A2 Dover Eastern Bypass Kent Jubilee Way. The 7.7 mile D2 / single carriageway road from Lydden Hill Junction to Eastern Docks Roundabout was opened on 18 February 1977 per the Land Compensation Act notice. Opened by Peter Rees, MP. It originally curled out over the sea from the dock entrance on a viaduct. Outturn works cost 8.42 million.
1977 A20 Dover: The Viaduct (Dover Western Docks) Kent The road and new viaduct over the railway from Limekiln Street to Lord Warden Square was opened on 14 March 1977 per the Land Compensation Act notice. It replaced the viaduct opened in 1922.
1977 A27 Lewes Southern Bypass Sussex East Sussex and Brighton and Hove Record Office has an online summary record for 20 December 1977. It mentions opening by John Horam, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport. The 2.8 mile D2 / S2 road was completed in December 1977 per the Policy for Roads: England 1978 Report. Outturn works cost £9.9 million.
1977 A30 Exeter Southern Bypass Devon The final section of the D2 dual carriageway from a Temporary Terminus with the Eastern Bypass (and the then A38) at Chudleigh Road to M5 J31 Pearce's Hill was due to open on 27 May 1977 along with the M5 Exeter Bypass section to Pearce's Hill. This was the date on the first Gazette notice of opening but then a second notice was issued with an opening date of 3 June 1977 and stating that the previous notice was superceded, so maybe some part of the scheme was not opened until that latter date. Outturn works cost for the full bypass from Pocombe to the M5 was £8.4 million.
1977 A31 Ringwood Bypass upgrade and extension Hampshire Eastwards extension from Southampton Road to Poulner Hill and dualling of the original bypass (which had opened in 1938). The 2 mile D2 dual carriageway was completed in August 1977 per the Policy for Roads: England 1978 Report. Outturn works cost £5 million. Additional information per the Ringwood Conservation Appraisal of October 2003: the 1977 improvements included the B3347 Mansfield Road link from Salisbury Road Junction south to Christchurch Road bypassing the town centre.
1977 A34 Steventon, Rowstock and Chilton Bypass Berkshire Abingdon Bypass Stage 2: Steventon Road south of Drayton (now B4017) to just south of Chilton. The 5.9 mile D2 dual carriageway was opened on 16 November 1977 by Lord Porchester, Chairman of South East Planning Council. Completed 5 months ahead of schedule. Contractor Sir Alfred McAlpine (Southern) Ltd., Outturn works cost £10.7 million.
1977 A38 Tinkerslake Improvement Cornwall The 1.7 mile D2 dual carriageway (south-east of Menheniot station) was completed in April 1977 per the Policy for Roads: England 1978 Report. Outturn works cost £1.3 million.
1977 A38 Little Eaton Bypass Derbyshire Little Eaton - Holbrook Improvement. The 2.9 mile D2 dual carriageway from Little Eaton Roundabout to Coxbench Interchange was opened on 3 October 1977 without ceremony. Outturn works cost £4.2 million.
1977 A38 Ripley and Swanwick Bypass Derbyshire The 7.4 mile D2 dual carriageway from Coxbench Interchange to Alfreton Interchange was opened on 21 October 1977 by Eric Varley, Secretary of State for Industry. Contractor was Dowsett Engineering Construction Ltd., Outturn works cost £12.6 million.
1977 A38 Kennford - M5 J31 Pearce's Hill Devon The 1.3 mile D3 dual carriageway connection to M5 was opened along with the motorway on 27 May 1977 per the Autumn 1977 RAC World magazine. Contractor was Cementation Construction.
1977 A39 St Columb Bypass Cornwall The 2.6 mile single carriageway road opened 3 June 1977. Contractor E. Thomas & Co., outturn works cost £1.6 million. The A3059 link road and southern bypass was planned at the same time.
1977 A303
A37
Ilchester Bypass Somerset The 4.3 mile D2 road opened on 28 March 1977. It was D2 dual carriageway except for 0.7 mile at the eastern end where the former A372 was used. Contractor was Cementation Construction, tender price £5,481,000, outturn works cost £7.1 million.
1977 A303
A357
A371
Wincanton and Holton Bypass Somerset The 4.1 mile D2 dual carriageway from Witherleigh Farm, Dancing Cross to Leigh Common also bypassed Bayford. The scheme included a link road between A357 at Anchor Corner and A371 at Holbrook, forming a western bypass, and a connection to Lawrence Hill. The 2 mile first stage west of the town's Hawkers Bridge Interchange was opened on 26 January 1977. The east section and the bypass was opened on 8 March 1977 per a South West Film and Television Archive entry. Contractor was Mears Construction, tender cost £5.05 million, outturn works cost £6.3 million.
1977 A317 Chertsey: St Peter's Way Surrey The 1.5 mile link roads to J11 Addlestone (in advance of M25) opened on 7 December 1977 per the Spring 1978 RAC World magazine.
1977 A325 Frimley Bypass Surrey Was due to open on 10 October 1977. Cost £0.75 million.
1977 A3044 Stanwell Moor Road extension Middlesex The 0.7 mile D2 dual carriageway was completed in May 1977 per the Policy for Roads: England 1978 Report. Outturn works cost £0.9 million. It was listed as an A4 scheme (from "Peggy Bedford") and connected the former B379 directly to the A4 Colnbrook Bypass. It is unclear if the new road received the A3044 number straight away.
1977 A40 Witney Bypass Oxfordshire Opened on 19 April 1977 by William Rodgers, Minister of Transport (per ATV Today broadcast and RAC World magazine, and the due date per the Coventry Evening Telegraph of 8 April 1977). The 6.7 mile D2 dual carriageway was completed in April 1977 per the Policy for Roads: England 1978 Report. Contractor was Amey Roadstone, outturn works cost £8.4 million.
1977 A45 Woolpit - Haughley Suffolk The 2.2 mile D2 dual carriageway from Woolpit Crossways to Stowmarket Road, Haughley New Street was opened on 16 June 1977 per the Land Compensation Act notice. The westbound carriageway had opened on 6 April 1977 per the Autumn 1977 RAC World magazine. Outturn works cost £2.1 million. Later renumbered at A14. It included the dualling of the eastern section of the Woolpit Bypass which had opened in 1966.
1977 A45 Kentford - Bury St Edmunds Suffolk The 5.3 mile D2 dual carriageway from the Newmarket Bypass, east of Kentford Interchange, to Westley Interchange (west end of the Bury St Edmunds Bypass) was opened on 6 July 1977 (per RAC World magazine). Online and offline. Contractor was Higgs and Hill Ltd. Outturn works cost £5 million. Later renumbered at A14.
1977 A419 Stratton St Margaret Bypass Wiltshire The 3.5 mile D2 dual carriageway opened on 7 October 1977 per the Spring 1978 RAC World magazine. Outturn works cost £3.9 million
1977 A420 Botley and Cumnor Hill Bypass Berkshire Opened on 22 August 1977 by John Francis, Chairman of Oxfordshire County Council per an ATV Today report.
1977 A500 Potteries "D" Road : Etruria - Hanford Staffordshire Queensway. The dual carriageway was officially opened on 2 November 1977 by William Rodgers, Transport Secretary, to complete the "D" Road. Contractor was Tarmac Construction Ltd., cost £26 million.
1977 A529 Market Drayton Inner Relief Road Shropshire Completed in 1977 per the Staffordshire Sentinel of 13 November 1984 (in a report of a case before the local Ombudsman). Note that it was not included on the OS 1:50000 map interim revisions of 1980 and 1981.
1977 A590 Lindale Bypass Lancashire • Westmorland The 2.2 mile D2 dual carriageway was completed in February 1977 per the Policy for Roads: England 1978 Report. Outturn works cost £4.9 million.
1977 A63 Hull: South Orbital Road Yorkshire Stage 2: The 0.35 mile D2 dual carriageway section from Mytongate to Market Place / Queen Street was opened on 7 March 1977 after the northern carriageway, on the route of the old road, had been brought up to dual carriageway standards. The new southern carriageway had previously been in use for two way traffic since 8 July 1976. Outturn works cost £0.9 million.
1977 A66 Bridgefoot and Brigham Bypass Cumberland The 3.8 mile single carriageway road from Chapel Brow to Fitz Cottage (west end of Cockermouth Bypass) was opened on 7 April 1977 per the Autumn 1977 RAC World magazine. Contractor was Tarmac Construction, outturn works cost £6.1 million.
1977 A66 Bassenthwaite Lake section improvement Cumberland The 4.7 mile road from Peel Wyke to Braithwaite was opened on 3 June 1977 per the Autumn 1977 RAC World magazine. Contractor was G. McGregor Ltd., tender price £3.75 million, outturn works cost £5.4 million. Built on the route of the former Cockermouth to Keswick railway. which allowed the creation of a dual carriageway on the northern half, retaining the old carriageway for the northbound lane.
1977 A66 Scales - Troutbeck Diversion Cumberland The 2.9 mile single carriageway road was completed in August 1977 per the Policy for Roads: England 1978 Report. Outturn works cost £1.8 million.
1977 A66 High Briary (Keswick) - Threlkeld Cumberland The 2 mile single carriageway road was completed in August 1977 per the Policy for Roads: England 1978 Report. Outturn works cost £2.8 million. High Briary now named Great Crosthwaite Interchange.
1977 A66 Penruddock Bypass Cumberland The 4.2 mile single carriageway road from Troutbeck to east of Highgate (Barons Hill) was completed in November 1977 per the Policy for Roads: England 1978 Report. Outturn works cost £3 million.
1977 A69 Corbridge and Hexham Bypass Northumberland The 7.7 mile D2 dual carriageway was opened on 7 February 1977 by Geoffrey Rippon, M.P. for Hexham. Outturn works cost £11.9 million.
1977 A630 Doncaster - M18 West Moor Link Yorkshire The single carriageway link from Thorne Road to J4 West Moor Interchange, Armthorpe opened in August 1977 along with the northbound M18 section to Thorne per the Winter 1977/78 RAC World magazine. That M18 section opened on 11 August 1977 per The Gazette.
1977 A695 Blaydon Bypass Durham Bladon Highway. 0.9 mile dualling from Blaydon Roundabout to Scotswood Bridge. Officially opened on 1 July 1977 by John Horam, Junior Transport Minister. Contractor was Balfour Beatty (Construction) Ltd., contract price £3 million, total cost £4.5 million. It included a viaduct over the railway and two roads that was almost a quarter mile long. Where the road was near to the River Tyne, any holes excavated would fill with water when the tide came in.
1977 A6009 Mansfield Inner Ring Road Nottinghamshire Dual carriageway from A60 Nottingham Road to A60 (spur) Portland Street. Opened in 1977 per an article in Mansfield Recorder of 12 August 1982.
1977 A85 Friarton Bridge North Approach Roads Perthshire The approach roads at Barnhill Junction were completed in 1977 per the 1977 Scottish Development Department Report. Friarton Bridge opened in 1978.
1977 A849 Mull: Salen - Corrie Argyll The 5 mile scheme with diversions was work in progress in 1977 per the 1977 Scottish Development Department Report, but was not on the 1978 report indicating completion in 1977.
1977 A850 Skye: Dunvegan - Upperglen Inverness-shire The 5.5 mile scheme with diversions was work in progress in 1977 per the 1977 Scottish Development Department Report, but was not on the 1978 report indicating completion in 1977.
1977 A856 Skye: Borve - Uig Inverness-shire The 5 mile scheme with diversions was work in progress in 1977 per the 1977 Scottish Development Department Report, but was not on the 1978 report indicating completion in 1977. Later renumbered as A87.
1977 A894 Geisgill Burn - Duartmore Sutherland The 2.8 mile scheme with diversions was work in progress in 1977 per the 1977 Scottish Development Department Report, but was not on the 1978 report indicating completion in 1977.
1977 A9 Tomich - Broomhill Ross-shire The improvement to the east of Alness was completed in 1977 per the 1977 Scottish Development Department Report.
1977 A9 Achagarron Church Diversion Ross-shire The diversion to the east of Alness was completed in 1977 per the 1977 Scottish Development Department Report.
1977 A9 Inverness (Longman Roundabout) to Bogbain Inverness-shire The 4.2 mile dual carriageway opened on 12 November 1977. Bogbain is south of the current Milton of Leys Junction, Inverness. It included Raigmore Interchange with A96. Contractor was Leonard Fairclough Ltd., contract price £5.6 million, total cost £7 million.
1977 A9 Birnam - Guay Perthshire The 5.75 mile Dunkeld Bypass was opened on 9 May 1977 by Lord Kirkhill. The 1.6 mile Birnam bypass opened on 30 June 1977. 24 foot carriageway with 12 foot verges. Contractor was Tarmac Construction Ltd., contract price £6.1 million.
1977 A9 Luncarty Bypass Perthshire The 2.3 mile road was opened on 7 December 1977 per the Spring 1978 RAC World magazine. Part S2 and part D2.
1977 A977 Balado Diversion Kinross-shire The diversion from Balado Crossroads to Turfhills (to the west of Kinross) was completed in 1977 per the 1977 Scottish Development Department Report.
1977 B7080 Irvine: Long Drive Distributor Road Ayrshire Phase 4 - Eglinton Interchange to Stanecastle Roundabout. Was due to come into operation on 22 June 1977 (per Irvine Herald of 17 June 1977). Contractor was R.J. Macleod Ltd., cost £800,000. Built as single carriageway, it had provision for future dualling. It included Hill Roundabout at the mid point for access for future housing. It completed Long Drive. The section south of Hill Roundabout was later renumbered A736.
1977 - Warrington: Birchwood Way Lancashire The section from Daten Avenue to the new M62 J11 Birchwood Interchange was due to open on 14 January 1977. First section of the "Northern Expressway". The National situation caused the road to be built in short single carriageway sections, with a planned dual carriageway when funds were available. The recently opened Daten Avenue served as an interim link to A574 Warrington Road. Later renumbered as a spur of A574.
1978 M18 A1(M) Wadworth - West Moor, Armthorpe Yorkshire The 7 miles from J2 to J4 was opened on 15 December 1978 by William Rodgers, Transport Secretary, to complete the M18 from M1 to M62. J2 Wadworth Interchange with A1(M) was completed by the addition of the M18 upper level. Contractor was Dowsett.
1978 M27 Hedge End - Windhover Hampshire The 1.3 miles from J7 to J8 was opened on 1 February 1978 per The Gazette. It extended the section from Portbridge to 13.5 miles.
1978 M66 Heap Bridge, Bury to Edenfield Lancashire Bury Easterly Bypass: North section.The 5.9 mile northwards from J2 A58 Heap Bridge to A56 at Edenfield opened on 26 May 1978. D2 with a crawler lane for about 1 mile.
1978 M67 Hyde Bypass Lancashire • Cheshire The 3.3 mile initial section from M67 J2, adjacent to Broomgrove Lane, to J4 Hattersley Roundabout was to open on 19 March 1978 per The Gazette. The surface had deterioration leading to breaking up and potholing caused partly by using a stiffer than normal bitumin mix and possibly by poor workmanship. The remedial cost was £414,000.
1978 M85 Perth South-eastern Bypass Perthshire The 1.35 mile link from M90 J10 Craigend to J1 Barnhill Junction (A85, later A90) opened for single lane working on 5 August 1978 per Aberdeen Press. It included Friarton Bridge over River Tay, which was officially opened on 28 September 1978 by Lord Kirkhill, Minister of State at the Scottish Office. Note that the Gazette had stated that it was to open on 28 July 1978. Later renumbered as M90 with Barnhill Junction becoming J11.
1978 M90 Perth South-western Bypass Perthshire The 2.3 mile link from J10 Craigend to J12 Broxden Roundabout (A9 / A93) was to be opened on 24 May 1978 per The Gazette. Contractor was William Tawse Ltd., contract value £2.34 million.
1978 M180 Tudworth to Woodhouse Interchange (A161) Yorkshire • Lincolnshire The 7.4 mile section from J1 to J2 was opened on 30 October 1978 per the Land Compensation Act notice and "Opening 1979" RAC World magazine. The Gazette gave the later opening date of 15 December 1978 (which was the date of the Scunthorpe Southern Bypass section).
1978 M180 Scunthorpe Southern Bypass Lincolnshire The 8.7 mile section from J3 Midmoor Interchange to a Temporary Terminus at Castlethorpe (east of J4 Broughton Interchange) was opened on 15 December 1978 by William Rodgers, Transport Secretary. Cost £6 million. Note that there were two Gazette notices, one with the 15 December 1978 date and a later one, for some reason, with an opening date of 30 March 1979.
1978 M181 M180 Midmoor Interchange - Frodingham Grange, Scunthorpe Lincolnshire Brumby Common Link. The 2.6 mile entire Motorway (along with the M180 Scunthorpe Southern bypass section) was opened on 15 December 1978 by William Rodgers, Transport Secretary. Note that there were two Gazette notices, one with the 15 December 1978 date and a later one, for some reason, with an opening date of 30 March 1979. The motorway was truncated by 0.8 mile to Brumby Common Lane Junction in 2021.
1978 A10 Milton Bypass Cambridgeshire A traffic census on the road was reported by the 7 November 1978 Cambridge Daily News. It had been reported on 6 March 1978 that it was to open later in the year. The contract was awarded in June 1976. It was part of the Cambridge Northern Bypass scheme which opened later on 21 December 1978.
1978 A12 Lowestoft Central Area Relief Road Suffolk Opened on 19 March 1978 per the Land Compensation Act notice. Later renumbered as A47.
1978 A15 Barton-upon-Humber - M180 J5 Barnetby Top Lincolnshire The southern 5.5 mile D2 dual carriageway was completed in June 1978. Outturn works cost £5.6 million. The 1.1 mile D2 Barton on Humber Bypass section was completed in September 1978, outturn works cost £2 million. Dates per the Policy for Roads: England 1980 Report. It is unclear if there was a temporary junction or if they opened together, although the OS 1:50k sheet 112 from 1977 (Second Series Revision A) shows a temporary junction with the B1218. It was in advance of Humber Bridge which opened in 1981.
1978 A16 Boston Inner Relief Road Lincolnshire John Adams Way (named after the 2nd President of U.S.A.). 2nd section - east end of Haven Bridge to Bargate Roundabout. The 0.75 mile dual carriageway opened without ceremony on 2 May 1978. Contractor was Sheldon Contracting Co. Ltd. of Solihull, tender price £624,500, although this was exceeded. Haven Bridge had opened in July 1966 linking High Street to South Street. It was widened in July 1973.
1978 A120 Bishop's Stortford Northern Bypass Hertfordshire • Essex The 2.3 mile single carriageway from Stansted Road to Hadham Road was opened on 24 August 1978 by Major Arthur Hughes, Chairman of Hertfordshire County Council to complete the Northern Bypass. It included a 170 metre five span viaduct across the River Stort and adjacent railway line. Cost £2.5 million.
1978 A149 Caister-on-Sea Bypass Norfolk Norfolk Records Office lists an opening brochure from 1978. The section north of Norwich Road later became unclassified after the opening of the Ormesby Bypass.
1978 A158 Wragby: Malt Kiln Cottages Diversion Lincolnshire The 0.4 mile diversion at Goltho, west of Wragby was opened on 4 July 1978 per the Land Compensation Act notice.
1978 A20 Maidstone: St Peter's Bridge Kent The newer bridge across the River Medway was opened on 23 November 1978 by the Duke of Kent. Cost was £2.5 million. It was built as Inner Ring Road Stage IIA. It forms a gyratory with the older Maidstone Bridge.
1978 A22 East Grinstead Relief Road Sussex Beeching Way. Opened on 13 December 1978 with no ceremony. An East Grinstead Observer report mentioned that the previous Sunday would be the only day that pedestrians could walk along the road, since with no pavements they would not be allowed on it once opened. However there were no such restrictions going back to the 2014 Streetview. The town councillors threw out the idea of calling it the Beeching Cut. Contractor was Reed and Mallik Ltd., cost £2.8 million.
1978 A30 Hounslow Bypass Improvement Middlesex The 3 mile online D2 dualling from A315 to A4 was completed in January 1978 per the Policy for Roads: England 1978 Report. Outturn works cost £3 million.
1978 A30 Cummery (Exeter) - Whiddon Down Devon Tedburn St Mary, Cheriton Bishop and Crockenwell Bypass. Stage 1: The 6.9 mile westwards extension from Cummery to Woodleigh Junction, east of Cheriton Bishop was completed in May 1978, outturn works cost £11.7 million. Stage 2, the 5.5 miles from Woodleigh Junction to Whiddon Down was completed in June 1978, outturn works cost £7 million. Dates per the Policy for Roads: England 1980 Report. Cummery was 0.7 mile north-west of the B3212 junction at Pocombe Bridge and a Temporary Terminus of A30 Exeter Southern Bypass. Dual 24 foot carriageways with 3 foot hard strips and generally an 8 foot central reservation.
1978 A31 Bratley Diversion (New Forest) Hampshire The 4 mile D2 dual carriageway was completed in November 1978 per the Policy for Roads: England 1980 Report. Outturn works cost £2.2 million. Online with some offline. Either side of the previous D2 section at Bratley Inclosure. This completed the dual carriageway across the New Forest.
1978 A34 Stafford Inner Relief Road Staffordshire Queensway. The dual carriageway was officially opened on 12 June 1978 by Cyril Finney, Staffordshire County Council Highways Committee Chairman. Even he admitted he was surprised by the forest of traffic lights, but the alternative was pedestrian subways which would never have got through. There was a cartoon of a coachload of tourists coming to see the “illuminations”! Parts of the road were in use earlier. Contractor was Balfour Beatty Construction Ltd., contract cost £3 million, total cost £6.5 million.
1978 A36 Alderbury Bypass Wiltshire The 2.7 mile D2 dual carriageway from Petersfinger to Whaddon was completed in September 1978 per the Policy for Roads: England 1980 Report. Outturn works cost £3 million.
1978 A38 Quedgeley Bypass Gloucestershire The 2.3 mile D2 dual carriageway was opened on 13 April 1978 per an ATV Today clip held by MACE Archive. Outturn works cost £2.5 million
1978 A38 Almondsbury - Filton (Southmead) dualling Gloucestershire The 2.7 mile online D2 dualling from M5 J16 to Filton Roundabout (then called Southmead Roundabout) was completed in September 1978 per the Policy for Roads: England 1980 Report. Tender price £4.9 million, outturn works cost £10 million.
1978 A38 Trethawle Improvement Cornwall The 1 mile D2 dual carriageway eastwards from the Liskeard Bypass was opened on 13 October 1978 per the "Opening 1979" RAC World magazine. Contractor was Peter Lind & Co., outturn works cost £1.2 million. Mostly online.
1978 A45 Cambridge - Newmarket Cambridgeshire The 3.4 mile D2 dual carriageway connecting the Cambridge Northern Bypass (then under construction) to Newmarket Bypass between Quy Interchange and Nine Mile Hill was opened on 3 April 1978. The 3 months early completion was due to the use of a special type of concrete laying "train" that could put down nearly 2,000 tons of surface material per day. Outturn works cost £2.9 million. Later renumbered as A14.
1978 A45 Hardwick Bypass Cambridgeshire The road from Childerley Gate to the Cambridge Northern Bypass was opened on 10 December 1978 per the Land Compensation Act notice. Forecast cost £351,000. Later renumbered as A428.
1978 A45 Cambridge Northern Bypass Cambridgeshire The 9.3 mile D2 dual carriageway from the Hardwick Bypass on St Neots Road to Quy Interchange was opened on 21 December 1978 by John Horam, Parliamentary Under-secretary. At Girton Interchange the westbound to the then A604 N movement was opened later (contract was completed in August 1979 per the Policy for Roads: England 1980 Report). The largest structure was the bridge over the River Cam. Contractor was Bovis Civil Engineering Ltd., contract value £15.9 million, outturn works cost £23.3 million. Later renumbered as A14 (A428 at the western end).
1978 A47 East Dereham Bypass Norfolk The 7.3 mile D2 / S2 road was completed in March 1978 per the Policy for Roads: England 1980 Report. Outturn works cost £5.4 million.
1978 A405 Humming Bird - Park Street Hertfordshire North Orbital Road. The 1.2 mile online D2 dualling was completed in November 1978 per the Policy for Roads: England 1980 Report. Outturn works cost £0.9 million.
1978 A405 London Colney - Colney Heath Hertfordshire North Orbital Road. The 1.6 mile online D2 dualling was completed in December 1978 per the Policy for Roads: England 1980 Report. Outturn works cost £0.8 million. Later renumbered A414.
1978 A441 Redditch: Alvechurch Highway Worcestershire • Warwickshire The 3.3 mile north - south road through central Redditch from Birmingham Road to Rough Hill Drive was opened on 23 January 1978 by J.H.T. Cotterill, Hereford and Worcester County Council Councillor. Dual carriageway apart from 0.2 mile at north end. Contractor was Galliford and Sons Ltd. of Wolvey, tender price £6 million (then their largest contract), total cost £8 million.
1978 A4161 Cardiff: Southern Way Monmouthshire Northern section from A48 Eastern Avenue to Newport Road, Rumney Bridge. Dual carriageway. Shown on 1979 Philip's Road Atlas, not on 1978 edition. Later renumbered A4232.
1978 A590 Arrad Foot Diversion Lancashire The 1.1 mile D2 / S2 road was completed in November 1978 per the Policy for Roads: England 1980 Report. Outturn works cost £0.8 million.
1978 A64 Tadcaster Bypass Yorkshire The 3.5 mile D2 dual carriageway was fully opened in August 1978. The eastbound carriageway had opened earlier in the year. Outturn works cost £8.9 million.
1978 A64 Malton and Norton Bypass Yorkshire The 5 mile dual carriageway was opened on 14 December 1978 by John Horam, Parliamentary Under-secretary at Department for Transport per the RAC World Holiday Planner 1979. Contractor was Dowsett. The Department of Transport required the use of wet mix for the road pavement despite reservations by the Regional office, and previous problems that had seen its use banned on motorways in 1969 and dual carriageways in 1976. It needed remedial work in 1985 - 88 costing £3.1 million.
1978 A604 Bar Hill - Girton Cambridgeshire 2 mile dualling, mainly to D3, from B1050 at Bar Hill to 872m west of junction with Girton Road at Girton. Opened on 31 January 1978 per the Land Compensation Act notice which may have been the full opening since it was also stated that the road was opened on 9 December 1977 per the Spring 1978 RAC World magazine. Outturn works cost was £2.7 million. Later renumbered as A14 in 1994, then A1307 / A14 in 2019.
1978 A617 Chesterfield - M1 Link Road Derbyshire Stage 2: 1.5 miles from Winsick to Chesterfield, the Hasland Bypass, was opened on 15 September 1978 by Norman Wilson, County Council Chairman. Dual carriageway. Contractor was Dowsett Engineering Construction Ltd., Forecast cost £1.17 million.
1978 A624 Hayfield Relief Road Derbyshire Opened on 19 December 1978 per Hayfield Heritage Project. Contractor was Galliford.
1978 A629 Elland Bypass Yorkshire The 2.5 mile dual carriageway was opened on 13 December 1978 per the RAC World Holiday Planner 1979. A section at the Ainleys had opened in February 1978. Contractor was A. Monk, tender price £9 million.
1978 A7 Shank Bridge Diversion Midlothian The bridge over Gore Water and diversion west of Gorebridge was completed in 1978 per the 1978 Scottish Development Department Report.
1978 A71 Dreghorn Bypass Ayrshire Dual carriageway from Warrix Interchange (on A78 Irvine Bypass) to Corsehill Mount Roundabout and a single carriageway link to Main Street, east of Dreghorn. Reported as opened last week by Charles Gray, vice-convener of Strathclyde Regional Council by the Irvine Herald of Friday 31 March 1978. Cost £4 million. First phase of the Irvine to Kilmarnock new road. The link north of Corsehill Mount Roundabout later became unclassified.
1978 A71 Livingston Diversion - Bankton Road Midlothian Phase 2: Bellsquarry Bypass, from Brucefield to Crofthead Interchange. Work was progressing in April 1977 and it may have opened in that year. Crofthead Interchange flyover opened that month.
1978 A76 New Bridge Diversion Dumfriesshire • Kirkcudbrightshire The bridge over Cliden Water and diversion north of Dumfries was completed in 1978 per the 1978 Scottish Development Department Report.
1978 A890 Strome - Auchtertyre Sutherland The 5.8 mile scheme with diversions was work in progress in 1978 per the 1978 Scottish Development Department Report, but was not on 1979 report indicating completion in 1978. Contractor was William Tawse Ltd., contract price £1.77 million.
1978 A9 Phopachy Diversion Inverness-shire The railway bridge reconstruction and re-alignment was completed in 1978 per the 1978 Scottish Development Department Report. The diversion to the east had been completed previously. Later renumbered as A862.
1978 A9 Drumochter - Calvine Perthshire The 14 mile section from the county boundary at Drumochter to a temporary tie in north of Calvine was to be opened on 7 November 1978. It was mentioned that the middle 6 miles of the northern carriageway was still under construction, this being the split level section. Contractor was Tarmac, cost was £25.4 million when completed.
1978 A96 Huntly bypass Aberdeenshire The 2.5 mile single carriageway road was opened on 22 September 1978 with no ceremony.
1978 B4265 Llantwit Major Bypass Glamorgan The 2.25 mile road was to be officially opened on 22 September 1978 by John Morris, Secretary of State for Wales. Contractor was D.M. Dee of Cardiff, cost £2.5 million.
1978 - Duncanston - Tore Ross-shire Completed in 1978 per the 1978 Scottish Development Department Report. Later renumbered as A9.
1979 M11 Bishop's Stortford - Stump Cross Hertfordshire • Essex • Cambridgeshire The 15 mile section from J8 Birchanger Green to J9 and the 0.95 mile spur to Stump Cross was opened on 28 November 1979 by Kenneth Clarke, Parliamentary Secretary for Transport.
1979 M25 A21 Chevening - A22 Godstone Kent • Surrey The 9 mile westwards extension between J5 and J6 was to be opened on 14 November 1979 per The Gazette. There is a 19 November 1979 report in the Marylebone Mercury that it had been opened “last week” by Norman Fowler, Minister of Transport. Contractors were Gleeson and Bovis. There was a temporary junction with A21 Sevenoaks Bypass at Chevening since the freeflow junction was still under construction by Cementation Construction. The M25 connections to A21 were to be opened on 30 July 1980 per The Gazette.
1979 M180 Woodhouse Interchange (A161) to Midmoor Interchange (M181) Lincolnshire The 4.8 mile section from J2 to J3, including the bridge over River Trent, was to be opened on 20 July 1979 per The Gazette and Long Eaton Advertiser (by Kenneth Clarke, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport). Initially there was contraflow on a 1.3 mile section of the westbound carriageway for the bridge. Full opening was on 2 November 1979 per the Gazette. The 4 span bridge was 267m long and of glued segmented box girders
1979 A1(M) Hatfield - South Mimms Hertfordshire • Middlesex 4.4 miles from J2 to J1 opened 1 May 1979 per The Gazette. It incorporated the earlier 1975 dual carriageway section of A1 from just north of B556 (former A111) to J1 Bignells Corner Interchange.
1979 A3(M) Horndean - Havant Bypass, Bedhampton Hampshire Horndean and Waterlooville Bypass. The 5.3 miles from J1 to A27 Havant Bypass was opened on 20 December 1979 perThe Gazette.
1979 A1
A638
Redhouse Junction Improvement Yorkshire The 1.9 mile D2 dual carriageway and interchange to replace the previous roundabout was completed in July 1979 per the Policy for Roads: England 1980 Report. Contractor was A.F. Budge of Retford, contract price £2.4 million, outturn works cost £3.7 million.
1979 A10 Downham Market Eastern Bypass Norfolk Also bypassed Denver and Wimbotsham. The South Runcton to Ryston section opened on 6 December 1979, the Stow Bardolph bypass having been opened on 21 November 1979. 0.5 mile of the Downham Market Bypass section had opened on 6 November 1978 per the "Opening 1979" RAC World magazine. Part of the 11 mile improvement scheme from South Runcton to Southery which was fully opened on 16 June 1980. Single carriageway. Contractor was Mears Construction.
1979 A120, A130 Great Dunmow Southern Bypass Essex The first bypass was to open on 27 November 1979. Contractor was W.C. French. Later renumbered B1256 when the second bypass was opened. It also included an A130 spur, this was also later renumbered B1256.
1979 A141 March Bypass Cambridgeshire The 3 mile road from Wisbech Road to Mill Hill Roundabout, Wimblington Road was opened on 10 April 1979 by Stanley Hardwick, Chairman of Cambridgeshire Highways Committee. The section south of Burrowmoor Road had opened some months previously. Cost £1.4 million. A northern extension, a bridge to bypass the level crossing, was opened on 17 July 1981 by Clement Freud, MP for Isle of Ely. Contractor was Roadworks (1952) Ltd. of Ipswich, cost £1.1 million.
1979 A187 Wallsend: Bewicke Road Diversion Northumberland Opened on 1 May 1979 per the Land Compensation Act notice.
1979 A27 Falmer Diversion Sussex The 1.5 mile D2 dual carriageway was completed in December 1979 per the Policy for Roads: England 1980 Report. Outturn works cost £2.6 million. Mostly online.
1979 A34 Newbury North/South Relief Road Extension Berkshire Sandleford Link Road. 0.9 mile D2 dual carriageway from St John's Road/ Queens Road to Newtown Road (Monks Lane junction). Opened 11 April 1979 (apart from the roundabout access to St John's Road which opened on 28 June 1979). Outturn works cost £2.7 million. Renumbered A339 when Newbury Bypass opened in 1998.
1979 A34 Beedon and Worlds End Bypass Berkshire The 2.5 mile D2 dual carriageway from Ashridge Farm, north of Beedon to M4 Chieveley Interchange was opened on 14 September 1979 by Lieut-Col. Richard Watt, Chairman of Berkshire County Council. It took trade away from Don's Transport Cafe in the village, described as the only traditional transport cafe between Southampton and the Midlands. The original contractor, Mears Construction Ltd. stopped trading due to debts and Edmund Nuttall completed the work. Outturn works cost £3.2 million.
1979 A40 St Clears Bypass Carmarthenshire The 3.2 mile road was opened on 9 November 1979 by Ann Edwards. 2.2 mile dual carriageway plus 1 mile single carriageway west of A477 Tenby Road with crawler lane westbound. Contractor was Mears Contractors Ltd., cost £4.1 million.
1979 A44 New Radnor Bypass Radnorshire Shown on OS Route Planning Map revised June 1979, not on the June 1978 edition. It may have opened in 1978.
1979 A45 Beyton Bypass Suffolk The 4.8 mile D2 dual carriageway from the existing dual carriageway 1 mile east of Rookery Corner, Rougham (near Rougham Park entrance) to Woolpit Crossways was completely opened on Thursday per the Bury Free Press of 18 May 1979 (Friday). Outturn works cost £5.9 million. It completed the dual carriageway from Cambridge to Ipswich. Later renumbered at A14.
1979 A420 , A417 Faringdon Bypass Berkshire The 3 mile single carriageway road was opened on 12 July 1979 by Colonel Sir John Thompson, Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire. It also included a link to the town along Park Road (A417). Outturn works cost £1.6 million.
1979 A428 Little Houghton Bypass Northamptonshire The 1.8 mile S2 road was completed in December 1979 per the Policy for Roads: England 1980 Report. Outturn works cost £1.4 million.
1979 A439 Bidford on Avon Inner Relief Road Warwickshire The 0.55 mile road was opened on 30 October 1979 per the Land Compensation Act notice. Contractor was Sheldon Contracting Co. Ltd., of Solihill, forecast cost £600,000. Later renumbered as B439.
1979 A525 Denbigh Eastern Bypass Denbighshire The 0.95 mile road was officially opened on 16 November 1979 by Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, Lord Lieutenant of Clwyd. Cost £800,000.
1979 A534 Nantwich Inner Relief Road Cheshire Waterlode (south-east section). The 0.3 mile road from Welsh Row to Wellington Road was opened on 10 October 1979. Estimated final cost was £670,000. Later renumbered as B5341. The existing Station Road and Pratchitts Lane was used for the eastern end of the Relief road.
1979 A585 Thornton Cleveleys Relief Road Lancashire Amounderness Way. The 2.9 mile S2 road was completed in April 1979 per the Policy for Roads: England 1980 Report. Outturn works cost £3.6 million.
1979 A66 Palliard Bridge - County Boundary Westmorland The 2.4 mile online / offline D2 dual carriageway was completed in December 1979 per the Policy for Roads: England 1980 Report. Outturn works cost £2.8 million.
1979 A604 Dovercourt Bypass Essex Stage 1 (Diversion to Parkstone Quay): The 2.2 mile S2 road was completed in January 1979 per the Policy for Roads: England 1980 Report. Outturn works cost £2.3 million. Later renumbered A120.
1979 A692 Flint Hill Bypass Durham The 0.95 mile Dipton to Pickering Nook Improvement opened on 15 March 1979 per the Land Compensation Act notice. From 450m south of B6311 Flint Hill Bank to 230m south of B6313.
1979 A75 Newton Stewart Bypass Kirkcudbrightshire • Wigtownshire Opened "this week" per Commercial Motor of 2 February 1979. Cost £1.5 million.
1979 A76 Auldgirth Bridge Diversion Dumfriesshire The bridge over River Nith and diversion north of Dumfries was completed in 1979 per the 1979 Scottish Development Department Report.
1979 A830 Drumsallie - Annat (Corpach) Argyll The widening to S2 and improvements on the north shore of Loch Eil were completed in 1979 per the 1979 Scottish Development Department Report. There were then 26 miles of S2 road from Lochailort to Fort William.
1979 A849 Mull: Corrie - Scallastle Argyll The 5 mile mostly offline scheme was work in progress in 1979 per the 1979 Scottish Development Department Report, but was not on the 1980 report indicating completion in 1979. Corrie (Corrynachenchy) is beside Fishnish Bay.
1979 A9 Crubenmore - Kingussie Inverness-shire Newtonmore and Kingussie Bypass. Opened on 10 December 1979 by Earl of Mansfield, Minister of State at the Scottish Office. 8 miles. Contractor was Fairclough Civil Engineering Ltd., cost £4.5 million.
1979 A9 Cromarty Bridge Ross-shire Findon Mains to Ardullie. 1.5 mile. Opened on 12 April 1979 by Gregor Mackenzie, Scottish Office Minister. Contractors were Crouch and Hogg and bridge builders Fairclough Civil Engineering Ltd.. It was opened as an A road (or became one shortly after) but the number is unknown.
1979 A9 Moy and Daviot Bypass Inverness-shire Dalmagarry to Bogbain (south of the current Milton of Leys Junction, Inverness). Reported as new by the Aberdeen Press of 26 April 1979. The forecast opening had been November 1978. Contractor was William Tawse Ltd., cost £6.1 million.
1979 A9 Granish / Avielochan - Slochd Summit Inverness-shire Carrbridge bypass. Was reported as due to open on next Friday per the 18 June 1979 (Monday) Aberdeen Press.
1979 A91 Cuthilmuir - Burnside Kinross-shire • Fife The straightening to the east of M90 J8 Arlary Junction was completed in 1979 per the 1979 Scottish Development Department Report.
1979 A96 Woodside - Colpy Aberdeenshire The straightening to the north of Insch was completed in 1979 per the 1979 Scottish Development Department Report.
1979 A947 Stoneywood Bypass Aberdeenshire The 1 mile road from Market Street to A96 Auchmill Road (later Bucksburn Roundabout) was due to be fully opened in the next week per the Aberdeen Press of 1 September 1979. The northern end had been opened some weeks before. It included a short stretch of dual carriageway over the railway bridge. Contractor was Grampian Regional Council, estimated cost £963,000.
1979 - Chester-le-Street: Ropery Lane Link Road Durham The 0.15 mile link road from West Lane to the new Durham Road / Ropery Lane roundabout was opened on 22 March 1979 per the Land Compensation Act notice.

Other changes in 1970s

  • A38 Cullompton bypass swallowed up by M5.
  • Kyle of Lochalsh to Toscaig ferry route withdrawn following completion of Applecross coast road.
  • Completion of the reclassification of all the Republic of Ireland's roads.




Network changes - 1970s
Historical Information
1922 Road Lists Class IZone 1 • Zone 2 • Zone 3 • Zone 4 • Zone 5 • Zone 6 • Zone 7 • Zone 8 • Zone 9 • Northern Ireland
1922 Road Lists Class IIZone 1 • Zone 2 • Zone 3 • Zone 4 • Zone 5 • Zone 6 • Zone 7 • Zone 8 • Zone 9 • Northern Ireland
1935 Road numbering revisionZone 1 • Zone 2 • Zone 3 • Zone 4 • Zone 5 • Zone 6 • Zone 7 • Zone 8 • Zone 9
Republic of Ireland1977 Road Lists
Mass renumbering schemes1922 Draft Road Lists • 1924 A1 Renumbering • 1920s South Buckinghamshire Renumbering • 1933 A30 Renumbering • 1933 Scotland Renumbering Proposals • 1934 A82 Renumbering • Tyneside Renumberings • Motorway linked Renumberings • Republic of Ireland T and L roads
Network Changes1700-1799 • 1800-1899 • 1900-1909 • 1910-1919 • 1920-1929 • 1930-1939 • 1940-1949 • 1950-1959 • 1960-1969 • 1970-1979 • 1980-1989 • 1990-1999 • 2000-2009 • 2010-2019 • 2020-2029
OtherRAC British Road Numbering System (1958) • DfT Card Index (2000s) • Motorway Widening • Scottish Motorway Opening Dates


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