A41
Route
The A41 is one of England's longer A-roads. Starting in London, it runs via the West Midlands to a terminus in Birkenhead on the Wirral. Although much of the central section has been downgraded, the route remains largely primary.
See the following sections for detail:
- A41/Central London - Watford
- A41/Watford - Aylesbury
- A41/Aylesbury - Wendlebury
- A41/Bicester - Solihull
- A41/Solihull - West Bromwich
- A41/West Bromwich - Tong
- A41/Tong - Whitchurch
- A41/Whitchurch - Chester
- A41/Chester - Birkenhead
History
In 1922 the A41 started on the A5 in Edgware and ran northwestwards via Aylesbury, Banbury and Birmingham to end in Oakengates (now part of Telford) back on the A5. In 1935 the northern end swapped numbers with the A464 so the road continued to Chester before taking over the original western end of the A51 to Birkenhead. The southern end was moved onto the Watford bypass (formerly A500) in the 1950s and then extended along the remainder of that road into Mayfair a few years later. This explains why both ends of the road are on the eastern side of the A5.
Following completion of the M40 in the 1990s the route of the A41 between Bicester and Solihull was bypassed and the road downgraded to persuade traffic onto the new motorway. The majority of the old route is now the B4100.
The road has been progressively detrunked over the years, most recently following the 1998 review document A New Deal for Trunk Roads in England. As a result only a short section north of Chester (between the A550 and M53 J5) remains trunk.
Notable locations
Apex Corner
A busy roundabout in north London, this is where the A1 Barnet bypass and A41 Watford bypass diverge.
Kings Langley Interchange
M25 J20, which gives access into Watford from the north and Hemel Hempstead from the south.
Wendlebury Interchange
M40 J9, one of the busiest roundabouts on the motorway network, is where the A34 from the south and A41 from the east (and Bicester Village) both converge on the M40.
Boughton Heath Roundabout
On the southern edge of Chester the A41 meets the original line of the city's bypass here. Once a normal roundabout this junction is now part hamburger, part teardrop.
Opening Dates
Year | Section | Notes |
---|---|---|
1926 | Watford Bypass: Hendon Way | Section from Brent Cross on North Circular Road (A406) to Finchley Road. Hendon District Council Chairman's annual report, summarised in the 23 April 1926 Hendon and Finchley Times, stated that the road was practically complete with the greater proportion of it open to traffic. Parts may have opened in 1925. Opened as A5088. Later renumbered as A500 then A41. |
1927 | Watford Bypass: Hendon Way | Fiveways (Page Street) to Brent Cross on North Circular Road (A406). Reported by the 5 August 1927 Hendon and Finchley Times that the remaining section from The Burroughs to the North Circular were well in hand and that sections would be open for traffic to the Air Pageant. Parts may have opened earlier. Opened as A5088. Later renumbered as A500 then A41. |
1927 | Eastham Bypass | Mentioned in April 1927 Quarter Sessions report concerning footpath changes due to the bypass. It may have opened in 1926 (not on 1925 OS 6 inch map). Opened as A51. |
1932 | Bromborough Bypass | Was shortly to open per a 6 January 1932 Liverpool Echo report. 730 yards through the grounds of Bromborough Hall. Opened as A51. |
1932 | Great Sutton Bypass | The 0.35 mile road was under construction in November 1931 so likely to have been completed in 1932. Cost £13,673. Opened as A51. |
1941 | Chester Eastern Bypass | The 2 mile dual carriageway from Christleton to Plas Newton Lane, Newton was opened in July 1941. Christleton to A56 Hoole Road was new build. A56 Hoole Road to Plas Newton Lane was a widening of B5131. Use of the existing B5131 completed the bypass through Upton to Moston. Work had commenced on 31 October 1938. It had been virtually completed by November 1940 but lack of available manpower to make the junctions safe delayed the opening. |
1957 | Standford Bridge Diversion | The 0.3 mile road and new bridge was completed in the year to 31 March 1957 per the 1956-57 Roads in England and Wales Report. 33 foot carriageway. |
1959 | New Ferry Bypass | The 1600 yard dual carriageway on the Wirral was opened between Bolton Road and Thorburn Road on 30 November 1959 by John Hay, Joint Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Transport. There were roundabouts at either end. Cost £300,000. |
1963 | Albrighton Bypass | The 2.75 mile road was reported by the Council as opening shortly per the Liverpool Echo of 3 July 1963. Cost £1.25 million. |
1965 | Tong Bypass | The 0.4 mile road was reported as opened for Whitsuntide by the Wolverhampton Express and Star of 8 June 1965. |
1973 | West Bromwich Expressway | The Town Centre Bypass opened on 7 May 1973. Dual carriageway. |
1975 | Rock Ferry Bypass | 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 | Tring Bypass | Opened as A41(M). The 2.4 miles between Tring Hill Interchange (then a roundabout) and 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. |
1976 | Solihull Relief Road | 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. |
1983 | Hinstock Bypass | The 1.3 mile road was to be officially opened on 8 December 1983 by R.D. Law, Deputy Director of Transport at the Department of Transport in Birmingham. It had been completed earlier. Outturn works cost £1.3 million. |
1984 | Newport Bypass | Pave Lane to Chetwynd Park. The 5 mile road opened on 19 October 1984. Outturn works cost £5.9 million. |
1984 | Bell o' th' Hill, Tushingham Diversion | Opened on 20 October 1984 per the Land Compensation Act notice. 0.7 mile, from 168 m south of St Chad's Church to 78m south of Bell o' th' Hill Lane. |
1990 | Handley Bypass | The 1 mile road was reported by the 12 April 1990 Chester Chronicle as having opened in time for Easter (which was the following weekend). Contractor was A. McFadden Ltd., cost £1 million. |
1990 | Bicester Bypass | Stage 1. Wendlebury Road to Ploughley Road. The eastern Aylesbury Road section was an upgrade. Completed in November 1990 per Hansard. Tender cost £4.7 million. |
1992 | Whitchurch Bypass | Opened on 4 March 1992 by Christopher Chope, Minister for Roads and Transport. There may have been further works since the completion date was July 1992 per Hansard. Tender cost £8.95 million, outturn cost £13.7 million. Parts were A49 and A525. |
1993 | Bicester - Wendlebury | Bicester Bypass Stage 2. Completed in May 1993 per Hansard. Parts may have opened earlier. Tender cost £3.9 million. Online dualling. |
1993 | M25 to Hemel Hempstead | Kings Langley Bypass. Opened in August 1993. Contractor was A.F. Budge (Contractors) Ltd. Tender cost £19.97 million and total cost £32.741 million. |
1993 | Hemel Hempstead to Tring | Berkhamsted Bypass. Opened in September 1993. Contractor was Amey Construction Ltd. and tender cost £23 million. |
1995 | Black Country New Road | The final 2 mile section south from The Lunt (at the northern end) was opened on 8 November 1995 by Michael Heseltine, Deputy Prime Minister. The first mile from Navigation Roundabout (Great Bridge) to Albion Roundabout, Carters Green, West Bromwich (at the southern end) had opened on 9 March 1995. Originally known as Black Country Spine Road. It created, together with The Expressway and the Black Country Route, a dual carriageway route from M5 J1 West Bromwich Interchange to M6 J10 Bentley Interchange. |
2001 | No Man's Heath and Macefen Bypass | 2 miles - from south of Hampton Heath Hall to St. Chad's Church, Tushingham. Stage 1 opened on 4 July 2001, with stage 2 work to connect to the existing road structure completed later. |
2003 | Aston Clinton Bypass | The 4 mile dual carriageway was opened on 3 October 2003 by Tony McNulty, Transport Minister. Contractor was Arup-Balfour Beatty, cost £32 million. |
Links
- Roads.org.uk: West Bromwich Underpass
- Pathetic Motorways: A41(M)
- Roads UK: Highways and Byways Route Guide
legislation.gov.uk
- The A41 London to Birkenhead Trunk Road (Hertfordshire) (Detrunking) Order 2003 - This detrunks the A41 between Tring and the border with Buckinghamshire
- The A41 London to Birkenhead Trunk Road (Hertfordshire) (Detrunking) Order 2003 - This detrunks the A41 between Leavesden and Tring
- The A41 London–Birmingham Trunk Road (Bicester to South of Knowle) De-Trunking Order 1989 - This piece of legislation detrunks a large section of the A41 between Bicester and Knowle, following the opening of the M40 extension
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