A4200
A4200 | ||||
Location Map ( geo) | ||||
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From: | Aldwych (TQ307810) | |||
To: | Mornington Crescent (TQ291833) | |||
Distance: | 2 miles (3.2 km) | |||
Meets: | A4, A301, B402, A40, B506, B502, A501, A400, B512 | |||
Old route now: | A4 | |||
Primary Destinations | ||||
Highway Authorities | ||||
Traditional Counties | ||||
Route outline (key) | ||||
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Route
The A4200 is a north-south road in Central London.
The route begins on the A4 one-way system at Aldwych, heading north on Kingsway. The inside lane of the dual carriageway has a height limit due to low hanging trees. In the central reservation, the Strand Underpass is rising to the surface, having taken northbound traffic from Waterloo Bridge, thus allowing A301 traffic to reach the A4200 without having to meet the A4. After that merges in, the road forms a consistent 5-lane arrangement, with a bus lane in each direction, and two northbound and one southbound normal lanes.
At Holborn, the A40 is met at a complex junction, with that road taking a large one-way route. At the north end of the junction, just before the westbound A40 crosses, the tram subway (the southern end of which was rebuilt as the Strand Underpass) ends. The road ceases to be the tree-lined wide avenue that is Kingsway, though remains a relatively wide road, with space for four lanes and wide pavements. The A4200 passes through Russell Square, with all four sides being officially part of the A-road. Recently, however, the former one-way system around the square has been changed to two-way all the way around. With the exception of the eastern side, which carries the mainline of the A4200, the Square has been massively transformed, with the road narrowed to two lanes (from four) and a very wide paved area taking over the space that was once tarmac. Junctions on these three sides are raised onto speed tables.
The A4200 meets the A501 at a slightly weird junction where southbound access from the A4200 onto the A501 is via a short spur of the A4200, along Church Way and Grafton Place. Running along the side of the industrial warehouse-looking Euston station, Eversholt Street carries the A4200 northwards. The other side of the road is bog-standard inner London shopping precinct with shops above, and there are trees making the area feel nicer. The warehouse vibe of the west side of the road remains until Barnaby Street with a Post Office sorting depot, but the quality of buildings on both sides improves after the station.
After crossing the southbound A400 the road ends at Mornington Crescent tube station by merging in with the northbound A400. Players in knip may find that they must continue north to Camden Town, rather than stop and end the game.
History
The A4200 originally started on the Strand: both branches of Aldwych were originally numbered A4200 in a rare branching. This is now part of the A4 one-way system.
Kingsway was upgraded in the 1930s, with widening to dual carriageway, and the tram subway added underneath. The southern end of the tram subway was converted into the Strand Underpass in 1964.