Network changes - 1950s

A list of changes to the road network in Great Britain from 1950 to 1959. Includes road openings and renumberings.

Road openings

Year	Number on opening	Location	County	Notes
1950	A1	Newton on the Moor	Northumberland	A 2.7 mile dual carriageway. Parts may have opened earlier. Construction had started in 1939, but halted due to the war.
1950	A483	Swansea Fabian Way	Glamorgan	2.5 mile dual carriageway from Swansea Borough Boundary to Earlswood (where there was a ferry to Briton Ferry) had been constructed by September 1950 per Coflein.gov.uk and also mentioned as open in a December 1950 Western Mail. It was also known as Jersey Marine Road. Maps not seen yet to show if it opened as A483 or B4290. It was A483 after the Briton Ferry Bridge opened in 1955.
1950	A4067	Swansea, The Kingsway	Glamorgan	The 0.5 mile dual carriageway was opened on 1 November 1950 by Princess Margaret. It had been built across the town's bomb damaged streets and cost £80,000. Later renumbered B4290.
1950	A570	Rainford Bypass	Lancashire	The central section re-opened, after War Office requisition in 1943 and repairs, together with extensions to A580 in south and B5192 (South Lancs) in north on 13 December 1950. Length 5.66 miles. The scheme was for a 120 foot width incorporating concrete dual carriageways, cycle-tracks and footpaths.
1950	A85	Longforgan Bypass	Perthshire	The 1 mile dual carriageway was fully opened by Summer 1950. A single carriageway was open for two-way working per the 15 April 1950 Perthshire Advertiser. At the start of the year there had been a temporary opening for the Hogmanay Holiday. There were cycle tracks and footpaths on either side of the road. The initial plans were approved in 1938 and revived in 1946 with a provisional cost of £60,000. Renumbered to A90 in 1994.
1951	A1085	Wilton ICI Crossing Diversion	Yorkshire	The new bridge west of Dormanstown, spanning the railway lines serving Wilton ICI, was reported as having opened a few weeks ago by the 23 February 1951 Cleveland Standard. Initially just one of the carriageways was opened whilst work continued for the dual carriageway section (22 foot carriageways). The level crossing was closed.
1952	A49	Lower Whitley Bypass	Cheshire	Shown on 1952 OS 1:25000 inch map. Not on 1951 OS One inch map. It may have opened in 1951.
1953	A35	Southampton	Hampshire	Tebourba Way, from Millbrook to Old Shirley, was opened on 30 April 1953 by Alderman E. Burrow, Mayor of Southampton. The one mile road provided the link with Winchester Road for a west-north bypass of the town. Named after the Battle in late 1942 in North Africa of which the 2nd Battalion Hampshire Regiment played a decisive part.
1954	B3114	Chew Valley Lake Diversion	Somerset	The new section between Chew Stoke and West Harptree was due to open in October 1954. Work was progressing rapidly per the 15 October 1954 Somerset Guardian and Radstock Observer, since the Reservoir could not be filled until the new road had been opened. This was also the same for the Chew Stoke to Bishop Sutton section to the north of the Lake. They may have opened in early 1955.
1954	B3334	Rowner Road, Gosport	Hampshire	1.6 mile road from Peel Common to Rowner and improvement of existing lane to A32. It was built to allow jet aircraft to be carried from Fleetlands, where they were repaired and serviced, to Lee-on-Solent Airfield to be tested. Royal Navy Air Station Gosport runways were unsuitable for such aircraft. Cost £50,000, of which the Admiralty contributed £20,000.
1954	B5261	Blackpool Airport road diversion	Lancashire	The replacement inland route between Blackpool and Lytham St. Anne's was opened on 30 April 1954. The new road was built further inland to allow for a new runway at the then named Squires Gate Airport. Cost £114,500. The closed road went between St Annes Road and Blackpool Road North.
1955	A48	Briton Ferry Bridge	Glamorgan	The dual carriageway crossing of the Neath River and Briton Ferry Docks was opened on 31 October 1955 by John Boyd-Carpenter, Minister of Transport. It also included cycle tracks and footpaths. The river viaduct was almost 2000 foot long with 17 spans and the dock viaduct was 972 foot long with 11 spans, with a cutting through Warren Hill in between. Cost £2 million. It was the largest river bridge then built in Britain since WW2. Neath Bypass stage 1, it shortened the route to Swansea by 6 miles.
1955	A80	Glasgow City Boundary to Cardowan Road, Stepps	Lanarkshire	The 1.1 mile online widening of Cumbernauld Road was completed in October 1955 per the 1957 Scottish Roads Report. It was a divided 44 foot carriageway since the original road was well built up and there was limited space.
1955	A887	Loch Cluanie new road	Inverness-shire • Ross-shire	The 7.25 mile road from Cluanie Inn to Cluanie Dam was opened on 1 August 1955. It was built by the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board as a replacement to the old road which was later submerged by the waters behind the new dam. Engineers were Sir William Halcrow and Partnerscard of London and Inverness. Contractors were International Development Company (Nottingham) Ltd. of Newark. Later renumbered A87.
1955	B5312	Lichfield	Staffordshire	Then described as a bypass. A short, more direct deviation of B5312 at Levetts Field, north of station (A38 continued through town). Later renumbered as A5127.
1956	A15	Leasingham Bypass	Lincolnshire	The 0.8 mile road opened on 30 April 1956. Forecast cost £30,000.
1956	A149	Heacham Bypass	Norfolk	Opened on 31 May 1956. Hunstanton to Lynn Road / Heacham Road junction including improvement of Redgate Hill. A new sign was put up by local traders to urge motorists to drive through the village, to bring back lost trade. A further 0.3 mile improvement opened on 5 July 1957 at Teapot Corner, near Heacham Bottom, to remove the S bend. This looks to be the straightening north of Lamsey Lane junction.
1956	A34	Congleton Bypass	Cheshire	Clayton bypass, between Rood Hill and West Road, was opened on 3 October 1956 by Alderman J Wesley Emberton, Chairman of Cheshire County Council. It was named after Ald. T. Clayton, Chairman of the County Roads and Bridges Committee. Contractor was Messrs. Thomas Ashley of Hartford. 0.4 miles long, it included a new bridge over the River Dane.
1956	A322	Bracknell: West Link Road	Berkshire	Downshire Way from Wokingham Road (now Sperry's Roundabout) to Bagshot Road. Opened on 12 July 1956 by Peter Remnant, M.P. for Wokingham Division. 1 mile long, 60 feet wide with a 30 foot carriageway and 7.5 foot footpaths. The western section later became unclassified.
1956	A4	Great West Road: Chiswick - Hammersmith	Middlesex	Cromwell Road Extension scheme New Stage 1: Chiswick Bypass. The 1 mile D3 section from Chiswick Lane to the new roundabout at the Hammersmith Flyover junction was opened on 26 October 1956 for westbound traffic. The eastbound carriageway was opened from the British Grove (just past the County Boundary) on 17 December 1956 by Helen Bentwich, Chairman of London County Council, with the section to Chiswick Lane opening later. Space had been reserved at Hammersmith for the flyover which opened in 1961.
1956	A5	Loughton Bypass	Buckinghamshire	The 0.6 mile road was completed in the year to 31 March 1957 per the 1956-57 Roads in England and Wales Report, and before the first accident on 11 June 1956. 30 foot carriageway, with bridge over Shenley Road and slip roads on south-western side. Not shown on OS one inch maps until the 1968 edition. Later renumbered as V4 (Milton Keynes) with the new slip roads removed.
1956	A51	Longdon bypass	Staffordshire	Quarter mile bypass of twisty roads in village (Longdon Green bypass opened later in 1969)
1956	A6097	Oxton Bypass Extension	Nottinghamshire	The 0.8 mile southern extension from the B6386 junction was opened on 24 April 1956 by Hugh Molson, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Transport. A single concrete carriageway, 22 feet wide with 12 inch wide white edging strips and 5 foot hard shoulders. The concrete slab was 8 inches thick with a single steel layer reinforcement. Space was left for a second carriageway later. Contractor was John Laing and Son Ltd, cost £20,000. This completed the bypass which had been partially completed (the northern section) in 1942, due to the war.
1956	A80	Cardowan Road, Stepps to Muirhead	Lanarkshire	The 1.25 mile online dualling of Cumbernauld Road was opened in February 1956 per the 1957 Scottish Roads Report.
1957	A1	Alconbury to Conington	Huntingdonshire	First of a series of improvements to the A1 to upgrade from narrow and winding single carriageway to a full dual carriageway. The 6 mile section between B660 Woolpack Crossroads, Conington (between Glatton and Holme) and Alconbury Hill (north of Alconbury village) opened on 4 November 1957. The contractor was A. Monk and Co. Ltd. Work on dualling this section had started in 1938 as part of a Stilton to Alconbury Hill £237,000 scheme but had been suspended on the onset of war in 1939. Earthworks from this earlier scheme were still in existence when the later scheme restarted.
1957	A192	Preston village Bypass	Northumberland	North Road to Front Street, 0.2 mile. Reported by the Shields Daily News of 18 November 1957 that it was to open next month. It had opened by 17 December 1957. Cost more than £31,000.
1957	A20	Ashford bypass	Kent	The 2.5 mile dual carriageway from Drovers Roundabout to Hythe Road was opened on 19 July 1957 by Harold Watkinson, Minister of Transport. It included roundabouts at each end and bridge crossings, including that of A28 built by Richard Costain Ltd.. Work had begun in 1939 but was closed down during the war. It resumed on a limited scale in 1947 but was suspended the next year. Cost £410,000. The western section, Simone Weil Avenue, was later renumbered A28 and the section east of A28 was later converted to M20.
1957	A27	Fareham: Cams Hill Improvement	Hampshire	The 0.5 mile diversion from Watlington River (now Delme Roundabout) to St Catherine's Way was completed in the year to 31 March 1957 per the 1956-57 Roads in England and Wales Report. The works were reported as in progress at 30 November 1956. 30 foot carriageway.
1957	A267	Hailsham Bypass	Sussex	Northern section from North Street to Boship Roundabout. Shown on OS 1957 New Popular map. The Council had still to apply for the Ministry grant in August 1955. It may have opened in late 1956.
1957	A31	Farnham Bypass	Surrey	The 2 mile road was formally opened on 12 July 1957 by Sir John Wenham, former Chairman of Surrey County Council. This followed the construction of the middle part of the bypass avoiding Abbey Street and Red Lion Lane. Prior to this those streets had been used with the two outer sections of the bypass which had been opened in the early 1940s. The £335,000 original scheme was for a dual carriageway but only a single carriageway was built with cost £178,000. It included a flyover bridge for the A287.
1957	A33	Otterbourne Diversion	Hampshire	The 0.45 mile road to remove the bends was completed in the year to 31 March 1957 per the 1956-57 Roads in England and Wales Report. 30 foot carriageway. Later became unclassified on being bypassed; later still the bypass was upgraded to M3.
1957	A36	Whaddon Diversion	Wiltshire	The 0.54 mile realignment from south-east of the former railway bridge to south-east of the Three Crowns PH was completed in the year to 31 March 1957 per the 1956-57 Roads in England and Wales Report. A short section at the north end later became a slip road when the Whaddon-Petersfinger diversion was built.
1957	A303	Watergore	Somerset	Lopen Head – Watergore improvement. Later bypassed by Ilminster bypass and declassified.
1957	A329	Bracknell Town Centre Bypass	Berkshire	The dual carriageway from a smaller roundabout just east of the present Western Roundabout to (the later named) Met Office Roundabout and a single carriageway link to London Road was opened on 25 September 1957. Part was later named Millenium Way.
1957	A381	Totnes Western Bypass	Devon	The bypass between A384 Ashburton Road and A381 which included the Kingsbridge Hill Diversion was opened after the Summer following the completion of the bridge over the railway, the final part of the scheme. it was known as the "Westerly Bypass". Cost for the final stage £22,000. Part had been completed in 1942 and part opened in 1948 using a "spur road" (see 1942 entry).
1957	A40	Oxford - Wheatley dualling	Oxfordshire	The 2.1 mile dualling from Headington Roundabout (City Boundary) to just east of B4027 Wheatley Road was completed in the year to 31 March 1957 per the 1956-57 Roads in England and Wales Report. 24 foot carriageways.
1957	A41	Standford Bridge Diversion	Shropshire	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.
1957	A48	Llangyfelach Bypass	Glamorgan	The almost 2 mile road from Melin llan Bridge to Swansea County Borough Boundary was completed in the year to 31 March 1957 per the 1956-57 Roads in England and Wales Report. It may have opened in 1956. 60 foot wide with a 30 foot carriageway and 6 foot footpath.
1957	A449	Chances Pitch Diversion	Herefordshire	The 0.6 mile realignment and link road to Colwall Road (A4105, later renumbered B4218) was completed in the year to 31 March 1957 per the 1956-57 Roads in England and Wales Report. It may have opened in 1956.
1957	A5	Markyate Bypass	Hertfordshire	The 1.25 mile road was officially opened on 12 June 1957 by Viscountess Davidson, M.P. for Hemel Hempstead. It had been in use since late May 1957. Cost £250,000. 10,000 vehicles per day were diverted from the village.
1957	A51	Rugeley	Staffordshire	Western Bypass. Western Springs Road was opened on 7 June 1957 with 4 visitors from American twin town attending. Now A460.
1957	A52	Spondon to Hopwell Firs	Derbyshire	Borrowash Bypass – opened 10 December 1957 by T.R.G. Nugent. The 2.75 mile dual carriageway cost £255,000 and was the 1st stage of the Derby to Nottingham link road.
1957	A57	West Drayton Bypass	Nottinghamshire	The 1.9 mile dual carriageway from Elkesley to Markham Moor Roundabout was opened on 12 February 1957, apart from a quarter mile at the western end where one carriageway was in use whilst the river bridge was widened for the second carriageway. Nottingham Journal of 8 May 1957 reported that it had been completed. Later renumbered in 1961 as A1.
1957	A59	Longton and Walmer Bridge Bypass	Lancashire	2.5 mile road, opened on 3 October 1957. It had dual 26 foot concrete carriageways with central reservation between 10 and 30 feet, a footway for two-thirds the length and two footways on the remainder. There were 3 lay-bys on each carriageway.
1957	A6	Cavendish Bridge	Derbyshire	Replacement to 1771 bridge, which collapsed on 21 March 1947 following floods, and temporary Bailey Bridge in the interim. Included a bypass to village. Cost £300,000. Opened 3 September 1957 by Sir Robert Martin, Chairman, Leicestershire County Council. First bridge in country constructed of prestressed concrete. Now B5010.
1957	A614	Finningley Airfield Diversion	Nottinghamshire • Yorkshire	The 2 mile bypass from Wroot Road, Finningley southwards to High Common Lane was completed in the year to 31 March 1957 per the 1956-57 Roads in England and Wales Report. An Air Ministry scheme with 24 foot carriageway. The plan in 1955 was for there to be a 5 mile bypass of Finningley and Blaxton, but only the southern section was built, with a link road into the village.
1957	A74	Johnstonebridge - Dalmakethar	Dumfriesshire	The 0.75 mile dualling south of Johnstonebridge was opened in January 1957 per the 1957 Scottish Roads Report. There was a 0.62 mile widening of the existing dual carriageway south of Johnstonebridge which was completed in 1962 per the 1962 Scottish Development Department Report. Later reconstructed as B7076 in 1995 due to A74(M) bypass.
1957	A92	Millden Diversion	Aberdeenshire	The 0.68 mile diversion south of Balmedie was opened in 1957 per the 1957 Scottish Roads Report. Later reconstructed and renumbered A90.
1957	A972	Dundee: Kingsway East	Angus	The 0.77 mile online dualling from Pitkerro Road to Arbroath Road was completed in January 1957 per the 1957 Scottish Roads Report.
1958	M6	Preston Bypass	Lancashire	The first UK motorway between J29 Bamber Bridge and J32a Broughton (now M55 J1) was opened on 5 December 1958 by Harold Macmillan, Prime Minister. It was 8.25 miles long with an overall width of 112 feet and dual 24 foot carriageways separated by a wide central reservation to accommodate future widening (work on providing third lanes started in August 1965). There were 23 bridges. Cost was more than £3 million. The section between J32 Broughton Interchange and J32a Broughton later became part of the M55.
1958	A1	Stilton bypass	Huntingdonshire	The 1.25 mile bypass east of the village and a mile of dualling southwards was opened on 21 July 1958 by David Renton (later Lord Renton), M.P. for Huntingdonshire. It was part of a £2.5million scheme to provide 28 miles of dual carriageway from Wansford to Eaton Socon. It was the southern part of the 8 mile Water Newton to B660 Woolpack Crossroads contract being carried out by Robert M. Douglas (Contractors) Ltd. Carriageways were 24 feet wide with 10 feet wide flush verges and a 10 foot central reservation.
1958	A11	Wymondham Bypass	Norfolk	Original bypass: London Road and Avenue Road. The single carriageway road between Cemetary Lane and Bridewell Street opened on 5 June 1958 per a Diss Mercury report (21 August 2008). Later renumbered as B1172.
1958	A15	Scampton Airfield Diversion	Lincolnshire	Eastern loop road off Ermine Street due to runway extension at RAF Scampton to accommodate part of the RAF ‘V’ Bomber force. Completed 1955-58 per "Airfields of Lincolnshire since 1912", R.N.E. Blake (1984). Shown on 1962 OS One inch map but was not on the 1959 edition nor the March 1960 Quarter inch map so it may have opened later. The scheme was in its planning stages in 1955 and 1956. A tunnel had been considered but rejected due to the £800,000 cost compared to £175,000 for the diversion.
1958	A27	Wymering Bypass	Hampshire	The 1 mile long Southampton Road Link Road dual carriageway from the original roundabout with A27 Western Road at Wymering (north of the current Paulsgrove Roundabout) to Spur Road Roundabout, Cosham was opened on 3 April 1958 by A.G. Asquith-Leeson, Mayor of Portsmouth. Sections had opened earlier; the northern carriageway west of the railway bridge on 16 January 1957 and east of Allaway Avenue by 11 November 1957. Contractor was Southern Counties Construction Co. Cost £246,520. A flyover was planned at the western end but the Ministry of Transport would not grant the funds. Later renumbered A3.
1958	A28	Sturry Diversion	Kent	The 250 yard road from Water Lane to Sturry Station, bypassing the High Street, was opened on 10 November 1958. It was built on an area which was bomb-damaged from 17 years previous. Cost £10,000.
1958	A35	Christchurch Bypass	Hampshire	1.9 mile dual carriageway from Fountain Roundabout to Somerford Roundabout. The northern carriageway was opened on 17 July 1958, prior to the holiday season, by the Duke of Wellington. The southern carriageway opened later. 24 foot carriageways of flexible construction, kerbed only at junctions and over bridges. 11 foot verges. It included 3 pre-stressed concrete bridges over the Rivers Avon and Mude and the Mill Stream, each 72 foot wide to allow passage of abnormal loading. The western mile required imported fill to replace the poor load bearing material on the flood plain. Contractor was A.E. Farr Ltd., cost £450,000.
1958	A38	Lichfield to Alrewas	Staffordshire	Dualling
1958	A38	Bridgwater Relief Road	Somerset	Stage 1 - Broadway between The Clink and Taunton Road was opened on 29 March 1958 by Alderman W. Oscar Coate, Mayor. The road was 530 yards long and had two 20 foot carriageways. It included the new Blake Bridge over River Parrett, having a central span of 70 feet and two side spans of 45 feet. Estimated scheme cost was £250,000.
1958	A4	Cromwell Road Extension: Hammersmith	Middlesex	New Stage 2: Butterwick, on the east side of Hammersmith District and Piccadilly Station, was opened on 13 July 1958 to complete the gyratory. This part of the scheme included the dual 30 foot carriageways eastwards to Gliddon Road, which may have opened earlier. The further eastward extension was the final stage (excepting Hammersmith Flyover) with work starting in the Autumn. Notices banning loose dogs between Gliddon Road and North End Road came into force in 1959, indicating the completion date then. The sections of Talgarth Road had a complete rebuild. The Hammersmith gyratory was later renumbered to A315.
1958	A45	Meriden Bypass	Warwickshire	The 3 mile road from Stonebridge to Pickford Green opened fully on 30 September 1958 (the southbound carriageway had opened on 15 September 1958). The official opening was on 13 October 1958 by Harold Watkinson, Minister of Transport. Cost was £500,000 and contractor was Tarmac Ltd. Work had started in June 1957.
1958	A405	Park Street - London Colney	Hertfordshire	Dualling of North Orbital Road ahead of St Albans Bypass, renumbered as A414 in 1986
1958	A456	Halesowen Bypass	Worcestershire	The 1.5 mile bypass from A459 Grange Road to Hayley Green was opened on 1 August 1958. Costs to date were £150,000. Initially just one carriageway was opened and the other carriageway, which required further work, remained closed whilst the final funding was awaited. To compound matters one way working was introduced for 6 weeks from 12 October 1959 to allow the top surface to be put on the one carriageway in use. The second carriageway was finally opened in September 1960. Additional cost was £70,000.
1958	A4142	Oxford Ring Road	Oxfordshire	Eastern Bypass Stage 1 - Garsington Road (B480) to Oxford Road, Littlemore (the Henley Road A423, later renumbered A4158). The 1 mile dual carriageway was opened in July 1958. This section was built by Oxfordshire County Council using direct labour.
1958	A53	Upper Hulme Diversion	Staffordshire	Authorised in April 1956, estimated cost £40,479. Work was ongoing with the bridge widening in August 1957. It may have opened in 1957. Not shown on 1957 OS One inch map.
1958	A55	New Conwy bridge	Caernarfonshire	Bypassed Telford's suspension bridge. Designed to be capable of dualling on the landward side - at the time the official proposal for the A55 was the harbour route. Now A547.
1958	A57	Elkesley to Apleyhead	Nottinghamshire	3 miles of new dual carriageway and improvements to an existing single carriageway to make into dual carriageway. Later renumbered in 1961 as A1.
1958	A556	Northwich Bypass	Cheshire	Stage 2 - the 1.75 mile dual carriageway western section between Sandiway Bank and School Lane, Hartford was opened on 15 December 1958 by the Earl of Gosford, Spokesman in House of Lords for Ministry of Transport. Contractor was Messrs. Thomas Ashley (Contractors) Ltd, Hartford, cost £200,000.
1958	A6	London Colney Bypass	Hertfordshire	The 2.5 mile dual carriageway was opened on 8 November 1958 by R.A. Butler, Home Secretary. The carriageways were 24 feet wide and designed to take up to 15,000 vehicles per day. Contractor was John Laing and Son Ltd, cost £400,000. It was to be extended at both ends to form a dual carriageway from Hampstead to the former M10. Renumbered as A1081 in 1986
1958	A605	Fletton and Stanground Bypass	Huntingdonshire	The 0.9 mile road from Fletton Avenue to Whittlesey Road (by Oakdale) bypassing High Street and South Street was opened on 23 July 1958. Contractor was Highways Construction Co. Ltd. at cost £56,579 10s 11d.
1958	A607	Syston Bypass	Lincolnshire	The Syston 3 miles north of Grantham.
1958	A76	Polshill Improvement	Ayrshire	The 0.6 mile improvement east of New Cumnock was completed in 1958 per the 1958 Scottish Roads Report.
1958	A82	Dumbuck - Silverton, Dumbarton	Dunbartonshire	The 0.9 mile online dualling of Stirling Road from Dumbuck to Dumbarton Cemetary was completed in 1958 per the 1958 Scottish Roads Report.
1958	A91	Wellfield - Strathmiglo	Fife	The 1.22 mile improvement, including a diversion at Wellfield, was completed in 1958 per the 1958 Scottish Roads Report. Estimated cost was £56,000.
1958	A92	Mill of Waterton Diversion	Aberdeenshire	The 0.97 mile diversion north-east of Ellon was completed in 1958 per the 1958 Scottish Roads Report. It ironed out a series of bends with a 24 foot carriageway and 8 foot verges. Estimated cost was £55,000. Later renumbered A90.
1958	A96	Newton of Dalvey Diversion	Moray	The 0.91 mile diversion, west of Forres, was completed in 1958 per the 1958 Scottish Roads Report. The road was diverted to run on the south side of the railway.
1958	A98	Pitgair Diversion	Banffshire	The 1.11 mile diversion, south-west of Minnonie on the Aberdeenshire Border, was completed in 1958 per the 1958 Scottish Roads Report. Estimated cost was £75,000
1958	B680	Clifton Bridge (Nottingham)	Nottinghamshire	The Western span single carriageway was opened on 5th June 1958 by Princess Alexander to provide a river crossing from the B679 at Clifton onto Queens Drive into the City Centre. It later became part of the A614 Nottingham Outer Ring Road. Currently part of A52
1959	M1	Watford - Crick	Hertfordshire • Bedfordshire • Northamptonshire	The first long-distance motorway, between Aldenham Temporary Motorway Terminal (near J5) and Crick (J18) was opened on 2 November 1959 by Ernest Marples, Minister of Transport
1959	M10	St Albans	Hertfordshire	St Albans Bypass – opened on the same day as the M1. Became part of A414 in 2009.
1959	M45	Rugby	Warwickshire • Northamptonshire	Dunchurch Spur – opened on the same day as the M1
1959	A1	Wetherby Bypass	Yorkshire	The 2.25 mile bypass was opened on 26 October by Ernest Marples, Minister of Transport. Cost was £560,000.
1959	A1	Stibbington and Water Newton	Huntingdonshire	The 2.5 mile dual carriageway included bypasses for Wansford Station level crossing and Water Newton. The carriageway was built adjacent to the existing road and carriageways were 24 feet wide. The 45 foot skew span bridge over the railway had brick faced mass concrete abutments and wing walls and a precast prestressed concrete deck beams, filled with in-situ concrete. The railway is now operated by Nene Valley Railway.
1959	A1	Catterick Bypass	Yorkshire	The 3 mile dual carriageway was opened on 11 December 1959 by Lord Chesham, Joint Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Transport. Cost was £1million and included 10 bridges - 7 using, for the first time, broad flange universal beams. It involved the largest steel beam ever rolled in Europe that was 36 by 16.5 inches in section and its 160 foot length was cut into 78 foot lengths. Work started in April 1958 and was completed in 20 months. Excavations during construction showed that the Roman town of Cataractonium, near Catterick Bridge, was larger and more important than had previously been supposed.
1959	A12	Ingatestone Bypass	Essex	The 1.6 mile dual carriageway was opened on 23 November 1959 by Ernest Marples, Minister of Transport. Cost £250,000. A six verse "road safety" hymn composed by the village Rector, Rev. E.F. Hudson, was sung by the church choir at the ceremony.
1959	A15	Baston: Kate's Bridge Diversion	Lincolnshire	Stamford Mercury of 31 October 1958 reported that all the concreting work on the new bridge over River Glen had been completed. It is expected that completion work and road connections would have run into 1959.
1959	A184	Gateshead - Felling Bypass	Durham	Stage 1 - The 1 mile Heworth Bypass from Shields Road to Lingley Lane opened for single carriageway running on 24 November 1959, pending completion of the dual carriageway. Durham County Council were responsible for this section and that to the Gateshead Borough Boundary, forecast cost £468,000.
1959	A23	Handcross Bypass	Sussex	New alignment with online dualling to Pease Pottage. Surrey Advertiser and County Times of 28 March 1959 reported that roadworks were nearing completion and it would open in July 1959. Work began in 1956-57. 1.1 mile with.24 foot carriageways.
1959	A34	Cheadle Bypass	Lancashire • Cheshire	Manchester Kingsway Extension. The 1.6 mile dual carriageway from Laneside Road, East Didsbury to Schools Hill/ Wilmslow Road junction, Cheadle was opened on 12 October 1959. The official opening was on 15 October 1959. Planning for the bypass had been halted by the war. In December 1949 Manchester Corporation stated that it was not a priority since the Corporation was only responsible for the 200 yards to the proposed bridge over the River Mersey and Cheshire County Council had not asked for a joint approach to Ministry of Transport to build it. Work was finally authorised in January 1957 and started in the June. Width was 90 feet with dual 24 foot carriageways. Expected cost was £600,000 to £700,000.
1959	A38	Gloucester Eastern Bypass	Gloucestershire	3rd and final section - Southern Avenue and Cole Avenue between Stroud Road and Bristol Road. Opened on 11 May 1959 by Harry Cole, Gloucester Highways Committee Chairman. He pulled a cord to unveil a plaque on the bridge over the Bristol to Birmingham railway line and when it failed to open remarked that he was not used to pulling strings. Cost £220,000. The previous sections opened in 1927 and 1938.
1959	A4	Chiswick Flyover	Middlesex	Opened on 30 September 1959 by the film star Jayne Mansfield. It connected the Cromwell Road extension with the Great West Road and was almost half a mile long. Beneath it, a 400 foot diameter roundabout replaced the former crossroads with the North and South Circular Roads. Each of the flyover's 4 spans was 125 feet long with a width between parapets of 59 feet. Contractor was Alderton Construction Company Ltd., cost £820,000, who stated they had no involvement in its design and that they considered the design out of date with massive retaining walls and vast amounts of infill, a fact denied by the Ministry. It was planned as part of the London to South Wales motorway and it later became part of M4.
1959	A4	Newbury Inner Relief Road	Berkshire	Stage 1 - The 1 mile East-West section was opened on 16 March 1959 by Earl of Gosford. Single carriageway. Cost £126,000.
1959	A41	New Ferry Bypass	Cheshire	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
1959	A44	Wickhamford Bypass	Worcestershire	A 0.3 mile bypass of the dangerous bends near the Sandys Arms. It was under construction in May 1959. An Evesham Standard report on 2 October 1959 said that the new road confused some service bus drivers on route to Broadway such that they missed out the village.
1959	A48	Neath Bypass	Glamorgan	Stage 2. The 2.5 mile dual carriageway from Earlswood, Briton Ferry Bridge to Lon-las (west of Neath) was opened on 17 November 1959 by Major C.G. Traherne, Lord Lieutenant of Glamorgan. Contractor was Cleveland Bridge Company who, in their opening day advert, described it as through a mountain and two hills, across two swamps, six railway lines, two main roads, a canal and tidal creek and completed some months early. Not mentioned was chopping into the cellar of the Vernon Arms during bridge works. It had twin 22 foot carriageways with 8 foot central reservation and footpaths. Cost £1.7 million. Later upgraded as part of M4 J42 - J44.
1959	A413	Great Missenden Bypass	Buckinghamshire	2.5 mile, 33 foot carriageway road, opened 26 October 1959. Cost £235,000.
1959	A470	Whitchurch Bypass (Cardiff)	Glamorgan	1 mile northern extension of Manor Way from Whitchurch Station Bridge to south of Tongwynlais completed the dual carriageway bypass. Opened on 6 October 1959 without ceremony. Cost £282,000.
1959	A4142	Oxford Ring Road	Oxfordshire	Eastern Bypass Stage 2 - Headington Roundabout, London Road (A40) to Garsington Road (B480). The 2.5 mile dual carriageway was opened in late 1959. Cost £1 million. The section from Garsington Road to Littlemore had been opened in July 1958.
1959	A614	Apleyhead to Ranby	Nottinghamshire	A 0.8 mile upgrade to the previous A614 route to dual carriageway including a new bridge over the railway at the former Checker House Station. Apleyhead is also known as Five Lanes End. Later renumbered in 1961 as A1.
1959	A66	Augill Brow Diversion, Brough	Westmorland	The 0.4 mile bypass of a notorious winding climb from Augill Ravine, east of Brough, was officially opened on 5 November 1959 by R.S. Crossfield, Chairman of Westmorland County Council. It had been open to traffic previous. Single carriageway with maximum gradient of 1 in 20 (was 1 in 4 on the old road). Cost £98,000.
1959	A617	Averham Bypass	Nottinghamshire	The 0.3 mile road was opened on 21 November 1959, having taken just six weeks to build. It cut out a double bend and ran at the back of the village school. Ordnance Survey did not include it in their interim update for the 1963 one inch map.
1959	A74	Paddy's Rickle Bridge Diversion	Lanarkshire	The 0.75 mile road was opened in 1959 per the 1959-60 Scottish Roads Report. It was initially single carriageway, with provision for a second carriageway, which was added in 1964 as part of the Telford Bridge, Elvanfoot - Hectors Bridge scheme. Renumbered as B7076 as part of the A74(M) scheme and reconstructed as single carriageway in 1992.
1959	A80	Muirhead to Mollinsburn	Lanarkshire	The 2.25 mile online dualling of Cumbernauld Road north-east from Bedlay Lodge was completed in the 15 months to 31 March 1960 per the 1959-60 Scottish Roads Report. It was described as nearly completed in the 1958 Report. The northern part was later upgraded to M73.
1959	A9	Moniack Diversion	Inverness-shire	The 0.88 mile road south of Kirkhill was completed in in the 15 months to 31 March 1960 per the 1959-60 Scottish Roads Report. It may have opened in early 1960. Cost £33,000. Later renumbered as A862.
1959	A9	Phopachy Diversion	Inverness-shire	The 0.39 mile road east of the village (west of Bunchrew) was completed in in the 15 months to 31 March 1960 per the 1959-60 Scottish Roads Report. It may have opened in early 1960. Cost £14,000. Later renumbered as A862.
1959	A96	Bogside and Ramstone Diversion	Aberdeenshire	The 0.82 mile re-alignment of 3 lengths of road south-east of Huntly was completed in the 15 months to 31 March 1960 per the 1959-60 Scottish Roads Report. It was in progress in the 1958 report. It may have been completed in early 1960.
1959	A96	Lipsden Diversion	Aberdeenshire	The 0.85 mile re-alignment south-east of Huntly (where the road entered the Glens of Foudland near Broomhill) was completed in the 15 months to 31 March 1960 per the 1959-60 Scottish Roads Report. It was in progress in the 1958 report. It may have been completed in early 1960.
1959	-	Bodmin Relief Road	Cornwall	Dennison Road was opened on 19 May 1959 by Mrs Marshall, wife of Douglas Marshall M.P.. It was named after Harry Dennison, a benefactor to the town. There was an unfortunate accident on 23 April 1958, during construction, when a gas main was punctured and caught fire with flames leaping in the air. There were no casualties apart from a steam roller and power line pole. The road was initially unclassified, since A30 was still shown using Fore Street on OS maps during 1960s. Estimated cost £30,000. Later renumbered as A389.
1959	-	London Wall	Middlesex	The 600 yard road between Aldersgate Street and Moorgate was opened on 7 July 1959 by the Duchess of Kent. Described as City of London Bypass and the first section of projected Route 11, a west-east route between Ludgate Circus and Aldgate. A 3 lane dual carriageway with two 12 foot footpaths and an underground carpark for 400 yards. Later renumbered A1211.
1959	-	Reepham - Fiskerton	Lincolnshire	The 0.6 mile new direct road was informally opened on 14 August 1959. The 16 foot wide road was built by Lindsey County Council direct labour, cost £16,500. Traffic had been using the Airfield perimeter track which was 50 foot wide but had no lane markings. The old road had been severed in 1942 when Fiskerton Aerodome was built.