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The Network Expands

Following the end of the Second World War, the country was beginning the slow process of returning to normality. The government wanted to make it easier for goods and produce to be transported around the country, as well as provide a network that could suitably meet local and national planning needs.

The Transport Act 1946

It was decided that a second Trunk Road Act would be passed, which would allow for the reorganisation of the Trunk Road network. Principally it added more roads to the trunk road network, and upheld the requirements of the original Act of 1936. In addition, the Minister of Transport was given additional powers over these roads, plus the newly allocated routes.

The new act came into force on 1 April 1946 (16 May 1946 in Scotland), and added some 72 new trunk routes to the network. It also meant that roads within the County of London could now be trunked, so existing trunk roads were extended from the boundary into the County. The only exception was the City of London, where any road within that area could still not be trunked.

Again, however, this act did not include Northern Ireland, as it had its own road system.

New Bridges and Junctions

Most of the new regulations that were introduced under the Act related to bridges and junctions. The Ministry was given new powers that allowed new or upgraded junctions to be built. It was now possible to provide road junctions on more than one level, known today as a Grade Separated Junction. Existing side roads could be closed off to traffic, forcing motorists to use new connecting roads or junctions further down the road; this could only be undertaken where safety records were poor, and the alternative access points had to be within 440 yards of the closed ones.

The Ministry also had the power to build new link roads to other roads that crossed the trunk road, but once built, they would be handed over to the control of the local authority. The Ministry was also permitted to buy land at either side of the road, up to a maximum of 220 yards from the centre of the road - this was done to stop buildings being built too close to the new roads and preserve local amenities and utilities.

With regards to bridges, the Ministry had several new responsibilities. Firstly, the department gained control of all privately-owned bridges that carried trunk roads over them. There were exceptions, though. Swing bridges, toll bridges and those carrying both the road and a railway were not included in the transfer - they remained with their current owners. The Rochester, Barnstaple and Bideford Bridges also stayed with their owners too.

Also, any trunk road bridges passing over navigable waterways had to maintain a certain headroom - if the land subsided, causing the bridge to sink slightly to a height below the permitted level, the Ministry had to replace it back to its original height. The same applied to any tunnels that were built - they had to built to a certain depth below the riverbed to maintain navigability there.

In addition, before replacing a bridge over a waterway or railway, the Ministry had to seek permission from the relevant owners in order to access their land!

The New Routes

The list below shows the roads that were added to the Trunk Road network in 1946.

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