Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: LJay on 13 August 2008, 20:53:52
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Why are some roads motorways, but not?
ie, was on the A74(m) today.
To all intents and purposes, it is a motoway, so why isnt it?
Best reason we could come up with was so 'L' drivers could use it?
any better ideas out there?
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I thought the (m) would signify that it is a motorway ? :-/
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Could be any number of things, including lack of hard shoulder, or the hard shoulder is not of sufficient construction to meet the current wear standards. Lane width is another reason....
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I wonder if it`s an Act of Parliament/Road Traffic Act distinction?
or simply perhaps: Motorways are made anew; whilst A**(m) roads are upgrades.
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Could be any number of things, including lack of hard shoulder, or the hard shoulder is not of sufficient construction to meet the current wear standards. Lane width is another reason....
There was a hard shoulder, certainly looked like a motorway, not far from you, you must have used it?
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Why are some roads motorways, but not?
ie, was on the A74(m) today.
To all intents and purposes, it is a motoway, so why isnt it?
Best reason we could come up with was so 'L' drivers could use it?
any better ideas out there?
How many lanes does it have?
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Could be any number of things, including lack of hard shoulder, or the hard shoulder is not of sufficient construction to meet the current wear standards. Lane width is another reason....
There was a hard shoulder, certainly looked like a motorway, not far from you, you must have used it?
Yes, know the road and have used it. As said, could be construction standards or still not been officially designated as a motorway.
Same as crossing the Forth Road Bridge northbound. Once off the bridge, its the A90 until Rosyth, about 3 miles north of the bridge, when the same road becomes the M90. Its the hard shoulder thing on that road, so unsure of elsewhere....
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Its still the best major road in the UK though.
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Had 3 lanes, and a Hard shoulder, lanes appeared wide enough, road signs were blue....
maybe it was a construction issue.
I know some motorways do only have 2 lands + HS though
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It has to meet certain standards to become a motorway...
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No lay by's on motorways or learner drivers. Not all motorways have 3 lanes. Also illegal to run out of fuel on a motorway. :-*
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Lanes do not really apply. M90 northbound has only 2 lanes, with hard shoulder..... :y
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Had 3 lanes, and a Hard shoulder, lanes appeared wide enough, road signs were blue....
maybe it was a construction issue.
I know some motorways do only have 2 lands + HS though
Ah, that is a motorway, and motorway restrictions apply.
I think they do that when they upgrade a section of trunk road to motorway standard.
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Are learners allowed on a Axx(M)?
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Are learners allowed on a Axx(M)?
No - its a motorway
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its definately a better road than some of our motorways at home!
there are major road works going on around gretna and carlisle, so maybe it will become a motorway when these are completed!
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its definately a better road than some of our motorways at home!
there are major road works going on around gretna and carlisle, so maybe it will become a motorway when these are completed!
OMG Ljay!; you haven`t eloped have you? ;D
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Are learners allowed on a Axx(M)?
No - its a motorway
So WHY isnt it the M74?
surely it shoul be the M74 if a motorway, or the A74 if not.
What is the difference?
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Are learners allowed on a Axx(M)?
No - its a motorway
So WHY isnt it the M74?
surely it shoul be the M74 if a motorway, or the A74 if not.
What is the difference?
No, its the A74 upgraded to motorway spec (and laws). M74, if ever it were built) would be a new road... ...same as A1 - a few sections of that have been upgraded to A1M
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its definately a better road than some of our motorways at home!
there are major road works going on around gretna and carlisle, so maybe it will become a motorway when these are completed!
OMG Ljay!; you haven`t eloped have you? ;D
Oh yes!! Found myself a nice hunky Scotsman and got hitched over the anvil!!! ;D
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Are learners allowed on a Axx(M)?
No - its a motorway
So WHY isnt it the M74?
surely it shoul be the M74 if a motorway, or the A74 if not.
What is the difference?
No, its the A74 upgraded to motorway spec (and laws). M74, if ever it were built) would be a new road... ...same as A1 - a few sections of that have been upgraded to A1M
So, why isn't it renamed the M74 to avoid confusion, I know its not unique in this status. :-/
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Some Motorway Facts
http://www.ukmotorwayarchive.org/
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Are learners allowed on a Axx(M)?
No - its a motorway
So WHY isnt it the M74?
surely it shoul be the M74 if a motorway, or the A74 if not.
What is the difference?
No, its the A74 upgraded to motorway spec (and laws). M74, if ever it were built) would be a new road... ...same as A1 - a few sections of that have been upgraded to A1M
So, why isn't it renamed the M74 to avoid confusion, I know its not unique in this status. :-/
Whats confusing - its part of the A74 but has motorway regulations, so A74M
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Got it
When the Special Roads Act was passed (Motorways are legally "Special Roads"), it was acknowledged that the trunk road numbering system devised in the 1920s would not work easily with the new motorway network. So a new system was developed, which, in theory is:
A motorway built as a new road was to be given a number in the M-series, such as the M4 or M1
An existing trunk road that was upgraded or re-built was to be given a (M) suffix after the trunk road number, such as A74(M) or A1(M)
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Some Motorway Facts
http://www.ukmotorwayarchive.org/
cheers Skruntie! that should shut him up for a bit!
My question, his soap box!! ::)
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Got it
When the Special Roads Act was passed (Motorways are legally "Special Roads"), it was acknowledged that the trunk road numbering system devised in the 1920s would not work easily with the new motorway network. So a new system was developed, which, in theory is:
A motorway built as a new road was to be given a number in the M-series, such as the M4 or M1
An existing trunk road that was upgraded or re-built was to be given a (M) suffix after the trunk road number, such as A74(M) or A1(M)
Exactly
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I had read it before but just could not remember it all.
BUT the theory has not been used consistently.
The A329(M) is a new build, parallel to the A329 [so should be numbered M329]
The M896 was originally an upgrade of the A896 [so should be numbered A896(M)]
Then you have the A66(M) which is an extension to the A66, built to motorway standard to avoid constructing a more elaborate interchange with the A1(M) at junction 57!
Even parts of the A1(M) are a new build, with the old A1 renumbered A167.
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Ahhh a definitive answer!
Still think it would be clearer to make it definately one or the other though.
Cheers all!
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so.......it is a motorway then. :)
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so.......it is a motorway then. :)
yes....or no! :-/
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M50 is two lane
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so.......it is a motorway then. :)
yes....or no! :-/
Yes :y
Plus what scruntie said about the A167 and A1M.
Also part of the original southbound A1 has been renamed the A168 where a new road A1M was built South of Ripon.