27-566: The A418 road is a main trunk road in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire , England . It begins at a roundabout with the A4146 just north of Ascott , near Leighton Buzzard . It then runs south as a single carriageway through Wing to Aylesbury . This stretch is proposed for a dual carriageway bypass. After diving through Aylesbury the road runs past Aylesbury College before heading out into Stone . From there it runs past Haddenham to
54-524: A " T ". Connecting roads were classified as 'link roads", and had route numbers prefixed by an " L ". Many of these roads had their origins in historic routes , including turnpike roads . Although a number of old road signs using these route designations may still be encountered, Ireland has adopted a newer classification scheme of national primary and national secondary routes ("N" roads), regional roads , and local roads . "N" roads remain equivalent to trunk roads in that they are planned and managed at
81-477: A "(T)" after their number, to distinguish them from non-trunk parts of the same road. However, this suffix is no longer included on current Ordnance Survey maps. The North and Mid Wales Trunk Road Agent still use it to distinguish the trunk road from a non-trunk road. When a trunk road had been improved by a motorway, bypass or a similar route, it may be de-trunked. When a road is de-trunked, signposts are often replaced, and sometimes route numbers are changed, making
108-517: A full network map of trunk roads and motorways in England. Most interurban trunk roads are primary routes , the category of roads recommended for long distance and freight transport. Not all primary routes are trunk roads, the difference being that maintenance of trunk roads is paid for by national government bodies rather than the local councils in whose area they lie. Primary routes are identified by their direction signs, which feature white text on
135-630: A green background with route numbers in yellow. Trunk roads, like other "A" roads, can be either single- or dual-carriageway. Historically, trunk roads were listed on maps with a "T" in brackets after their number, to distinguish them from non-trunk parts of the same road, however this suffix is no longer included on current Ordnance Survey maps, which simply distinguish between primary and non-primary "A" roads. A trunk road which has been upgraded to motorway standards may retain its original "A" number, but with an "M" in brackets to denote that motorway regulations apply on it. Long distance examples of this are
162-597: A plan of the route being detrunked. The routes to be detrunked (as set out in detrunking orders) are not always linear sections, but can be split into multiple sections, and span multiple counties. In England, the government has de-trunked much of the trunk road network since the late 1990s, transferring responsibility to local councils to allow National Highways to concentrate on a selection of core trunk routes, mostly dual carriageways and motorways. The most important roads in Sweden are labelled "national trunk road". In 1982,
189-602: A special, slightly larger budget. However, they are not signed in any special way. Therefore, there is no difference in signage, numbering, road standard or map marking from other national roads. Some national roads are only considered trunk for part of their length. National Roads 73 and 75 are both built to motorway standard and have high traffic, but are not considered trunk. European routes are always trunk in Sweden, and are more visible with special numbering. In Ireland, major roads were previously classified under an old system as "trunk roads", and had route numbers prefixed by
216-463: Is a major highway with a specific legal classification in some jurisdictions, notably the United Kingdom , Sweden and formerly Ireland . Trunk roads are planned and managed at the national-level, distinguishing them from non-trunk roads which are managed by local authorities. Trunk roads are important routes usually connecting two or more cities, ports, airports and other places, which is
243-678: The A1(M) in England, and the A74(M) in Scotland. It is possible for roads to be "de-trunked" – for example, when superseded by a motorway following a similar route – in which case they normally become ordinary "A" roads . When a road is de-trunked, signposts are often replaced, and sometimes route numbers are changed, making the original route of the road harder to follow. Roads are formally and legally detrunked by statutory instruments named 'Detrunking (or sometimes De-Trunking ) Orders' which include
270-804: The County of London and Northern Ireland . The 1946 Act came into force in Wales on 1 April 1946 and produced a further 71 with 11 either completely or partially within Wales. This Act included roads within the County of London, but still excluded the City of London . A review of roads was carried out in 1997–1998 by the Welsh Office , which was part of the Government of the United Kingdom . It reviewed
297-623: The M40 near Thame . The road has been rerouted in two locations so that it no longer runs through Hulcott and Haddenham. The Oxford–Cambridge Expressway is a proposed fully grade separated dual carriageway between the A34 near Oxford and the A14 near Cambridge. One of the three alternative options originally proposed for the route uses the A418 corridor, bypassing Aylesbury to the north. In September 2018,
SECTION 10
#1732776823989324-514: The Minister of Transport took direct control of them and the bridges across them. The Trunk Roads Act came into force in England and Wales on 1 April 1937, and in Scotland on 16 May 1937. This development did not extend to Northern Ireland , which has always had a separate system of highway and road traffic law. At that time, 4,500 miles (7,200 km) of British roads were classified as trunk roads. Additional roads have been "trunked", notably in
351-619: The South Wales Trunk Road Agent and the North and Mid Wales Trunk Road Agent on behalf of the Welsh Government . As of April 2019, out of a total of 34,850 miles (56,090 km) of roads in Wales, 1,576 miles (2,536 km) are trunk roads (including 135 miles (217 km) of motorways and as of 2015 350 miles (560 km) of dual carriageway ). Historically, trunk roads have been listed on maps with
378-938: The Trunk Roads Act 1946 ( 9 & 10 Geo. 6 . c. 30). Others, like virtually all British motorways, have entered the system as a result of new construction. As of 2004, Great Britain had 7,845 mi (12,625 km) of trunk roads, of which 2,161 mi (3,478 km) were motorways. Since 1994, trunk roads in England have been managed by National Highways (formerly Highways England, and before that, Highways Agency), while Scotland has had responsibility for its own trunk roads since 1998 ; these are currently managed by Transport Scotland , created in 2006. The Welsh Government has had responsibility for trunk roads in Wales since its establishment in 1998 . England has 4,300 miles (6,900 km), Scotland has 1,982 miles (3,190 km) and Wales has 1,048 miles (1,687 km) of trunk roads, inclusive of motorways. National Highways publishes
405-462: The Welsh Government reviewed the way in which trunk roads and motorways were being managed, and by September 2004, they had decided to reduce the number of trunk road agencies from eight down to three. The three new agencies were: The three new Trunk Road Agencies started on 1 April 2006. Six years later on 1 April 2012 these were again reduced further down to two: Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council and Gwynedd Council manage and maintain
432-775: The national highways and expressways in India . The term "trunk road" sometimes appears in the names of specific routes, most famously the Grand Trunk Road . In Canada, core national routes are part of the National Highway System , which receive some funding and strategic planning from the federal government, but are managed by the provinces. In China, major national roads are part of China National Highways and Expressways of China . Trunk roads in Wales Trunk roads in Wales were created in
459-639: The national roads network in Poland are similar models of nationally planned and managed major highways. In the United States, the U.S. Highway and Interstate Highway systems fulfil a similar role to trunk roads. However, individual states are responsible for actual highway construction and maintenance, even though the federal government helps fund these activities. The states of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin designate their highways as "state trunklines" or "(state) trunk highways". In India they are
486-669: The Government announced that the route would more closely follow East West Rail , which may mean that it will be closer to Winslow than to Aylesbury. From the A4146 in Buckinghamshire: In Oxfordshire: 51°48′11″N 0°50′38″W / 51.80317°N 0.84397°W / 51.80317; -0.84397 This England road or road transport-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Trunk road A trunk road
513-686: The Trunk Road Forward Programme was again updated due to the pledges made in the One Wales the Labour Party and Plaid Cymru . As of April 2019, out of a total of 34,850 miles (56,090 km) of roads in Wales, 1,576 miles (2,536 km) are trunk roads (including 135 miles (217 km) of motorways and as of 2015 350 miles (560 km) of dual carriageway). In 2023, the Welsh Government announced it
540-683: The Trunk Roads Act of 1936 when the UK Ministry of Transport took direct control over 30 of the principal roads in Great Britain from English , Welsh and Scottish local authorities . The number of trunk roads was increased from 30 to 101 in the Trunk Roads Act of 1946. These roads formed what the Act called "the national system of routes for through traffic". Since Welsh devolution the trunk road system in Wales has been managed by
567-478: The existing trunk road network and identified routes that were of national strategic importance. The factors for deciding which routes should be retained in the core (trunk) network included: These factors were published in the Government's white paper "A New Deal for Transport" in July 1998. The National Assembly for Wales took responsibility for devolved powers on 1 July 1999, as part of this process, transport
SECTION 20
#1732776823989594-570: The national level by the National Roads Authority . Some former trunk roads, or sections of former trunk roads, became non-trunk regional roads under the new road numbering system introduced in the 1970s and 1980s. More recently, sections of former national primary routes which have been bypassed by motorways or other road improvement schemes have been downgraded to regional road status. The route nationale system in France and
621-718: The original road harder to follow. The London – Fishguard Trunk Road in 1936 only included the A48 and the A40 . With road improvements, most notably the M4 motorway , much of both the A48 and the A40 has been de-trunked The 1936 Act came into force in Wales on 1 April 1937 and created 30 trunk roads in Great Britain, with 5 roads either completely or partially within Wales. The Act excluded roads in
648-493: The parliament decided upon which roads were to become national trunk roads. They are considered recommended main roads for long-distance traffic. They were also supposed to be used for movement and transport of heavy military vehicles, ordnance and logistics and during wartime were to be guarded and defended at all odds. National trunk roads are planned and managed by the national Swedish Transport Administration , as opposed to other roads, which are planned locally. They also have
675-473: The recommended route for long-distance and freight traffic . Many trunk roads have segregated lanes in a dual carriageway , or are of motorway standard. The term trunk road, or trunk highway , is sometimes used more generically to refer to other categories of major highway. In the United Kingdom, trunk roads were first defined for Great Britain in the Trunk Roads Act 1936 ( 1 Edw. 8. & 1 Geo. 6 . c. 5). Thirty major roads were classed as trunk roads, and
702-527: The trunk road network on behalf of the Transport and Strategic Regeneration division of the Welsh Government for SWTRA and NMWTRA respectively. In March 2002, the Welsh Government developed their Trunk Road Forward Programme. The programme listed plans for major improvements and new road schemes. Following the 2004 review of the Welsh Government's transport policy in 2004, they updated the list for major improvements and new road schemes. In December 2008
729-568: Was transferred from the Parliament of the United Kingdom to the National Assembly for Wales and with it responsibility for the trunk road network, including motorways. Responsibility for the management of highways in Wales is split between the Welsh Government and local highway agencies. The Welsh Government is responsible for trunk roads and motorways, whilst the 22 local authorities are responsible for all other highways. In 2001
#988011