Photos of Old Motorways and Roads

The B6037 approaching the Heath Interchange roundabout, before proper coloured patches were used on roundabout signs.

The A1(M) near Durham in 1972.

Signage for A1(M) J65, where the middle lane heads in both directions.

The fork sign, looking north on the A46 at Stivichall Interchange, with the A46 routed into Coventry city centre. An old-style lane closing sign is visible, and the route ahead was clearly covered up until recently.

A route confirmatory sign on the A46.

An interchange on the Coventry Ring Road, from its opening in 1974.

A wider shot of the interchange, with no central barrier and barely any protection on that gantry sign.

The view from the other direction, where Redditch, Birmingham and Tamworth are the destinations.

The original M1 sign for J7 M10, pictured in 1974.

Joining the M6 northbound, with the old 70mph signs visible. This was from the famous 1979 film.

A contra-flow in operation on the Thelwall Viaduct.

An old gantry for the M6 northbound at J21A.

The loop within the Croft Interchange.

The Eccles Interchange, with a sign for the former M63.

On the former M62 (now M60), approaching the M61, with catenary lighting.

The M1 northbound approaching Lofthouse, the exit for the M62.

The M1 in Leeds City Centre, in 1976, before the road became the M621. With no other route available, long distance signage was directed straight ahead, via a very dodgy-looking arrow.

The British Rail APT-E crosses the A46 on its test run.

Looking east towards M27 J12, shortly before it opened. Although not clear, the signs say "M275 Portsmouth" and "M27 Brighton". There is no mention of the A27 taking over, as this wasn't the plan at the time, or any detail given on the other route into Portsmouth. These were replaced after the A3(M) opened, probably in the 1980s. These lights were believed to be replaced in the mid-1990s, much sooner than they ought to have been.

Looking north on the M275, where it splits for the M27. Note that the A3 to London is signed to the west - once the A3(M) opened, the signs were changed to tell London traffic to turn right, with the left turn being signed for the A27 instead. The signs were also updated to say that the A27 finishes the job to Havant and Brighton, with the plan to take the M27 to Chichester being long dead by the 1980s.

The M69 northbound at J1, Stretton Baskerville, in 1977. The 'bend' and 'end of motorway' signs, as well as the cones, show us that this was temporarily the end of the motorway.

Looking north along the new A38 Quedgeley Bypass in 1978.

A sign on the Quedgeley Bypass shows that it thought it was a major route.

Again, the route confirmatory sign details The South West, Bristol, and the anonymous motorway.

A dodgy-looking route confirmatory sign on the A610 near Nuthall from 1971.

A model showing the planned Liverpool Inner Motorway.

Cheshire Police's motorway control room, showing the Lymm Interchange.

The Jubilee Way flyover the A2 in Dover, with roadworks taking place in the centre lane.

Roadworks on the M1 in the 1980s.

A contraflow on the M11 in 1988.

Looking east along the M27 from J3, before the concrete surface was removed in one project, and before the road was widened and resurfaced in another project a few years later.

One of the second wave of ramp metering trials at M27 J3, with the blue diamond backing boards.

A rare example of a modern sign which mentions the M63. The gantry was built in the 1990s and removed in 2000 to reflect the removal of the M63 and to provide the correct road layout.

Looking north at M6 J29, as it was in the process of being modified to accommodate the new M65.

An artistic look north at the M5 Avonmouth Bridge, during the notorious widening works of 2000.

The exit from the M1 at J10. The road has since been widened and motorway restrictions have been removed from the spur.