NEW MOTORWAY OPENED

(11 Dec 1958) These pictures show the start of a scheme which will intersect Britain with a road system second to none: designed for high speed in safety, and to minimise the chance of accidents. The Preston By-pass is a small beginning. The Prime Minister came to open it. In a car he drove along the new highway. And a Movietone cameraman followed his example.
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[@wxdfg]

Todays road building it takes 3 years just to build a 5 mile 2 lane dual carriageway.

[@tectorama]

After some horrendous accidents, they started installing centre crash barriers.. Pre-1965 there was no upper speed limit om motorways. Just imagine that today, there would be carnage.

[@Stealth360stealth]

it would be fine today, in Germany they have none and are just fine. the soft shoulders were also interesting though and how they got washed away the first winter

[@tectorama]

In Germany the motorways are built for higher speeds, in the UK they aren't. In one of the "Harrys Garage" videdos he went to Germany, and got his Project 8 Jaguar up to 200mph. Too fast for me.

[@begudmaximan953]

Correct! The need for speedy travel, requires much more safety features than just a grass reservation.

[@begudmaximan953]

@@Stealth360stealth that's because they were ill thought out!

[@friendlytexangamer9582]

Shows title card for "Foretaste of Christmas" Narrator: "They're learning how to cook co(aine)"

[@evilrobottolhurst]

Is that Harold Macmillan? Today's motorway madness and traffic congestion would have bamboozled the politicians of 1958. If only we could beg them to keep the transport of the future open - our railways! I love the graceful design of the road signs. But a "motorway network second to none"? Except (cough) Germany....

[@michaelhawthorne8696]

I thought the same about the 'Second to none' statement