John Wright wrote:
Richard J. wrote:
JNugent wrote:
Richard J. wrote:

JNugent wrote:
Brimstone wrote:
Doug wrote:
(Steve Firth) wrote:
What new roads have been built in London (inside the M25) over
the last (say) ten years Doug?
I can name one:
"University Way" (part of the A206), which is inside the M25, but
which is not in London. The new-build part (which is now about ten
years old anyway) is in Dartford, Kent.
I am not aware of any other significant highway building inside
the M25 (whether inside or outside London) in the last 20 years,
let alone 10.
There are plenty of examples of Livingstonian road sabotage,
though. Witness the (former) A40 (M)
Westway? Looks much the same as it always was, apart from the lack
of lighting.
No longer subject to proper motorway regulations (purely in order to
bring it under Livingstone's control).

I'm not entirely convinced that it was ever a proper motorway, as the
relevant signs were blanked off many years before it became the A40,
e.g. the old "end of motorway" sign at the Edgware Road flyover. However,
I don't see that converting it from a motorway to an A road
with restricted access (no pedestrians for example) makes any
practical difference as to how useful it is.

and the disgrace of the wrecking of the (very useful) short
stretch of M41 at Shepherd's Bush.
In what sense has it been wrecked?
It was (part of) a motorway, six lanes and two hard shoulders.

Look at it now.

Since it's only half a mile long with a roundabout at each end, why
would you need six lanes? Even at an emotional level, I can't work
up any concern that it was the 6-lane M41 and is now the 4-lane
A3220. It remains a useful link with a quirky layout, as it's
always been. To claim that it's been wrecked is absurd.

The actual length is pretty irrelevant, you need to look at the flow
down the road.

.... for which 4 lanes dual is very generous, especially since much of the
traffic feeds into a two lane single carriageway south of Shepherds Bush.
The length is relevant, because it is hard to get much over the 50mph limit
on it, and the time saved by doing so is negligible, making hard shoulders a
waste of space.