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HOw are road numbers generated
locoboy - 2/8/04 at 12:31 PM

Whilst driving up to Scotland a few weeks ago..........you know the drill.........bored and you start having conversations about odd topics!

we began discussing how road numbers were generated, do they just have a big list on the wall in the HQ of the highways agency and you just use the next number in turn?

i didnt think it could be done that way, because i cant recall ever seeing or hearing of the M22, or the M33 etc.

Anyone got any reasonable suggestions or maybe any definative answers lol

[Edited on 2/8/04 by colmaccoll]

ned - 2/8/04 at 12:39 PM

I think some of the motorway numbers were designated after the road they were to superceed. there are lots of exceptions to this so it may be complete bollox. eg m23/a23 m40/a40 m4/a4

A class roads seem to be numbered up, most of the low numbers come out of london eg a1, a3, a11, a12, a13, a3, a4 that i can think of..

B, C and D class roads are all numbered up too. yes D class roads do exist, they are residential as I recently found out when contacting the council.

Ned.

phelpsa - 2/8/04 at 12:46 PM

Hi ned, haven't heard from you for a while.

Adam

ned - 2/8/04 at 01:24 PM

one word - tonsillitis

phelpsa - 2/8/04 at 01:54 PM

You don't need to talk to type

Adam

timf - 2/8/04 at 01:57 PM

quote:
Originally posted by phelpsa
You don't need to talk to type

Adam


but you need to be at work to type

stephen_gusterson - 2/8/04 at 02:19 PM

yep!

and our 'net has been down at work until 3pm - most of us were developing the shakes!

atb

steve

locoboy - 2/8/04 at 02:30 PM

quote:
Originally posted by phelpsa
Hi ned, haven't heard from you for a while.

Adam


Now that was a propmt hijack!

Skirrow - 2/8/04 at 02:59 PM

Not sure how they come up with the numbers but you can usually tell roughly where a road (be it a Motorway, A or B road) starts by its number.

As Ned says 1s and 2s around south east, 3 and 4 south west and west, 5 west and north west, 6 north west, 7, 8 and 9 north, north east and scotland.

Major roads tend to be of a single number, M1, M6, A6 etc. Smaller roads 2 mumber M25, M62, A34 etc. And littleuns 3 or 4 M602, B6021 etc.

I worked at in the AA routes department a few years back and after a while you notice the patterns. A bit sad, but rather useful.

Peteff - 3/8/04 at 05:44 PM

They never did any M7 did they? I always wondered about that.

JoelP - 3/8/04 at 05:56 PM

it not only roads that get numbered, sometimes carparks get them too.

ned - 4/8/04 at 08:53 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Skirrow
Smaller roads 2 mumber M25, M62, A34 etc.


Oh yes, that little road, the m25

Ned.

Skirrow - 4/8/04 at 12:03 PM

quote:
Originally posted by ned

Oh yes, that little road, the m25

Ned.



Lol, perhaps small was the wrong word.

The single numbers are the ones that go halfway across the country, M1, M6, M4.

Double numbers, ring roads and ones that don't go quite as far. M25, M20, M60, M62.

There doesn't seem to be a real logic to it though. I think its an art rather than a science.

Skirrow - 4/8/04 at 12:08 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Peteff
They never did any M7 did they? I always wondered about that.


Well, there's an M7 in Northern Ireland I think, although that doen't really count.

Last I heard the M7 was still in the planning stage. Going to be going from Edinburgh, South west to meet the M74 some where. I guess so people like me in the North West can go up the M6, M74 then hang a right onto the M7 rather than a load of A roads.

I prefer the A roads myself but there you go.

JoelP - 4/8/04 at 07:38 PM

m60, 61, 62 etc are all derived from the m6 (obvious i know), and the m621 from the m62. likewise, m1/m18/m180/m181 in a row.

nicklondon - 4/8/04 at 08:40 PM

road numbers radiate from london with the M1 and roads to the east all start with 1 until the M2 then all start 2 etc etc. what happens in the rest of the uk i dont know.

Mark Allanson - 4/8/04 at 08:50 PM

I think you ALL need to get out more!

andyps - 5/8/04 at 03:56 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Skirrow
The single numbers are the ones that go halfway across the country, M1, M6, M4.

Double numbers, ring roads and ones that don't go quite as far. M25, M20, M60, M62.



Think you will find the M62 actually goes all the way across the country, certainly well over half way Probably as Joel suggests though, it is related to the M6 I guess.

Skirrow - 5/8/04 at 06:56 PM

Yeah you're quite right, I'm in Manchester so I know it.

I'm not gonna try and explain it anymore though cos I'm clearly talking rubbish. Kind of.

I think I'm kind of barking up the right tree but there are far to many examples that prove me wrong. Bah.