Motorway driving can often feel like you’re on the longest road ever but one road in the UK holds that title
The A1 stretches for 410 miles (660 kilometres) and connects London with Scotland’s capital city, Edinburgh.
The mammoth road starts at St Pauls Cathedral in London and snakes its way north to Auld Reekie and ends at the old Craighall junction where it meets the A720 bypass and it loses its trunk road status.
And the journey from start to finish traverses Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Northumberland.
When drivers cross the border into Scotland they travel through Berwick-upon-Tweed, Dunbar, Haddington and Musselburgh before hitting Edinburgh, reports the Express.
The A1 follows the path of the Great North Road, a historic coaching route dating back to Roman times. It was the primary road linking London to the north of England and Scotland.
It was given the name of A1 as it was the first numbered road and deemed the most important. Numbering our roads was a system devised in the early 1920s and was based around patterns of roads radiating from two hubs at London and Edinburgh.
However, it’s not always free from traffic. While approaching London and major cities like Leeds and Newcastle on it’s route, the A1 experiences heavy traffic, increasing the travel time for travellers.
Because of this continuous upgrades are carried out to improve safety and reduce congestion. Recent works include bypasses and junction improvements. Some stretches are planned for further modernisation to meet growing transportation needs.
A spokesperson on the National Highways website says: “The A1 takes the route of the Great North Road, the main highway connecting the capital cities of England and Scotland.
“The A1 covers 410 miles and is the longest numbered road in the UK. The importance of this connection is why it was given the number ‘1’ when it became Britain’s first numbered road in 1921.
“The A1 not only connects the UK, but is also part of a key route providing access to international destinations. It links several airports, including Heathrow and Stansted, as well as vital trade ports such as Felixstowe.
“Passing through 17 counties and supporting many businesses that flourish alongside it, the A1 is an essential corridor, used by commuters, hauliers and holiday makers alike.”
The A1 may be the longest road but these motorways are hot on its heels:
2. A38: 310 Miles (499 km)
3. A30: 284 Miles (457 km)
4. A6: 282 Miles (454 km)
5. A9: 279 Miles (449 km)