M41
Where is it?
Shepherd's Bush, London. Well, what's left of it anyway!
What's left of it?
Yeah. These days it's known as part of the A3220.
That's a bit of a come down, isn't it?
You'd better believe it.
Can you show me where it was on a map?
When did it cease to be a motorway?
2000
What did you mean earlier by "You'd better believe it"?
Right, the M41 was all of half a mile long
That doesn't seem like a good answer to my question!
OK, let's see now. It should have been a great deal longer, and one of the most important roads in London.
Get on with it!
Right, what do you know about the London Box?
Hey, I ask the questions around here!
Usually, yes. Shall I go on?
OK. I know pretty much nothing about this here "London Box".
Suffice it to say that a big motorway box around Central London was planned. As seems to be the case more often than not, a half baked vague attempt was made at building some of it, before the project was cancelled. The M41 was supposed to be the western section of the "box", hence its name of "West Cross Route".
Instead, it's truly pathetic, and its important sounding number makes it even more so.
There's a map of the planned full route of the West Cross Route, formerly hosted on Apex Corner here.
Rubbish, isn't it.
Absolutely. Why we persist as a nation in spending loads of money on something to do it so badly is beyond me. Surely anyone with half a brain would know that building half a mile of a planned motorway is usually completely pointless, and the money may as well have been saved.
Isn't it something to do with the former A41(M)? And wasn't it supposed to go to Birmingham?
No, absolutely not. That's an urban myth with no relevance to reality. The two motorways only share the number "41" (like M58 and A58(M)) and are in roughly the same part of the country. And neither were meant to go to Birmingham either.
So why isn't it a motorway anymore?
For purely political reasons. In 2000, all roads within Greater London were transferred to a new body, "Transport for London". Unfortunately, whoever wrote the legislation made an error, and TfL have no power to be the authority in charge of motorways...
One mess-up after another. Can I see some photographs then??
There's also the tours of the former A40(M) and M41 that was formerly hosted on Apex Corner, both from the roadway, and from alongside.
Can I comment on this motorway?
Of course! Contact me and I'll put them here!
Have any other visitors commented?
Matthew Smith:
There's actually an even more pathetic aspect to the M41/A3220 controversy on your roads site. There are signs for "White City" which have been obscured, as it refers to a new development at White City which is not yet open. Thing is, the interchange off the ex-M41 is complete, and the traffic lights are working, and SWITCHED ON, and yet the exits from the A3220 are blocked off! Talk about wasting money and electricity.
Phillip Perry has an observation, and a question:
I wish they would bring it back, well re-instate it anyway.
Not only was it my first motorway l drove on along with the A40(M) after l past my driving test in 1985, it's still the closest to my home.
And even at the time my Dad's 1962 Moggy (Morris Minor) managed to get up to the full 60MPH as it was then.l recently put an 'obit' albeit belatedly on ''wikipedia''. Look up Shepherd's Bush or type in M41.
As for the rest of the West Cross Route south of the Holland Pk Roundabout, can anybody else who lives/lived in the Fulham, Earls Court, West Kensington, Hammersmith, Shepherd's Bush area in the late 80's remember about the plans for the WEIR? (Western Environmental lmprovement Road). Or am l going mad? l cannot find out anything on the internet about it, nor can anyone seem to remember. l know l didn't imagine it.
As l've since found out it followed the almost exact same route as the WCR on or alongside the West London Line as far as Cheyne Walk (Chelsea Embankment).
Can anyone help Phillip out?
Matt Quinn:
For a period a few years ago I lived on the A3220 northbound (in Finborough Road south of Earl's Court), and I have a recollection of my landlord mentioning that the reason he hadn't done anything about doing up the place I lived in was that he didn't want to waste the money - because of persistent rumours that road would be bypassed by an extension of the M41 similar to what Phillip said.
If it happened of course, the A3220 would no longer run along the road and the house value would go up dramatically. I know the A3220 through Earls Court is a traffic jam quite frequently, but hey, it's in London, so that's not really a surprise.