"Every time the plan for a new motorway is published, the battle begins."
A special edition of Nationwide reports on the progress of Britain's motorway network.
Jack Pizzey reports from Westmorland, where a three-mile section of the M6 - which necessitates blasting away mountainside and the construction of multiple bridges - is on track to become the most expensive piece of road ever built in the UK. Jack breaks down where all the money goes in these major infrastructure projects - from the planning stages to contruction. He visits the proposed site of the M4 motorway, which is supposed to go a far as Wales, but has stalled some 30 miles from London due to planning disputes.
Jack then looks at how we drive on motorways, and particularly the phenomenon of "bunching" - where drivers drive too close together at high speed. What can be done to make motorway driving safer? Jack visits the Road Research Laboratory, where research into crash barriers, anti-lock braking, sophisticated road-signalling systems and even self-driving cars is underway.
Further updates are provided on motorway developments in Glasgow, Manchester and London.
Finally, Bob Langley reports from Leeds, where a connected approach to planning and public transport is paying off. Among other things, Leeds is trialling a park and ride system, where commuters are encouraged to park in carparks on the outskirts of the city centre, and use public transport to complete their journey. Could this approach be the solution to congestion in other British cities?
Clip taken from Nationwide: Motorway Special, originally broadcast on BBC One, 4 November, 1969.
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