ExpresswaysBeing committed to developing its railways, Arransia did not engage in large-scale motorway building in the 1960s, and has nothing directly comparable with Brunswick’s Trunkways. However, in a piecemeal manner, a network of upgraded A-roads developed which are classified as "Expressways". These have access restrictions and grade-separated junctions, but with the exception of about 50 miles of dual three-lane, mostly on the A1 between Stainton and Hebburn, are entirely dual two-lane. They usually have four-foot hardstrips but no hard shoulders. The total mileage of Expressways is now just over 600, and on average about 30-40 miles is built or upgraded each year. Road-building in Arransia is not a subject of great political controversy, and in fact there is a large backlog of approved schemes which are waiting in the queue for funding. Public inquiries are held for major schemes, but their remit is confined to issues to compensation and damage to individual financial interests, and they are not permitted to consider issues of principle. The biggest current project is upgrading the notoriously congested Danby – Stainton A1 Expressway from two to three lanes, which is due to be completed in 2007. This route includes some of the oldest sections of Expressway in Arransia, with some very substandard junctions, and the improvement is felt to be long overdue. Interestingly, this is being built with full ten-foot hard shoulders as are usual in Brunswick. While funding for Expressway upgrades comes from the central government, detailed design remains the responsibility of the counties, who have taken different views on curve radii and whether to provide central barriers. Some areas have central armco, some have wide central reservations with trees and bushes, some just have a six-foot grass strip. The government are encouraging the provision of armco where the median is under 20 feet wide, but over half the network still does not meet this standard. There is no official design speed for Expressways, but advisory speed limits on bends are frequently encountered. The term "Expressway" has been used in official documents since the early 1960s, and from the mid-1980s, Expressways have been marked on direction signs by a white E on a red background at the top right of signs. However, their official title is "Restricted Access Trunk Roads", and Arransian road enthusiasts often tend to argue about exactly what is an what is not an Expressway, as there are some roads with access restrictions that do not quite fit the pattern, and other dual-carriageways with grade-separated junctions, such as the Kirkby Thore bypass on the A2, which are not officially described as Expressways. Apart from on major bridges and tunnels, the Expressways do not have official emergency telephones. However, they usually have refuge laybys about every two miles where there are telephones provided by the Arransian Motorists' Association. These are free to use for members but non-members require a 50p coin. Towing non-members' cars off the Expressway when broken down is subcontracted to the AMA, who will typically charge $100 – more than a year's membership, but give a discount if drivers sign up on the spot. Due to their piecemeal development, the Expressways also do not have service areas of the pattern found in Brunswick, with the exception of one at Riccall on the Stainton – Hebburn section of the A1, which was very much planned as a whole. However, they usually have "Rest Areas" every 10-15 miles, which have parking, toilets (sometimes rather run down) and a few picnic tables. You will also often find a burger van and, in the summer, an ice cream van. Traders are supposed to obtain licences but unlicensed trading is common and sometimes results in turf wars between traders. A few of the busier rest areas now have an adjoining fast food outlet. Some of the older stretches of Expressway have roadhouse-type pubs alongside them, but from the 1970s this has been discouraged, although there is no requirement for restaurants on Expressways to be dry. Two conventional full-fledged service areas are being built as part of the upgrade of the Danby – Stainton A1 Expressway. Some of the earliest Expressways had conventional petrol stations at their sides, often in pairs on each side of the road. However, the short off and on slips led to safety concerns and from the mid-1960s these were discouraged. Apart from the single fully-fledged service area at Riccall, fuel does not tend to be available on the newer expressways, with stations being signed off at junctions. There are petrol stations on the Brunswickian side at the four international crossing points at Hobsett, Laneshaw Head, Regina and Redwick The fuel supply situation is recognised as something that can be improved upon, and the rebuilt A1 between Danby and Stainton will have two more full service areas, while in other locations a kind of upgraded rest area with a petrol station and café is being considered. However, environmental concerns have prevented the development of anything of this kind along the A3 through Marchwood and Bucklow, and even after the Porcupine Gap is closed it will remain the case that there is no fuel available on the main line from Hobsett to the Gedney bypass, a distance of over 75 miles. While Arransian lorries do not have speed limiters, there is a law that requires any vehicle overtaking another to maintain a speed differential of at least 5 mph, which greatly reduces the problem of "duelling lorries" on 2-lane sections. On the A64 running north-west of Stainton, there is an experimental ban on rush-hour overtaking by lorries above 8 tons, the effects of which are still being evaluated. See the following pages for a detailed account of the Development of the Arransian Expressway Network: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5
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