Catalogue description Transport Ministries: Highways (Classified Roads) (HC Series) Files

The Ministry of Transport Act 1919 gave the Minister of Transport power to classify major roads into first and second classes, with lesser roads remaining unclassified. This enabled the Minister to standardize the scale of grants made to local highways authorities for the construction, improvement and maintenance of the larger roads within their boundaries. In 1946 a further classification, Class III, was introduced to cover minor roads which served more than local traffic.

In the same year a division was set up under the Highways Administration to deal with the general policy and administration for all classified roads except trunk roads which were dealt with by a separate division. In 1955 the Classified Roads Division was merged into the Highways General and Highways Policy divisions for a short period; it re-emerged intact the next year. The division was finally absorbed in the regional reorganisation of the Highways Administration in 1961.

The division was chiefly concerned with the examination and approval of grant applications for the construction, improvement and maintenance of classified roads and bridges under the Development and Road Improvement Funds Act 1909; deciding the scale and conditions for such grants and, through the grant system, exerting an influence over the local highways authorities in accordance with Ministerial policy. It also supplied non-engineering advice to the local highways authorities (Highways Engineering Division was responsible for engineering matters) and settled disputes between local highways authorities or between other interested parties on highways matters.

The division's responsibility for classified roads extended to those on bridges over, or tunnels under, tidal waters, ferry piers and ferries connecting classified roads. Other interests included responsibilities under the Public Utilities Street Works Act 1950 which laid down a comprehensive code of procedure for the breaking up of streets by statutory undertakers to lay gas, water or electricity mains, sewers, telephone cables and so forth.

Additionally, the division was responsible for regulating the contributions made under the Ministry of Transport Act 1919 towards the salaries of local authority surveyors or engineers, again using the medium of the grant to influence the standards of work carried out by the local highways authorities.