Series
Catalogue reference: MT 138
MT 138
This series consist of registered files relating to the establishment of Road Construction Units, which were comprised of Ministry of Transport and local authority staff and were responsible for the design and construction of motorways and trunk...
This series consist of registered files relating to the establishment of Road Construction Units, which were comprised of Ministry of Transport and local authority staff and were responsible for the design and construction of motorways and trunk roads in England. There are also files concerning the establishment of the RCUs and the ten year motorway programme 1960-1970.
The series also contains files re-registered from the HS series now in MT 121 and the TRL series now in MT 139
Department of Transport , in 1991 , from 2000
Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions , in 1991 , from 2000
From 1936 to 1967/8 the designation of national routes as trunk roads and the design and construction of works on them was carried out by individual local authorities, acting as agents for the Minister of Transport.
In 1966, the Minister proposed a method to deploy available highways engineering resources to the best possible advantage. As a result, the Construction Units Division was set up in 1967. Its first task was the setting up of Road Construction Units (RCUs), which took place between April 1967 and April 1968. The function of the Division was to assist the Chief Engineer, construction units, to discharge his responsibility for general oversight of the work of the RCUs and for organisational control.
The RCUs were set up after consultation with County Council authorities. The purpose of the units was to take responsibility for the design, preparation and supervision of construction of motorway and larger trunk road schemes in England, costing over one million pounds. RCUs were executive bodies and were not concerned with planning and programming in the strategic sense. That remained the responsibility of the Ministry headquarters.
Six units were set up, jointly staffed by Ministry of Transport and local authority staff on loan. In each area the headquarters unit comprised of the Director, engineers and supporting staff. There were sub-units in each participating county. The units, their headquarters and the date of their establishment were:
North Western (Preston); April 1967
North Eastern (Harrogate); October 1967
Midland (Leamington Spa); October 1967
Eastern (Bedford); April 1968
South Eastern (Dorking); April 1968
South Western (Taunton); April 1968
The RCUs were disbanded between 1980 and 1981.
Ministry of Transport and successors, Construction Units Division: Registered Files
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