Article 15 Classification of roads and speed limits, etc.I1
England and Wales
On the date on which the roads described in Part 1 (trunk roads) of Schedule 3 (classification of roads, etc.) are completed and open for traffic, they are to become trunk roads as if they had become so by virtue of an order under section 10(2)f1 (general provision as to trunk roads) of the 1980 Act specifying that date as the date on which they were to become trunk roads.
On the date on which the roads described in Part 2 (classified A roads) and Part 3 (classified B roads) of Schedule 3 are completed and open for traffic, they are to become classified roads for the purpose of any enactment or instrument which refers to highways classified as classified roads as if such classification had been made under section 12(3) (general provision as to principal and classified roads) of the 1980 Act.
On and after the date on which the roads described in Part 4 (unclassified roads) of Schedule 3 are completed and open for traffic, they are to become unclassified roads for the purpose of any enactment or instrument which refers to roads which are not classified roads.
On such day as the undertaker may determine, the orders specified in column (3) of Part 9 (revocations & variations of existing traffic regulation orders) of Schedule 3 are to be varied or revoked as specified in the corresponding row of column (4) of that Part in respect of the lengths of roads specified in the corresponding row of column (2) of that Part.
Unless otherwise agreed in writing with the local highway authority, the cycle tracks, set out in Part 10 (cycle tracks) of Schedule 3 and identified on the streets, rights of way and access plans are to be constructed by the undertaker in the specified locations and open for use from the date on which the last of the roads described in Parts 1 to 4 of Schedule 3 (classification of roads, etc.) is completed and open for traffic.
On and after the date on which the roads specified in the table in Part 5 (speed limits) of Schedule 3 (classification of roads, etc) are open for traffic—
no person is to drive any motor vehicle at a speed exceeding the limit in miles per hour specified in column (3) of that table along the lengths of road identified in the corresponding row of column (2) of that table;
where the words “national speed limit” appear in column (3) of the table in that Part the national speed limit applies to the length of road described in the corresponding row of column (2) as if it is a dual carriageway and no person is to drive any motor vehicle at a speed exceeding the national speed limit along those lengths of road;
where the words “Removal of restricted road status” appear in column (3) of those tables, those lengths of road will cease to be restricted roads as if, on that date, a direction had been made under section 82(2)(a)f2 (what roads are restricted roads) of the 1984 Act.
No speed limit imposed by or under this Order applies to vehicles falling within regulation 3(4) of the Road Traffic Exemptions (Special Forces) (Variation and Amendment) Regulations 2011f3 when used in accordance with regulation 3(5) of those Regulations.
In this article—
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“national speed limit” has the same meaning as in Schedule 1 (definitions) of the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016f4; and
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“road” includes the adjacent hard shoulder and verge and any lay by.
Annotations
Commencement
- I1
Art. 15 in force at 22.10.2025, see art. 1
Footnotes
- f1
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Section 10(2) was amended by section 22(2)(a) of Part 1 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991, and by section 1(6) and paragraph 10(2) of Schedule 1 to, the Infrastructure Act 2015.
- f2
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Section 82(2)(a) was amended by paragraph 59(3) of Part 2 of Schedule 8 to the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991.
- f3
- f4
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S.I. 2016/362, amended by S.I. 2017/1011, S.I. 2017/1086, S.I. 2018/161, S.I. 2020/663, S.I. 2021/75, S.I. 2022/111 and S.I. 2023/783.