M40 Oxford to Birmingham Route location and design

The Institution of Highway Engineers submitted a scheme for a national motorway system to the Ministry of Transport in 1936 and a national motorway plan was produced by the County Surveyor's Society in 1938, including a motorway from London via Oxford to Birmingham. However, it was the early 1960s before work commenced on the first section of the M40 High Wycombe Bypass and it was 1974 before the last section of motorway between London and Oxford was opened to traffic.

This Paper describes the preparatory work and highway design for the continuation of the M40 northwards from Waterstock, near Oxford, to Birmingham.