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===United Kingdom=== {{Further|Great Britain road numbering scheme}} The United Kingdom has two road numbering schemes, one for Great Britain and the other for Northern Ireland. Both schemes follow the same principles, but the numbers are independent and the same road number may be duplicated between the two schemes. ====A, B, unnumbered, and unclassified roads==== {{multiple image | align = right | total_width = 340 | caption_align = center | header = Examples of UK road numbers | image_style = border:none; | image1 = UK-Motorway-M25.svg | caption1 = Motorway | image2 = UK-Motorway-A1(M).svg | caption2 = Motorway | image3 = UK road A6.svg | caption3 = Primary route | image4 = UK road A73.svg | caption4 = Non-primary A road | image5 = UK road B1159.svg | caption5 = B road }} In the United Kingdom, road numbers consist of a number up to 4 digits, prefixed with the letters A or B.<ref name=dftroads>{{Cite web |title=Guidance on road classification and the primary route network |author= |website=[[Department for Transport]]|date=13 March 2012 |url= https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-road-classification-and-the-primary-route-network/guidance-on-road-classification-and-the-primary-route-network}}</ref> The main road from [[London]] to [[Edinburgh]] was designated the [[A1 road (Great Britain)|A1]] in 1921; the "A" indicates a "trunk" or "principal" road, between regional towns and cities.<ref name=whatroad>{{Cite web |title=How to Tell What Type of Road You're Driving On in the UK |author= |work=Holts |date= 28 November 2019|access-date=20 April 2021 |url= https://www.holtsauto.com/holts/news/how-to-tell-what-type-of-road-youre-driving-on-in-the-uk/}}</ref> In Great Britain, the A1, A2, A3, A4, A5 and A6 radiate out from London, or nearby, (in clockwise order) to points around the coast. Some A-roads, or sections of A-roads, are [[dual carriageway]], without being full motorways; some sections upgraded to motorway standards are designated in the form A1(M). B roads are minor roads; they may connect small towns and villages, or offer an alternate route to major roads. Classified unnumbered roads, unofficially called C roads, are smaller roads typically connecting unclassified roads with A and B roads. Unclassified roads are roads intended for local traffic; 60% of UK roads are unclassified,<ref name=dftroads/> and the 200,000 miles of B, unnumbered, and unclassified roads constitute 87% of total road length in the UK.<ref name=whatroad/> All classified roads in England and Wales starting in the zone between the A1 and the A2 begin with the figure 1 (e.g. A137, B1412), all classified roads in England and Wales starting in the zone between the A2 and the A3 begin with the figure 2 (e.g. A213, B2767), all classified roads in England and Wales starting in the zone between the A3 and the A4 begin with the figure 3 (e.g. A374, B3143), etc. Scotland is similarly divided into zones by the A7, A8 and A9 which radiate out from Edinburgh. Zones are not used in Northern Ireland. ====Motorways==== Motorways are classified as "special roads", and are numbered in a similar, but not identical, manner. Motorways are either M-class or upgraded A-road, A(M) class. M-class motorways are labelled in the form M''x'', as a higher grade of motorway, and A(M) roads are labelled in the form A''x''(M), where ''x'' is the designation of the road, dependent on the zone. For example, the [[M25 motorway|M25]] is the London Orbital Motorway, and the [[A1(M) motorway|A1(M)]] is the upgraded A1 dual carriageway.{{cn|date=September 2024}} A similar clock-face zonal system is used in many other European countries (for example, Spain and Belgium).
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