IDEAL ROADS

Evening Star, Issue 22774, 8 October 1937, Page 1

IDEAL ROADS

IN HARMONY WITH LANDSCAPES Constructive suggestions for the beautification of Britain’s roads occupy a . prominent part of the report issued by the Trunk Raods Joint Committee of the Council for tho Preservation of Rural England and the Roads Beautifying Association. Tho preliminary survey on traffic suggests the need for roads which are both suited to future traffic demands and so designed and laid out as to conform with the exceptionally attractive landscape of this country. “ The first necessity in any extensive road lay-out,” states the report, “is the capacity of the designer to grasp fully the relationship of road to country to he traversed—not merely to the land adjoining, but to tho landscape of the region through which the road passes. NO “BEAUTY STRIPS.” “ Any attempts to create mere 1 beauty strips ’ must be avoided, or another form of ribbon development will result. The unity a road should possess with the landscape ... is certainly not a matter which can be solved by engineers, for a road perfect in construction might easily be a permanent scar on the landscape and out of scale. The road should be a part of the landscape and not a conspicuous addition.” The commitee is emphatic in the hope that the improved roads will be of the parkway type, with dual or treble carriageways and ample reserves of land on either side for cycling, walking, or riding, away from main traffic. Three principles forming the basis of tree planting schemes are: The avoidance of monotony by diversifying height and relieving avenues with clumps ; Maintenance of local characteristics by planting appropriate trees; and Regard to safety by avoiding trees, such as tho common lime, whose leaves make the road slippery in wet weather, or the elm, which sheds its branches. ROADSIDE CLUMPS. The committee suggests that when land is bought for road improvements irregular severed fragments ought to be incorporated in the verges and suitably planted with clumps of trees. Another suggestion is that wherever possible the road should take the line from which renowned and beautiful views can be obtained, and that adequate roadside halts should be provided. For all their examples the committee takes the Dover-Glasgow road.