Motorway (blue)
These are the UK’s highest-class roads — fast, multi-lane routes built for long-distance travel and heavy traffic. They connect major cities and regions (for example, the M1, M25, M6). They are restricted to motor vehicles only — no pedestrians, cyclists, or slow-moving traffic.
A Road (orange)
Primary routes that link big towns and cities, ports, and industrial areas. A roads can be either dual carriageways or single carriageways. They’re often the main non-motorway routes across regions (for example, the A1, A40, A12).
B Road (green)
Secondary routes connecting smaller towns, villages, and local destinations. They’re still important but carry less traffic and are narrower or less direct than A roads.
Minor Road (purple)
Local roads providing access within towns, villages, and rural areas — often single-lane or residential. They link up to B roads or A roads and serve local traffic rather than through-routes.
