A406

A406
Country	United Kingdom
Route	406
Length mi	15.0
Direction a	West
Terminus a	Hendon
Direction b	East
Terminus b	Arkley
Counties	Greater London
Established	1922

A406 is a principal arterial road forming part of the North Circular Road ring within Greater London. It connects suburban districts including Hendon, Brent, Haringey, Islington, and Hackney while intersecting radial routes such as the A1 road, M1 motorway, A13 road, and A2 road. The corridor serves as a boundary between inner and outer London boroughs and interfaces with major rail termini like King's Cross station, Liverpool Street station, and transport hubs such as Heathrow Airport and London City Airport via connecting routes.

Route description

The route commences near Hendon linking with the A5 road and proceeds eastward through Brent adjacent to landmarks including Wembley Stadium and Brent Cross Shopping Centre, crossing the River Brent and skirting Hampstead Heath before reaching Camden Town. It traverses Islington and passes close to Arsenal F.C.'s Emirates Stadium while intersecting with the A1 road at Highbury Corner and the M1 motorway at the Stapleford junction. Continuing east, it runs through Hackney past Victoria Park and joins the A13 road corridor near Bow, ultimately linking with radial routes to Greenwich and Canary Wharf.

History

Originally designated in the 1922 classification of roads, the corridor evolved from historic turnpike and coaching roads used in the Industrial Revolution era when transport demand surged toward London Docklands and Westminster. Mid‑20th century urban planning, influenced by figures such as Patrick Abercrombie and events like the London Blitz, prompted proposals for ring roads leading to the modernized North Circular alignment. Postwar schemes, including the Greater London Plan, drove road widening and flyover construction during the 1960s and 1970s amid controversies involving Green Belt preservation and campaigns by groups like Friends of the Earth.

Junctions and major intersections

Key intersections link with strategic routes: the junction with the M1 motorway provides access to Heathrow Airport and the West Midlands, connections to the A1 road facilitate movement toward Edinburgh and Cambridge, and the interchange with the A13 road opens routes toward Southend-on-Sea and Dartford Crossing. Urban interchanges near Willesden and Bow incorporate grade separations and slip roads; these interchanges interact with rail infrastructure including the London Overground and Elizabeth line at several crossings.

Public transport and cycling

The corridor is paralleled by multiple Transport for London bus routes linking to hubs such as Golders Green station, Finsbury Park station, and Stratford station, and serves as an orbital feeder for the London Underground lines including the Piccadilly line and Central line. Cycle infrastructure has been progressively added as part of the Cycle Superhighways and Mini-Holland initiatives, with segregated lanes near Islington and shared-use tracks adjacent to Victoria Park serving commuter cyclists and connections to National Cycle Network routes.

Traffic and safety

Traffic volumes along the corridor remain high, influenced by commuter flows to Canary Wharf, City of London, and westbound terminals such as Paddington station. Collision data historically pointed to hotspots at complex junctions near Camden Town and Bow, prompting interventions modeled on best practice from Transport for London safety audits and collision reduction strategies used in Stockholm and Helsinki. Air quality and noise concerns have attracted attention from environmental bodies including Environmental Audit Committee members and local councillors from boroughs like Haringey and Hackney.

Maintenance and future developments

Maintenance responsibilities lie with Transport for London and respective London boroughs; works have included resurfacing, junction remodelling, and bridge strengthening to accommodate modern vehicle loads and tram reinstatement proposals linked to schemes advocated by groups such as Crossrail proponents. Future proposals involve capacity reallocation for bus priority, expansion of cycling infrastructure inspired by Copenhagenize principles, and selective declassification or tunnelling options debated in panels featuring planners from Royal Town Planning Institute and transport ministers influenced by legislation like the Traffic Management Act 2004.

Category:Roads in Greater London