Perhaps, but it might equally well divert traffic on to trunk roads where it would do far more environmental damage.

ECONOMIST: A survey of commuting

Earlier several roads in Devon saw traffic at a standstill including the A38 trunk road at Haldon Hill and Telegraph Hill on the A380.

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The Kessock Bridge, which opened to traffic in 1982, carries the A9 dual carriageway trunk road across the Beauly Firth.

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It would also include downgrading the existing Huntingdon A14 viaduct from a trunk road and providing two new roads for local traffic between Trinity Foot and a new Girton interchange.

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Few complained about the 140 new miles of Welsh motorway and trunk roads that were built between 1979 and 1990 or the 22 bypasses that alleviated Welsh towns of their traffic misery.

BBC: Wales politics