When Washington's road signs made the big switch on this day in 2002

The old district number signs used to be seen all over the new town. It was a plan to make the highways easy to navigate.

A master plan for Washington

But on September 3, 2002, all that changed and the signs were phased out.

Newer directions came in and they had actual place names on them.

It was an issue which first took the spotlight 50 years ago this year when it was raised in the House of Commons by the then Under-Secretary of State for the Environment Neil Carmichael.

‘A new pattern of roads to aid traffic circulation’

“One feature of the master plan for Washington New Town, which was endorsed in 1967, is the creation of a new pattern of roads to aid traffic circulation within the town and to speed up its links with outside,” he told MPs.

The plan was to divert through traffic onto less congested and safer routes.

It was all based on a grid system which met at major intersections, each with its own number.

Delivery drivers complained

But few people liked it and businesses complained that delivery drivers were often unable to find their premises and ended up wasting valuable time searching for destinations.

The end of the system came in September 2002 when £500,000 was spent on phasing out the system over a nine month period.

The whole replacement scheme took four years and around 220 new signs were installed at a cost of around £1million.

Tell us if you remember the days of the Washington numbered road signs. Email [email protected]