Act stated that any place adopting the Local Government Act 1858 to form a local board would cease to be part of a highway district. A large number of communities, some with very small populations, quickly chose to form boards and avoid being part of a district. The number of applications was such that the Local Government Act Amendment Act 1863 (26 & 27 Vict., c.17) was passed providing that no local board could be formed after 1 March 1863 with a population of fewer than 3,000, and that any local board which had not appointed a surveyor within three months of formation would be dissolved. Changes in legislation The Highways and Locomotives Amendment Act 1878 created a new class of highway – the main road. The Act provided that all former turnpike roads that had become public highways since 1870 were designated as main roads. Other main roads were to be those between "great towns" and those leading to railway stations. In addition any other highway could be declared a main road by the justices of the county in quarter sessions. Half the cost of maintaining main roads was to be borne by the county at large. In 1889 the Local Government Act passed responsibility for main roads to the new county councils, who were to bear all of the cost of their upkeep. The highway boards continued to have responsibility for highways other than main roads. Abolition The Local Government Act 1894 passed all the powers, duties and liabilities of existing highway boards, highway authorities or surveyors to the newly created rural district councils. Rural district councils continued to exercise these powers until 1930, when the Local Government Act 1929 transferred responsibility for rural highways to county councils. Sources Highways Act 1862 Local Government Act 1894 Local government in the United Kingdom 1862 establishments in the United Kingdom 1894 disestablishments