The Highways (No. 2) Act 1766 (7 Geo. 3. c. 42), was an act of the Parliament of Great Britain that consolidated all acts relating to highways in England and Wales.
The first legislated control in England was introduced under the Highways Act 1555 (2 & 3 Ph. & M. c. 8), which was amended and extended by the Highways Act 1562 (5 Eliz. 1. c. 13).
In 1663, the Road Repair (Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Huntingdonshire) Act 1663 (15 Cha. 2. c. 1) was passed to authorise the charging of rates for a section of the Great North Road in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Huntingdonshire, becoming the first turnpike act. From the late 17th-century, Parliament increasingly took responsibility for repairing and maintaining roads from local authorities.
From 1700 to 1750, 143 new turnpike acts were passed, followed by a period of "turnpike mania", during which 375 new trusts were created between 1751 and 1772.
In response to the increased development and congestion of roads in England, the Highways Act 1766 (6 Geo. 3. c. 43) was passed to improve their regulation.
Section 57 of the act repealed 24 enactments, listed in that section.
The Turnpike Roads Act 1766 (7 Geo. 3. c. 40) was passed at the same time as the act, which consolidated all acts relating to turnpike trusts in England and Wales.
The Weald of Kent Highways (Diversion) Act 1523 (14 & 15 Hen. 8. c. 6) and the Sussex Highway (Diversion) Act 1534 (26 Hen. 8. c. 7) were revived by section 3 of the Highways Act 1768 (8 Geo. 3. c. 5), which further amended the act. Those acts were wholly repealed by section 1 of, and the first schedule to, the Statute Law Revision Act 1948 (11 & 12 Geo. 6. c. 62).
The act was wholly repealed by the Highways Act 1773 (13 Geo. 3. c. 78).
The act was described by the Select Committee on Temporary Laws in 1796 as a Consolidation Act.