Roads revolution adds 900 miles of extra capacity

Road users in the UK will see around 900 extra lane miles of road capacity added to England’s strategic highway network by 2021, a third more than was provided in the previous decade. The boost is thanks to a huge US£39.7 billion investment, the biggest since the 1970s, which will see annual funding for enhancements to motorways and major A roads triple over the next six years. Investment includes more than US$15 billion on maintenance, US$10 billion of which will be spent on resurfacing 3,000 miles of t
August 27, 2014 Read time: 2 mins

Road users in the UK will see around 900 extra lane miles of road capacity added to England’s strategic highway network by 2021, a third more than was provided in the previous decade.

The boost is thanks to a huge US£39.7 billion investment, the biggest since the 1970s, which will see annual funding for enhancements to motorways and major A roads triple over the next six years. Investment includes more than US$15 billion on maintenance, US$10 billion of which will be spent on resurfacing 3,000 miles of the strategic road network.

Roads minister John Hayes said: “As a crucial part of our long-term economic plan to secure a brighter future for Britain, we are fixing problems that have been created by governments of the past by delivering around 35 per cent more capacity on our roads than was delivered in the nine years up to 2010. It is because of the difficult decisions that this government has taken that we are able to triple investment in our major roads to over US$5 billion a year up to 2021.”

The period 2001 to 2010 saw construction of 574 lane miles. This government has committed to 60 new road schemes, the majority of which will be completed by 2021, subject to value for money and deliverability. This will provide 962 miles of new road, 35% more miles of road per year than under the previous government.

More road schemes are expected to be added to the programme following the 2014 Autumn Statement, which could include solutions identified as part of six feasibility studies that are looking at dealing with some of the most notorious and long-standing hotspots on England’s roads, including the A303 in the south west and the A47 in the east of England.

Along with the results of the 503 Highways Agency route strategies – a comprehensive review of all roads in England – the outcomes of the studies will help ensure the government continues to meet the future needs of roads users.

Urban Traffic Control

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Government green lights road and rail improvements
    July 19, 2013
    UK Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has confirmed a £1.2 billion order for more state of-the art trains to transform rail travel on one of Britain’s busiest intercity routes. The 270 carriages will be manufactured in Britain by Hitachi Rail Europe as part of the government’s overall £5.8 billion Intercity Express Programme (IEP). The trains will operate on the East Coast Main Line from 2019 and will deliver significant benefits to passengers, including boosting capacity by 18 per cent, improving trai
    Read More
  • England’s first motorway celebrates 60th birthday with ITS upgrade
    December 5, 2018
    Sixty years today, 2,300 drivers drove along an eight-mile section of road in England – the first motorway in the country. Opened in 1958, the Preston bypass – now part of the M6 - only had two lanes in each direction, with no safety barrier in the central reservation. There was also no technology – not even simple electronic signs. Highways England is pledging to celebrate the birthday by completing four upgrades on the M6 by spring 2022. The £900m project will add extra lanes and better technolog
    Read More
  • HS2 ‘crucial to Britain’s future transport needs’
    October 30, 2013
    Britain cannot meet its future transport needs without HS2, according to new evidence published by the government. Even with over US$80 billion of planned transport investment over the next six years the country’s railways will be overwhelmed. The strategic case for HS2 sets out in detail the need for a new railway line to provide the vitally needed extra capacity. Central to the case is new data that reveals the true extent of the crisis facing the UK rail network and the impact alternatives to buildin
    Read More
  • Acusensus phone-detection units arrive on English roads
    August 1, 2023
    Australian road safety company says trailer units will be positioned on selected highways
    Read More

Highlighted Content