Skip to main content

Congestion-busting roads boost across England

A widespread congestion-busting road improvement programme worth hundreds of millions of pounds has now tackled 39 bottlenecks, with more than another 80 to be completed in the next seven months. According to the Highways Agency, the US$515 million ‘pinch point’ programme will cut congestion, increase safety and improve journey times and help support the creation of 300,000 new jobs and 144,000 homes. The improvement plans, part of the biggest programme of road enhancements since the 1970s, were dra
September 15, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
A widespread congestion-busting road improvement programme worth hundreds of millions of pounds has now tackled 39 bottlenecks, with more than another 80 to be completed in the next seven months.  

According to the 503 Highways Agency, the US$515 million ‘pinch point’ programme will cut congestion, increase safety and improve journey times and help support the creation of 300,000 new jobs and 144,000 homes.

The improvement plans, part of the biggest programme of road enhancements since the 1970s, were drawn up by the Highways Agency working with local councils and communities.

The 121 schemes are distributed across England’s major road network and include the A30 Loggans Moor roundabout and approach roads in Hayle, Cornwall, and the A1/A47 junction at Wansford, Cambridgeshire, as well as schemes in Hampshire, West Midlands and Hull.

Roads minister John Hayes said: “We are investing record amounts in motorways and major roads – and every one of these pinch point schemes will deliver benefits to thousands of drivers. Some of the benefits are immediate – such as improved road markings to help traffic flow better through a junction; in other cases the roads are being improved now so they can accommodate local development in the future.

“The completed schemes will together help support the creation of more than 300,000 new jobs and 144,000 new homes – so it’s good news for all road users, for local communities and the economy.”

Highways Agency divisional director Matt Sweeting said: “The pinch point programme, the bulk of which will be completed over the next seven months, provides smaller scale improvements that can deliver big returns by easing congestion and making journey times more reliable for road users, including hauliers and commuters; all of this will help boost local economies and drive economic growth.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Four drivers a month deliberately ignore Manchester motorway closures
    December 9, 2016
    Highways England is urging drivers Highways England is not to put road workers’ lives at risk by deliberately ignoring road closures on the M60 and M62 near Manchester. New figures have revealed that four drivers a month are entering closed sections of road in the Manchester smart motorway scheme to either overtake traffic on the motorway or avoid using diversion routes. Highways England has released CCTV footage showing a driver ignoring an overnight slip road closure at junction 11 of the M60 at Ecc
  • Mott MacDonald to continue managing Highways England's CAB
    June 8, 2018
    Mott MacDonald will continue managing Highways England’s change advisory board (CAB) which the government-owned company relies on to control its daily traffic operations. Mott MacDonald will also handle the forum’s websites and technical specifications over the two-year contract. The CAB brings together system professionals to document Highways England’s business needs so they can be implemented into safe and cost-effective solutions. The board manages the technical specifications used by Highways
  • The inside story of how traffic chaos was avoided after I-95 collapse
    August 23, 2023
    June’s collapse of major US roadway I-95 in Pennsylvania could have caused lengthy traffic chaos. But - relatively speaking at least - it didn’t and gridlock was avoided. Alan Dron finds out why
  • Melbourne installs smart road technology
    June 18, 2013
    Work is now underway on installing the latest electronic freeway management technology along Melbourne’s West Gate Freeway in Victoria, Australia, with the entire project to be completed by the middle of next year. Installation of the freeway management system along more of Melbourne’s road network will be fully integrated with the one already in use on the M1 east of Williamstown Road as well as that proposed for the M80 Ring Road, according to Victorian Roads (VicRoads) minister Terry Mulder. “Indeed, ou