Road and rail projects to boost local and regional transport

Dozens of UK towns and cities are set to benefit from government funding to tackle congested local roads and improve key points in the strategic road network, as well as new initiatives to drive forward rail electrification. Measures announced by Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin include US$80 million from the Local Pinch Point Fund for 25 congestion-busting local roads schemes, building on 87 already announced this year; confirmation of nearly US$181 million for the M6-Heysham link road, along with
December 13, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
Dozens of UK towns and cities are set to benefit from government funding to tackle congested local roads and improve key points in the strategic road network, as well as new initiatives to drive forward rail electrification.

Measures announced by Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin include US$80 million from the Local Pinch Point Fund for 25 congestion-busting local roads schemes, building on 87 already announced this year; confirmation of nearly US$181 million for the M6-Heysham link road, along with funding for projects to improve the M55 J1, A1, and M62 J19; and electrification of the Wigan-to-Bolton railway line. A taskforce will report to the Transport Secretary within twelve months on the acceleration of further rail electrification schemes in the North of England.

Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: “Whether it’s unblocking bottlenecks on local roads, improving trouble spots on our motorways and trunk roads, or working to deliver better railways through electrification, these projects will benefit communities up and down the country and help keep Britain moving. By investing in our local and regional transport infrastructure we can help support new jobs and boost our overall competitiveness in the global economic race.”

Related Content

  • Nottingham Ring Road improvement gets final approval
    July 5, 2013
    Work can now start on a package of measures to tackle congestion on Nottingham’s Ring Road and improve public transport in the city after receiving final approval from UK Local Transport Minister Norman Baker. The scheme was one of those given funding approval in late 2011 as part of the Spending Review process and comprises: upgrading of key junctions and selective widening; reconstruction of areas of the carriageway most in need of repair; improved facilities to help change between bus services on the mai
    Read More
  • Golden River Traffic renews contract for road traffic monitoring system
    April 16, 2012
    Golden River Traffic (GRT), part of the Clearview Traffic Group, has successfully renewed a long-term contract to maintain the road traffic monitoring system on the UK’s A1 Darrington to Dishforth DBFO project with Road Management Services (RMS). This contract win is initially for an eight year duration, with the option to extend for up to a further four years. The A1 Darrington to Dishforth DBFO project comprises improvements to and the operation and maintenance of 53kms of the A1(M) / A1(T) between Darrin
    Read More
  • Governments must look beyond short-term spending of public funds
    February 2, 2012
    Phil Pettitt, Chief Executive of innovITS, the UK's ITS Centre of Excellence, argues that governments need to look beyond the short-term when looking to pump-prime economic recovery with public funds. It seems, in the current economic climate, that a 'good' day is one in which no company is announcing job cuts or going into administration. Consumer demand is down and businesses are retrenching, cutting costs and fretting over the consequences of shrinking opportunities and order books. It has not been this
    Read More
  • High hopes for Detroit streetcar system
    June 12, 2013
    Detroit, the historic home of the US automotive industry, is to get a new streetcar rail system to help drive the economic revival of Motor City. M-1 Rail, the organisation overseeing the US$140 million project, has been pursuing an aggressive timetable toward a late 2015 service launch. “We are now jumping out of the gate,” says Heather Carmona, M-1 Rail’s chief administrative officer. Final design could be completed by mid-August and, depending on when the necessary permits are secured, construction coul
    Read More

Highlighted Content