The government will spend billions of pounds on roads in an effort to upgrade and future proof the country’s crumbling network.
Between now and 2031 it will fund schemes like the dualling of the A66 and unlock private investment into the Lower Thames Crossing to improve connectivity and cut congestion.
The significant £27bn investment, known as the Road Investment Strategy (RIS3), will be used for schemes that unlock growth and improve connectivity across the country, and allow National Highways to resurface more than 9,000km of motorway and major A-road lanes.
The government has also given the green light to 16 road schemes on the major road network and local roads, including dualling the A46 Newark bypass, widening the M6 at junction 10 and upgrading of junctions on the A38 at Derby.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “For too long this country has failed to tackle and fix our crumbling infrastructure, but this huge £27 billion investment in our roads will secure the future of our road network for years to come.
“Not only are we investing in renewing our roads, meaning smoother and faster journeys for drivers, we are getting on with investing into brand new projects and fixing potholes, which will deliver benefits across the country from Norwich to Manchester.”
Ben Fletcher, chief executive at Logistics UK, said the commitment to tackling potholes was a much-needed step forward: “Potholes have a significant impact on both productivity and safety, and our members have consistently called for investment that futureproofs the strategic road network (SRN),” he said.
“The strategy’s sharper focus on planned, preventative road maintenance shows the government is listening to the industry, and long-term programmes that resurface and renew roads before they fail are far more cost-effective than reactive, short-term repairs.
“The logistics sector has long been pressing government for a strategic approach to be taken to the roads network, and our members will welcome this commitment as an important move towards building a safer, more reliable and more resilient roads system.”
The Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) welcomed the commitment, but said it would be some time before the impact of increased funding levels would be noticed by the public.
AIA chair David Giles said: “RIS3 sets out a target of maintaining the SRN so that at least 96.2% is in good condition; a target that National Highways is able to meet, in part, due to structure of its funding.
“In contrast our recent Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey reported that only 52% of local roads in England are in good structural condition – the legacy of decades of underfunding and short-term cash injections.”
The Chartered Institute of Highways & Transportation (CIHT) said the clearly defined five-year pipeline of work provided certainty and allowed the sector to plan and deliver more efficiently.
Sue Percy, CIHT CE, said: “CIHT has consistently called for long-term, stable funding to move away from stop-start delivery and achieve better value for money.
“RIS3 should now provide a more predictable framework – and it is essential that government, National Highways and the supply chain work together to turn this certainty into timely delivery.”
