The government is promising faster journey times for drivers across Wiltshire, Leeds, Essex and Buckinghamshire after it green lit four essential road scheme upgrades.
The A350 Chippenham bypass, the A647 Dawsons Corner and Stanningley bypass in Leeds, the South East Aylesbury link road and the A127/A130 Fairglen interchange in Essex have all been confirmed for upgrades.
Freight groups welcomed the move, saying the improvements would have “a dramatic impact” and make supply chains more resilient.
The A350 Chippenham bypass is considered one of the most important routes connecting the South West with the Midlands and South East and the department for transport said the £90m funding programme would see journey times reduced by up to a quarter, with two sections of the road to be dualled and improvements made to the roundabout.
Lilian Greenwood, future of roads minister, said: “The UK’s roads are the backbone of a growing economy, which is why we’re giving these vital schemes the go ahead, helping deliver our plan for change.
“Economic growth has been stunted for too long, so we’re giving the green light and investing in vital schemes to help people get from A to B more easily however they choose to travel.”
Michelle Gardner, deputy director of policy at Logistics UK, said: “Congestion makes journey planning highly unpredictable which increases business costs through factors such as missed deliveries, unnecessary overtime, increased fuel consumption and inefficient fleet utilisation.
“The schemes given the go-ahead today show how even smaller-scale strategic upgrades can have a dramatic impact across the whole network.
“Upgrading the national infrastructure in this way makes supply chains more resilient and enables logistics providers to ensure that the right goods are in the right place at the right time – whether that is a factory, office, hospital or doorstep.”
The RHA said congestion cost the UK economy £30bn a year and the upgrades would unlock economic growth.
