MILLIONS of drivers in the East of England are set for smoother, safer journeys as the Government today commits over £2.2 billion to upgrade and future-proof roads in the region.
Spread across five years, the plan puts more money into maintaining the network to help deliver smoother, more reliable journeys for drivers, businesses and freight operators by resurfacing roads, fixing potholes, and replacing worn-out stretches of motorway.
The huge investment, known as the Road Investment Strategy (RIS3), will fund major schemes that unlock growth and improve connectivity across the country, and allow National Highways to resurface over 9,000 kilometres worth of motorway and major A-road lanes – almost a quarter of the network.
These include major dualling and slip road upgrades across the A47, including the upgraded Thickthorn Junction, as well as a brand new, 10-mile dual carriageway on the route between Cambridge and the M1.
The Government is also choosing to fix the foundations, investing a record £8.4 billion to repair and renew England’s motorways and major A-roads before problems arise, so drivers can have faith in a world-class road network once again.
That’s on top of the £7.3bn already pledged by the Government at the Spending Review for local authorities to fix potholes and invest in long-term measures to maintain local roads.
To help restore people’s pride in their communities, the Government is today also giving the green light to a further 16 road schemes on the major road network and local roads, supporting thousands of new jobs and homes in communities across England.
The schemes, including the Norwich Western Link Road, improvements to the A10 Corridor near Broxbourne, plus upgrades to the A140 and A1120 at Earl Stonham – which could not be delivered by local authorities alone – have been chosen on their value for money and long-term deliverability, ensuring taxpayers’ money goes where it will make the greatest difference.
To help show the scale of the investment, the government has created an interactive map showing all the schemes that will be progressed during RIS3.
Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said: “For too long this country has failed to tackle and fix our crumbling infrastructure, but this investment in our roads will secure the future of our road network in the East of England 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 which will deliver benefits across the region from Norwich all the way to Cambridge and Suffolk.
Roads and Buses Minister, Simon Lightwood, said: “This Government is firmly putting its money where its mouth is, and this new funding will be transformational for the millions of drivers and thousands of businesses that rely on our motorways and A roads every day.
“By investing in existing infrastructure and new schemes, such as vital upgrades to the A47 around Norwich, we are giving everyone the confidence they can get from A to B faster and smoother than ever before.”
National Highways Executive Director Elliot Shaw said:
“This major investment will help boost economic growth by improving and maintaining motorways and major A roads which keep the country moving.
“When roads are well maintained, businesses and communities feel the benefit, so this funding enables us to tackle an ageing network head-on and keep drivers safe.
“Our focus on renewing vital infrastructure will keep people connected to their loved ones, support the delivery of new homes and jobs, and give industry the confidence to plan and invest in the UK.”
RIS3 supports the Government’s central mission of kickstarting economic growth, giving businesses and regions the long-term certainty they need to invest and create jobs. Improved road reliability will also help keep supply chains moving and support the freight networks that keep goods and prices stable for consumers.
It also sets stretching targets for National Highways on safety, journey reliability, network condition and environmental performance, allowing the Government to hold them to account on delivery over the five-year period.
While today the Government has committed to tackling potholes on motorways and major A-road surfaces, it has also recently committed to investing over £1.2 billion over the next four years to help councils in the East of England tackle their potholes.
We have also introduced a new rating system so people can see for themselves whether their local council is using their funding to deliver for their communities.
