Skip to main content

New strategic road links planned for UK

New road upgrades are planned in the UK to reduce congestion and improve safety for vehicle drivers. Upgrades will be carried out to the A1 west of the city of Newcastle, the A12 in Essex to the east of capital London and the M62 motorway that connects the cities of Manchester and Leeds. Studies will be carried out first to identify the needs for other routes forming the country’s strategic road network. The necessary strategy will be produced for all routes in the second quarter of 2014, allowing a network
May 21, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
New road upgrades are planned in the UK to reduce congestion and improve safety for vehicle drivers. Upgrades will be carried out to the A1 west of the city of Newcastle, the A12 in Essex to the east of capital London and the M62 motorway that connects the cities of Manchester and Leeds. Studies will be carried out first to identify the needs for other routes forming the country’s strategic road network. The necessary strategy will be produced for all routes in the second quarter of 2014, allowing a network-wide assessment of problems and challenges and an overview of the steps needed to be taken to address problems. The study will also be used to prioritise solutions to be delivered during the next spending review period and beyond. An evidence based approach to assessing challenges on a network-wide basis will allow the 2309 Highways Agency and the 5432 Department for Transport to prioritise operational, maintenance and if appropriate, road improvement schemes, helping to inform investment plans for the next full spending review in 2015.

Meanwhile work on a new link road will go ahead in Taunton after receiving final approval. The work is needed to improve east-west connections across Taunton and open up access to new development. The scheme will see Somerset County Council construct a new road linking Staplegrove Road in the west of the town to Priory Avenue in the east. The work involves the construction of 1.6km of new carriageway and the realignment of a further 150m of existing carriageway. It also includes construction of a new bridge over the River Tone and the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal, the replacement of a former rail bridge, the replacement of and existing footbridge and provision of pedestrian and cycle facilities. Other works include a new roundabout at the junction of Staplegrove Road and Chip Lane and modifications to the existing roundabout at the junction of Priory Avenue and Priory Fields.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Better asset management will reduce costs and improve efficiency
    August 22, 2013
    The FEHRL Infrastructure Research Meeting 2013 (FIRM 2013) raised key issues in transport innovation The key theme for FIRM 13 was advanced and innovative construction and maintenance, highlighting the importance of efficient asset management. Infravation, or infrastructure innovation, was another focus area for the event. Joris Al, FEHRL president said, “We aim to bring interested parties together. We’ve decided to build on existing knowledge rather than starting with front edge technologies and working
  • Better maintenance is on the Horizon for UK’s Warrington Council
    May 15, 2018
    Good, readable analysis of road surfaces to ensure sufficient maintenance funding is an essential part of asset management. The technical side of ensuring a good road surface is integral to maintaining safe, superior highway infrastructure. But securing sufficient government funding for such work – repairs and new-build – based on the current road surface is also essential. To evaluate road conditions and structure for such a business case, one UK local council turned to software provider Yotta.
  • UK smart motorway work for M4 link
    September 16, 2019
    Highways England in the UK is carrying out major upgrade work for the busy M4 motorway, running west from capital London. In all 11 bridges are being replaced along a 51km stretch of the M4 between London and Reading. When complete, the current hard shoulder will have been rebuilt and resurfaced to allow traffic to use it as a live lane. The section carrying the heaviest traffic, between the M25 ring road around London and the main exit for Heathrow Airport, will be widened so that it will feature five la
  • Appointment made for key London Gateway link works
    November 27, 2012
    J. Murphy & Sons Ltd has been appointed by DP World to deliver junction improvement works on the A13/A1014 interchange road - a critical link into the London Gateway site in south east England. The London Gateway project near Stanford-le-Hope in Essex will comprise a deep water container port, Europe’s largest Logistics Park and a new access road linking the park to The Manorway (A1014) at Sorrel’s Roundabout.