Skip to main content

UK Highways Agency unveils additional spending plans

In the UKL the Highways Agency has announced plans for an additional 58 schemes intended to boost the economy, reduce congestion and improve safety. These schemes form part of the third, and final, stage of the Highways Agency’s pinch point programme. The 58 schemes represent an investment of €114.6 million (£98 million) and are intended to remove bottlenecks and keep traffic moving on England’s motorways and major A roads. They will be delivered by March 2015 and will bring an estimated €1.64 billion (£1.4
April 12, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
In the UK the 2309 Highways Agency has announced plans for an additional 58 schemes intended to boost the economy, reduce congestion and improve safety. These schemes form part of the third, and final, stage of the Highways Agency’s pinch point programme. The 58 schemes represent an investment of €114.6 million (£98 million) and are intended to remove bottlenecks and keep traffic moving on England’s motorways and major A roads. They will be delivered by March 2015 and will bring an estimated €1.64 billion (£1.4 billion) of economic benefit. This announcement brings the total investment for the 123-scheme pinch point programme to €370.7 million (£317 million). This includes an extra €116.9 million (£100 million) announced by the Chancellor in his 2012 autumn statement. Secretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin said, “The Government is committed to cutting congestion and accelerating growth – that is why the Chancellor injected an extra £100 million into the Highways Agency pinch point programme last autumn.

This third stage features 26 projects developed in conjunction with local enterprise partnerships and local authorities to promote local economic growth. They will improve access to nearby development sites such as enterprise zones and locally designated areas, as well as to international and national gateways. This includes improvements at Salford Circus in Birmingham. This provides access from the M6 to Birmingham City Centre and other important towns and developments. The scheme will reduce congestion. The remaining 32 schemes will install new technology to support the logistics industry and wider economic growth by improving driver information, signage and incident clear up times. For example, the Agency will install new electronic signs, CCTV cameras and a queue protection system at junctions 30 to 32 of the M62 – one of the most heavily used freight routes in England. This will help to improve safety, reduce congestion and give drivers more information about their journeys. The majority of schemes from the first two stages of the programme are in the detailed design phase with construction due to start soon.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Costain lands major A160 UK road contract
    July 22, 2013
    Costain has won an Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) contract to improve the A160, from the junction with the A180 at Brocklesby Interchange to the Port of Immingham, near Grimsby, north Lincolnshire, England. The project design aims to reduce traffic congestion and improve journey time reliability to meet the needs of current traffic flows and predicted growth in traffic resulting from existing and future developments. The project also seeks to improve safety for road users and the local community. Works
  • UK’s M6 tolled motorway for sale
    June 21, 2016
    For sale: one UK toll motorway along with operating business. Well maintained. Price negotiable. David Arminas looks at what is on offer As if right on cue, a French articulated truck starts to back up along the hard shoulder at an exit area of M6toll. The manoeuvring is watched from an office inside the nearby M6toll headquarters. Inside, Andy Pearson, chief executive of M6toll, glances over his shoulder and interrupts his presentation to World Highways. “He’s probably missed the dedicated wide-load
  • AECOM secures five contract wins with Highways England
    January 30, 2017
    Global infrastructure services firm AECOM has secured five contracts with Highways England to deliver highway design services across five separate schemes. The contracts, with a combined worth more of than €29 million to AECOM, are part of Highways England’s Roads Investment Strategy announced in 2014 for maintenance, improvements and upgrades to motorways and major A-class roads. AECOM will delivery of multidisciplinary services for the A38 Derby Junctions scheme in northern England. AECOM has als
  • Closer ties with Highways England Collaborative Delivery Framework
    April 13, 2017
    Highways England is reconsidering its procurement to encourage innovation and ultimately deliver more for less. Kristina Smith spoke to client, contractors and material suppliers to find out more. A group of senior managers is being addressed by a local resident who lives close to some proposed road works. The resident is angry, persistent and quite rude. The question is: how will these managers respond?