Skip to main content

Highways Agency rebrands as part of its first five-year plan

The UK’s Highways Agency will rebrand as part of the organisation’s first five-year Strategic Business Plan to maintain England’s motorways and major A roads up to 2020. The plan for England’s strategic road network was developed response to the Road Investment Strategy published in early December. The UK government is getting set to make deliver the largest investment in roads since the 1970s and wants to make sure it gets value for money as well as nearly US$1.9 billion (£1.2 billion) of efficiency savin
December 10, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
The UK’s 2309 Highways Agency will rebrand as part of the organisation’s first five-year %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkExternal Strategic Business Plan Visit &quot;highways england strategic business plan 2015 to 2020&quot; page false https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/highways-england-strategic-business-plan-2015-to-2020 false false%> to maintain England’s motorways and major A roads up to 2020.

The plan for England’s strategic road network was developed response to the Road Investment Strategy published in early December. The UK government is getting set to make deliver the largest investment in roads since the 1970s and wants to make sure it gets value for money as well as nearly US$1.9 billion (£1.2 billion) of efficiency savings through innovation, smarter working and better planning.

The document sets out in detail goals for the agency which will be rebranded from late March as Highways England to better reflect its remit. Highways in Scotland are the responsibility of Transport Scotland and in Wales roads are looked after by the Welsh Assembly.

Over the next five years, $17.25 billion (£11 billion) will be spent on capital investment and $7.8 billion (£5 billion) will be spent replacing worn out roads. Around 400 miles of extra capacity will be built by creating a spine of smart motorways that relieve congestion and reduce delays without the need for widening existing roads.

The agency will introduce a standard for A roads known as ‘expressways’ with modernised junctions, refuge areas and advanced technology to keep traffic moving. There also will be substantial resurfacing of the network and noise reducing measures provided at 1,150 locations.

The agency promised to clear 85% of motorway incidents within one hour by working closely with the emergency services and other organisations. As well, a national cycling strategy will be produced by the end of 2015.

Highways England, when it officially starts operating in April, will publish a detailed Delivery Plan setting out how it will proceed to meet targets.

Graham Dalton, Highways Agency chief executive, called the plan “ambitious” but that it will make a big difference for the four million people who drive on English roads daily.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Don't miss the Intelligent Infrastructure Award at Highways UK
    August 10, 2016
    The deadline is fast approaching to submit a product for consideration in the Intelligent Infrastructure Hub at the Highways UK event in November. Highways UK is for people and organisations involved in - and passionate about - the planning, development, management and maintenance of the UK's roads. Last year the event, held in London, attracted 1,500 delegates. This year’s event from 16-17 November at the NEC in Birmingham is expected to have 2,500 attendees. An important part of Highways UK's remit
  • Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA) picks Spanish, Chinese contactors
    October 22, 2014
    The Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA) has contracted out two major road projects to Spanish and Chinese companies. China Hunan Hunda Road & Bridge Construction will build the 111.3km Merkote-Delbo junction-Alaba-Sodo road under a contract worth around US$50 million (€39.12 million). Completion is within two and a half years. Spanish joint venture UTE Elsameks Eco Asphalt Ethiopia 35 will handle the 63km Ambo-Welliso project. Completion is due in three years, with funding of around $59 million from the W
  • IBTTA global summit 2014 takes a balanced view on sustainable transport
    October 8, 2014
    The upcoming International Bridge, Tunnel, and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) 2014 global summit in Prague, Czech Republic, will be focusing on “Sustainable Transport & Mobility for People and Goods” say the organisers with key sessions looking at “strategic issues such as interoperability (EETS/REETS), road safety, environmental protection, traffic in cities, big data, road user charging around the World and future developments, trends, and technologies.”
  • VIDEO: Even the police can make driving errors
    September 16, 2015
    The very people who urge drivers to use more caution are not immune to driving errors themselves, as the video here shows. Speed is sometimes involved and so is simply lack of due care. A speeding police car with its lights flashing and horns blaring may have the right of way, in law or by courtesy, but in many cases the police driver should take note of dangerous situations. At times police drivers also can make a simply mistake, as recently happened in the Spanish Mediterranean city of Barcelona. A