UK government’s Highways Agency makeover to boost infrastructure

The government plans to turn the Highways Agency into a Network Rail-style public company as part of its efforts to boost national transport infrastructure. While the government has revealed plans for a long-term investment totalling €32.37 billion (£28 billion) in road-building, few projects are ‘shovel-ready’, with much of the investment backloaded until 2020. Funding levels will increase to more than €3.46 billion (£3 billion) a year by the end of the decade for major A-roads and motorways. The legislati
July 17, 2013 Read time: 1 min
The government plans to turn the 2309 Highways Agency into a 4139 Network Rail-style public company as part of its efforts to boost national transport infrastructure.

While the government has revealed plans for a long-term investment totalling €32.37 billion (£28 billion) in road-building, few projects are ‘shovel-ready’, with much of the investment backloaded until 2020. Funding levels will increase to more than €3.46 billion (£3 billion) a year by the end of the decade for major A-roads and motorways. The legislation will not include proposals for tolling. The government says maintenance and construction industry will have confidence with a free-standing Highways Agency and a ringfenced budget. To encourage the use of electric vehicles, an additional €576.54 million (£500 million) will be pledged.
Highway & Network Management

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Brisbane's highway of distinction
    August 2, 2012
    A massive AU$2 billion update of the Gateway Motorway in Queensland is underway to improve an infrastructure stretched by population boom. Report and photographs by Adrian Greeman Just 20 years after the Australian city of Brisbane built its Gateway Motorway with a high slim signature bridge dominating the river skyline, the road is being completely revamped. Some 12km of urban route on the south of the Brisbane River is being expanded to take much increased traffic levels; the north is getting a completely
    Read More
  • ALARM Survey: UK maintenance backlog continues despite funding boost
    March 23, 2016
    Highways departments in England and Wales have yet to feel the benefit of the UK government’s commitment to spend €7.6 billion (£6 billion) on local road maintenance between 2015 and 2021. In fact, overall road budgets have dropped by 16%, according to the annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey of highway bosses in England and Wales, conducted by the Asphalt Industry Alliance. This is reflected in the increase in average budget shortfalls – the difference between the money needed to ma
    Read More
  • New East Africa highway connecting Kenya, Tanzania, South Sudan
    June 8, 2016
    East African countries continue to implement a road Master Plan developed jointly under the East African Community initiative and which aims at integrating the region’s transport corridors to meet the growing demand for road transport by the increasing intra-regional trade and vehicular traffic. Kenya has for example unveiled a US$280 million road rehabilitation project to improve its links with Tanzania and South Sudan with the backing of the African Development Bank (AfDB). Rehabilitation of the 172
    Read More
  • Lower Thames Crossing gets green light
    March 26, 2025
    The 14.5-mile project near London will include a 2.6-mile tunnel under the Thames River and come at a cost of around £8.3 billion.
    Read More

Highlighted Content