Skip to main content

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.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Indonesia’s Trans-Sumatra highway inches ahead
    March 11, 2015
    Indonesia will form a consortium of state enterprises to build all the 2,700km of the Trans-Sumatra toll highway, from Lampung to Aceh on the island of Sumatra. The finance department is also setting up special infrastructure banks to provide flexible loans for the state departments to fund the project, Indonesian media reported. Indonesia recently changed the law that had the state infrastructure company PT Hutama Karya as the only organisation allowed to build major projects. Other state enterprises can n
  • Road Safety: Puerto Rico Highway Agency distinguished with IRF award
    August 16, 2021
    The International Road Federation has presented its annual "Find a Way" Global Road Safety Award to the Puerto Rico Department of Transportation and Public Works on the closing day of the IRF "Vision Zero for Latin America" Road Safety Conference
  • UK reveals major road investment plans
    September 5, 2014
    The UK has major plans to invest in road infrastructure. In all some 1,440 lane km of road capacity will be added to the strategic highway network of England and Wales by 2021. This boost comes from an investment of €30.565 billion (£24 billion), the biggest since the 1970s – which will see annual funding for improvements to motorways and major A roads triple over the next 6 years.
  • Interview with Jean Todt – FIA president
    January 19, 2018
    Reducing the death and injury toll on the world's roads is a key priority. It is estimated that every year, 1.25 million people die on the world’s roads. With motorisation and urbanisation to increase in many parts of the developing world in the years to come, there is every likelihood that this number could rise. Can you explain why so many lives are needlessly lost every year on our roads and why greater action isn’t being taken to address this?