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

  • Modified asphalt trials in Brazil
    October 17, 2012
    An urgent need to improve and extend its road network means that Brazil is open to innovation and new ideas - the timing looks good for Kraton and its highly modified asphalt. Kristina Smith reports On 15th August Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff announced a US$66 billion (BRL 133 billion) investment package for the country’s road and rail networks. Of that, $21 billion (BRL 42 billion) is earmarked for the upgrade or construction of 7,500km of highways through a series of concessions. “We’re starting an
  • Support for Poland’s A1
    July 6, 2012
    The European Investment Bank (EIB) has in total granted a long-term facility of €1.070 billion for the construction of the second phase of the A1 motorway forming part of the priority trans-European transport network connecting the north of Poland (Gdansk) with the Austrian capital Vienna, via the Czech and Slovak Republics. The loan will finance the construction of a 62km section of the A1 motorway between Nowe Marzy and Torun on the basis of a design, build, finance and operate (DBFO) concession. This con
  • The Russian government is set to revise roadbuilding standards and technologies
    May 29, 2013
    The Russian government is considering revising standards and technologies of roadbuilding in the country, writes Eugene Gerden. The aim is to accelerate implementation of one of the major public projects in the transport industry of Russia in the coming years: expansion of the road network from the current 900,000km to 1.3 million km by 2030 as part of the current Russian State Transport Strategy. According to a recent study, conducted by analysts of the Presidential Head Control Directorate, maintaining th
  • Construction industry bodies call for infrastructure investment in Europe
    May 18, 2012
    The European construction contractors and equipment manufacturers associations (the FIEC and CECE respectively) are calling for increased spending on infrastructure in a bid to stimulate economic growth. “Our industry looks forward to the implementation of the right policies and incentives to nurture sustainable growth and jobs”, said Ralf Wezel, CECE secretary general, during a recent debate organised by the European Forum for Manufacturing (EFM) in the European Parliament.