The Government-owned company responsible for the operation, maintenance, and improvement of England’s motorways and major A roads has announced that it will invest more than £100 million in improvement projects for roads around the South West of England.
Many transport consultants and their clients will be interested to read that National Highways’ multimillion-pound investment in road maintenance will help improve the journeys of millions of motorists and road users in the region.
The organisation said that more than 75 road maintenance and renewal projects would be enabled as a result of the funding, with improvements set to be delivered to roads, paths, and bridges.
What exact improvements can road users in this part of England expect?
In its press release, National Highways announced that it would be spending the £103 million figure during the current financial year of 2023/24.
The company said that its plans for renewals encompassed such works as the resurfacing of roads, bridge refurbishments, bridge joint replacements, motorway safety barrier upgrades, the renewal of traffic lights, and enhancements to signage and drainage.
The former Highways England went on to say that some of the 75 schemes from across the region that would benefit from the Renewals capital spend were “already underway”.
The company said that the improvements would take place over a network consisting of almost 800 carriageway miles, including key locations such as Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Bath, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, and Cornwall.
National Highways cited the following projects among its intended comprehensive programme of renewals and improvements for 2023/2024:
• The refurbishment of the decks of the M5 junction 15 and 16 bridges at the Almondsbury Interchange;
• The repair and refurbishment of the M5 Bamfurlong Lane bridge near Cheltenham;
• The refurbishment of structures at junctions 24 and 25 of the M5;
• The beginning of a technology upgrade in the A38 Saltash Tunnel;
• The upgrading of lighting to LED units along the M4, M5, M49, and A303;
• Repair work to retaining walls on the A36 at Dundas, near Bath;
• The stabilisation of a landslip alongside the A35 at Chideock.
In addition to the investment in maintenance and renewals, National Highways said that approximately £5.5 million would be spent on environmental and biodiversity projects and facilities that cyclists, horse riders, and pedestrians would benefit from.
“This investment will help us achieve the ambitious plans we have for our roads”
Jason Hones, South West Regional Director at National Highways, commented that it was “vital” to ensure the motorways and A roads the organisation is responsible for “are kept in good condition to make sure they remain safe, reliable, and keep the South West moving.”
He continued: “This investment will help us achieve the ambitious plans we have for our roads, the communities we serve, and the environment.”
If you have your own big aspirations for your next transport infrastructure project, our skilled, dedicated, and experienced transport consultants here at Transport Planning Associates (TPA) can play a profound role in realising them. To learn more, please feel free to enquire to your nearest TPA office.