The Competition and Markets Authority has warned that the way Britain plans, funds and delivers road and rail infrastructure is fundamentally broken, creating inefficiencies that are slowing growth and driving up costs. In interim conclusions from a major market review published today, the watchdog said the public civil engineering market suffers from chronic instability, overly cautious contracting models and regulatory complexity that together undermine productivity and lon

The government has confirmed that the Lower Thames Crossing will be delivered through private investment and is now scheduled to be completed in 2034, marking a significant delay to the long-planned road tunnel between Kent and Essex. The Department for Transport (DfT) has appointed senior civil servant Kate Cohen as the official personally accountable for the project, shifting overall responsibility away from National Highways. According to an appointment letter published th

Transport for London (TfL) has revealed that a five-day Tube strike in September cost the organisation between £20 million and £25 million in lost fares. The walkout, called by the RMT union, aimed to reduce the working week for London Underground staff from 35 hours toward a long-term target of 32 hours. The industrial action caused near-total shutdowns on several days and disrupted services on a sixth day while operations were restarted. RMT members on the Docklands Light R

Greater Manchester is set to take a major step toward an integrated public transport system, with rail services joining the Bee Network from December 2026. Mayor Andy Burnham and transport leaders unveiled a new yellow promotional Bee Network train and outlined plans for station upgrades, contactless ticketing, and new services across the city-region. The first two lines, connecting Manchester with Glossop and Stalybridge, will see 17 stations equipped with tap-and-go ticketi

A public consultation has shown strong backing for proposals to extend the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) to Thamesmead, with most respondents supporting both the route and the proposed new stations. Transport for London (TfL) said that around 75% of the 1,444 responses supported the preferred route for the extension from Gallions Reach. A similar proportion backed the proposed location of the new Thamesmead station, while support for the Beckton Riverside station site was sli

Cambridgeshire County Council has been confirmed as the host authority for the UK’s National Active Travel Conference in 2026. The two-day event, titled Active County Cambridgeshire , will take place on 13–14 July in Cambridge. Delivered by Landor LINKS, the National Active Travel Conference was first launched in 2015 and brings together policymakers, practitioners, and industry experts to share best practice in walking, cycling, and wheeling. The 2026 conference will be hel

New restrictions on heavy goods vehicles using the Severn Bridge could be introduced next year when the current blanket weight limit is removed, according to National Highways. Since the end of May, vehicles weighing more than 7.5 tonnes have been prohibited from using the M48 Severn Bridge between Chepstow and Aust due to safety concerns. As a result, lorries have been diverted via the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge when travelling between Wales and England. National Highways has

As the Christmas getaway approaches, the organisation responsible for major roads in the East of England is urging drivers to be patient. National Highways traffic officer Robert Oates said he understood their frustrations when roads had to be closed. "We, in essence, are stopping them from going where they need to go," he said. "I think the more people see us on the job, they understand why… we don't just stop it for no reason." The National Highways control room in South Mi

National Highways and its partners have delivered more than 100 kilograms of food supplies to a Greater Manchester foodbank in time for Christmas - the equivalent in weight to a baby elephant. The essential items were presented to Tameside South and Longdendale Foodbank in Hyde, providing vital support at one of the foodbank’s busiest times. The initiative is just part of the wide-ranging social value work undertaken throughout 2025 by National Highways and Balfour Beatty, wh

National Highways will start the first stage of a £23 million investment improving the A36 through the city of Salisbury early next year. The investment over the next six years will start with a scheme to improve traffic flows around the St Paul’s, St Mark’s and Castle roundabouts. The current, 32-year-old signals have reached the end of their operational life and will be replaced with modern, energy-efficient systems which will adapt in real time to waiting vehicles rather t

Croydon Council has outlined how it intends to spend new transport funding over the next two years after securing a £9 million investment package to tackle some of the borough’s most pressing transport challenges. The funding includes £6.9 million awarded by Transport for London through Croydon’s Local Implementation Plan (LIP), alongside a further £2.1 million generated from Section 106 developer contributions. One of the key beneficiaries is a road that has long been linked

A section of road in Dorset that has been repeatedly affected by landslips will close for up to a year while major stabilisation works are carried out. Construction on the C13 at Dinah’s Hollow, near Shaftesbury, is scheduled to begin on 5 January, with the route expected to remain closed for most of 2026. Dorset Council has previously warned that, without intervention, conditions at the site posed a serious safety risk, including the potential for a fatal accident. The closu

A council is considering plans to introduce a Lane Rental Scheme to help reduce disruption from roadworks on a proportion of its road network. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council is consulting on the plans for its busiest roads. It said the scheme would encourage utility companies and contractors to work more effectively so less time is needed to complete roadworks and to carry out work at quieter times. Councillor Andy Hadley said: "It is our responsibility to

New reduced speed limits are set to be implemented on the ring road south of Oxford, along with nearby roads, as part of broader improvements to the A423 corridor. A 50mph limit will apply to the A423 Southern Bypass, Eastern Bypass, the southern bypass westbound slip road, and Old Abingdon Road near New Hinksey and Rose Hill. Additionally, 30mph limits will be introduced on sections of Old Abingdon Road, Kennington Road, and the A423 southern bypass westbound slip road. Prev

The Scottish government has dropped plans to reduce the national speed limit on single carriageway roads. Proposals included reducing the speed limit on the roads from 60mph down to 50mph. A consultation, showed the plans were unpopular, with some respondents raising concerns about the impact on journey times. Work will continue to raise speed limits for HGVs on single and dual carriageways, aiming to reduce speed differences with other vehicles, ease driver frustration, and

National Highways is implementing a fix to address an anomaly detected in the way some variable speed cameras interact with signs on some A roads and motorways. This has resulted in a very small number of people incorrectly facing enforcement action for speeding and we apologise to anyone who has been affected. The anomaly has meant there was at times a slight delay between cameras and variable speed signs, leading to some drivers being incorrectly detected as speeding after