Following on from today's budget announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak, the Department for Transport and Highways England have also issued the long awaited Road Investment Strategy for the period 2020 - 2025 (RIS2). The strategy, which encompasses the Government’s plan for investment in the Strategic Road Network for the upcoming 5 years, outlines not just the short-term vision but also a look at how our road network will be in years to come. Production of the RIS2 report followed stage process of research, decision making and mobilisation. The research and decisions phases created several reports, which influenced the final output.
This investment strategy is required under the Infrastructure Act 2015. Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/draft-road-investment-strategy-2-government-objectives
The paper presents:
- the strategic vision – the long-term vision for what the strategic road network should look like in 2050, and the steps to help realise this
- the performance specification setting out the expectations for Highways England and the strategic road network, including metrics and indicators measuring the performance of both Highways England and the network against outcomes
- the investment plan of how money will be invested in operations, maintenance, renewals and enhancements of the road areas affected
- a statement of funds confirming that £27.4 billion will be provided over the period to Highways England to do this work
The pledge will see work start on over 20 connections to ports and airports, over 100 junctions and over 4,000 miles of road.
Headline schemes getting the go-ahead include the A303 upgrade including the tunnel at Stonehenge, dualling the A66 Trans-Pennine route and forging ahead with the Lower Thames Crossing.
The potholes fund will also be topped up to release £500m per year until 2025, enough to fill 50m potholes across the country.
As a result, the government will now spend £1.5bn this year filling in potholes and resurfacing roads.
Major starts in second Road Investment Strategy
· Dual the A66 Trans-Pennine and upgrading the A46 Newark bypass
· Improve the M60 Simister Island in Manchester to tackle delays
· Lower Thames Crossing
· New dual carriageway and a two-mile Stonehenge tunnel on the A303
· Assess how the A1/A19 north of Newcastle and the A1 Doncaster to Darrington in Yorkshire can boost economic growth
· Explore how to connect communities in East Lancashire and West Yorkshire better, and the case for improvements to links between the M4 and the Dorset Coast
The government will also take action to improve transport links between North Wales and England by developing the A483 Pant Llanymynech Bypass.
But the fate of the Smart motorway programme is still hanging in the balance while the Government conducts a safety review.
Road construction starts 2020-2025
North
Projects to start
· A1 Morpeth to Ellingham
· A19 Down Hill Lane
· A1 Birtley to Coal House
· A66 Northern Trans-Pennine
· M6 South Lancaster Growth Catalyst J33a (HIF)
· A585 Windy Harbour to Skippool
· M60/M62/M66 Simister Island
· A61 Westwood Roundabout A5036 Princess Way
· Mottram Moor Link Road & A57 Link Road
· M6 Junction 19
Smart Motorways subject to review
· M62 Junctions 20 – 25
· M6 Junctions 21A-26
· M56 Junctions 6 – 8
The Midlands
Projects to start
· A46 Newark Bypass
· A38 Derby Junctions
· M54-M6 Link Road
· A5 Dodwells to Longshoot
· M42 Junction 6
· A46 Coventry Junctions
Smart Motorways subject to review
· M40 / M42 interchange
The East
Projects to start
· A47 North Tuddenham to Easton
· A47 Blofield to North Burlingham
· A47 Great Yarmouth Junctions
· A47 Thickthorn Junction
· A47 Guyhirn Junction
· A47 Wansford to Sutton
· A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet
· A5 Towcester Relief Road
· A120 Tendring / Colchester Borders Garden Community (HIF)
· A12 Colchester / Braintree Borders Garden Community (HIF)
· A12 Chelmsford to A120
· M11 Junction 7a
· M25 Junction 25
· M25 Junction 28
· Lower Thames Crossing
Smart Motorways subject to review
· A1(M) Junctions 6 – 8
The South and West
Projects to start
· M5 Junction 10 and Link Road (Gloucestershire) (HIF)
· A417 Air Balloon
· A2 Bean and Ebbsfleet
· A249: Swale Transport Infrastructure (HIF)
· M2 Junction 5
· M25 Junction 10
· A303 Amesbury to Berwick Down
· M3 Junction 9
· A303 Sparkford to Ilchester
· A358 Taunton to Southfields
· M27 Southampton Junction 8
· A31 Ringwood
· A27 East of Lewes Package
· A27 Arundel Bypass
· A27 Worthing and Lancing Improvements
· A30 Chiverton to Carland Cross
Smart Motorways subject to review
· M25 junctions 10 – 16
· M3 junctions 9 – 14
Chancellor Rishi Sunak also revealed the second round of successful Major Road Network and Large Local Major schemes proceeding to the next stage of development.
· junction improvements to the A12 East of Ipswich
· improving the A350 at Junction 17 of the M4
· a single carriageway bypass on the A39 Atlantic Highway
· junction improvements to the A426/A4071 Avon Mill/Hunters Lane, and a short dual carriageway
· a link road from Chesterfield town centre to the A6192 and A619 at Staveley
· carriageway dualling and roundabout improvements on the A12 in Woodbridge
· junction improvements on the A127 growth corridor
· capacity enhancement on the A326
· alleviating congestion pinch points through the villages of Walton and Ashcott on the A39
· junction improvements at the Army and Navy roundabout near the centre of Chelmsford
· refurbishment of the flyover structure carrying the A232 in Croydon
· improving the Ely to Cambridge A10 Junction
· refurbishment to the Hope and Anchor flyover which carries the A316 Twickenham Road
· refurbishment of Kew Bridge
· upgrades to M5 Junction 9 and a bypass on the A46 Ashchurch
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