DfT Releases Draft Road Investment Strategy for 2026–2031

The Department for Transport has unveiled the draft of its third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3), outlining nearly £25 billion in spending for England’s strategic road network from 2026 to 2031.

Key highlights include:

• Budget: £24.98 billion proposed.

• Safety Goal Delayed: The zero harm target—eliminating fatalities and serious injuries on the SRN—has been pushed from 2040 to 2050.

• Maintenance Priority: Greater focus on renewing aging infrastructure, much of which is over 50 years old and not built for current traffic or climate challenges.

• Performance Focus: RIS3 retains six outcome areas from RIS2, including safety, reliability, and environmental responsibility.

• Funding Reform: Designated funds may be restructured into stricter “National Programmes” for clearer accountability and delivery.

• Housing Support: National Highways is expected to help enable more housing development, building on past efforts that supported over 186,000 homes between 2018–2023.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander emphasized that safety, service quality, and project delivery would continue to underpin the management of the Strategic Road Network (SRN).

She noted that RIS3 will extend the work initiated under RIS2 by reinforcing a long-term focus on upkeep, ensuring the network remains secure and future-ready.

The draft provides a broad strategic outlook, establishing performance benchmarks while the final details on capital and operational funding are expected to be confirmed by March 2026.

In the meantime, National Highways is set to release a preliminary strategic business plan by 1 September 2025, and the Office of Rail and Road will conduct an efficiency review, due by 30 November 2025.

With a proposed total budget of £24.98 billion, the draft RIS3 indicates a shift in priorities, including a postponement of the zero harm goal—from 2040 to 2050—and potential revisions to the way designated funding is managed by National Highways.

According to DfT representatives, the government is prioritizing infrastructure maintenance and renewal activities under RIS3 and beyond. The increased funding for these efforts is intended to improve the long-term durability and performance of the SRN, helping to prevent increased delays and reduced reliability in the years ahead.

The shift in focus is also driven by funding limits for new large-scale projects, along with a growing need to enhance the network’s climate resilience. Additionally, the document highlights that much of the SRN is aging, with portions over 50 years old—built to outdated standards and not designed for current traffic volumes or modern weather extremes. These aging assets will require more intensive upkeep to remain safe and functional.

Rethinking Designated Funds

RIS3 will continue to include designated funding streams for specific policy priorities such as safety, environmental protection, and sustainable transport. However, there are discussions around potentially restructuring how these funds are used.

The government is considering the introduction of new 'National Programmes' that would focus on delivering specific outcomes tied to RIS goals. These programmes, which would replace some designated fund projects from earlier strategies, would have clearer objectives and stricter oversight.

Officials argue that creating distinct programmes could improve accountability and monitoring of results.

Download the full draft document here