England's major roads today received a guarantee of a large increase in funding, locked into a long term settlement, backed by law.

The national network of motorways and trunk roads will get extra lanes, smoother, quieter surfaces, improved junctions and new sections in key areas under the plan published today by Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin.

Fully funded in June's spending review, £28bn of investment - which includes a trebling of funding for motorways and major A-roads - will lead to the biggest ever upgrade of the existing network. The focus will be on cutting congestion and minimising the environmental impact of roads, including an extra £500m to make Britain a world leader in electric vehicle technology. These measures complement record investment in rail, ambitious plans for HS2 and continued funding for buses to ensure growing demand for travel does not swamp the road network. They also deliver on the government's commitment to providing the infrastructure needed for economic growth.


The government's new command paper, Action for roads, will see the Highways Agency turned into a publicly owned company with six year funding certainty for capital projects and maintenance. This funding and reform will be underpinned by legislation so future governments cannot walk away from these commitments. It will give the construction and maintenance industry the confidence they need to recruit and train skilled workers to deliver this increase in transport projects over the coming years. It is estimated that the reforms could save £600m for the taxpayer.

The package also includes a boost for low-carbon road travel. By committing £500m to support the UK ultra-low emission vehicle industry, the government is demonstrating its determination to support UK jobs while achieving the twin goals of decarbonising motor vehicles and improving air quality. In addition, bridges and tunnels will be built to help cyclists and walkers to move between communities where motorways and major A-roads make these journeys difficult.

The scale of additional funding being made available for strategic roads will allow more investment in environmental safeguards to help resolve and reduce long-standing environmental problems. These could include better landscaping, tunnelling, 'green' bridges and noise barriers to improve roads' environmental performance.

(CD/JP)