Highways England delays 22 major road projects
Twenty-two major road improvement projects in England have been delayed or face cancellation after Highways England revised its £15bn road improvement programme.
Highways England said that 16 projects were being put back by between three months and two years to reduce the impact of roadworks on motorists and minimise congestion while improvements take place.
They include four separate upgrades to the M25, work on the M60 in Greater Manchester, the M3 in Winchester and the A5 in Nuneaton, Warwickshire,
Six more projects may not happen at all after Highways England said they were being “paused for further review” to achieve an acceptable return on investment.
But the rescheduling programme outlined in the Supplementary Delivery Plan will see 10 schemes brought forward.
10 schemes being brought forward
- A19 Testos
- A19 Downhill Lane
- M56 junctions 6-8 smart motorway
- M6 junctions 21a – 26 smart motorway
- M6 junction 22 upgrade
- A500 Etruria
- M6 junction 10
- M4 Heathrow Slips
- A47 Acle Straight -small scale improvement
- A47 and A12 junction enhancement
16 schemes being re-scheduled
- A5 Dodwells to Longshoot widening
- M3 junction 9 improvement
- A31 Ringwood
- M27 junctions 4-11
- A47 North Tuddenham to Easton
- A47 Blofield to North Burlingham dualling
- M25 junction 25 improvement
- M25 junction 28 improvement
- A1 Birtley to Coal House
- M60 junctions 24-27 and junction 1-4 smart motorway
- A47/A11 Thickthorn
- A47 Wansford to Sutton
- A47 Guyhirn Junction
- A12 Chelmsford to A120 widening
- M25 junction 10/A3 Wisley interchange
- M25 junctions 10-16
Schemes on hold pending value for money review
- A1 & A19 Technology enhancements
- M11 junctions 8 to 14 technology upgrade
- A12 whole-route technology upgrade
- M53 junctions 5-11 smart motorway
- A14 Junction 10a
- M62/ M606 Chain Bar
Highways England said two further schemes – the M5 Bridgwater junction improvements and A50 Uttoxeter Project B growth corridor project – required rework to achieve value for money, but changes in local development plans mean that these schemes could be progressed, albeit pushed back in the early stages of Road Period 2.
Jim O’Sullivan, Highways England Chief Executive said: “Our update today is a sensible and responsible way to deliver major national investment in road infrastructure. It will keep our roads moving, deliver a lasting legacy for the country and ensure best value for money for the taxpayer.
“We have assessed the value for money provided by each of the schemes in our plans and of their impact on road users, and have also looked at how each scheme fitted with the overall objectives of the RIS and its costs and benefits.
“This rigorous process identified a number of schemes which do not meet our targets for value for money. For many of these schemes we were able to develop options to improve their value for money. For the remaining schemes
we will continue to review other value for money options and consider scheduling these schemes as part of any future RIS.”