Highways England, the government-owned company that will deliver the largest investment in England’s major roads in a generation, officially launched on April 1, 2015. The company, which replaces the government-run Highways Agency, will invest £11 billion in delivering improvements on England’s motorways and major roads to make them safer while improving traffic flow and reducing congestion.
The improvements over the first five years of operation include:
- 112 major improvements, including 15 smart motorway projects providing 280 extra miles of capacity, and resurfacing the majority of the network
- Providing a more accessible road system delivering over 150 new cycling facilities and crossings, including 40 by the end of next year, and cycle-proofing new schemes
- Reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured on the network by 40% from the 2010 baseline
It is projected that for every £1 spent there will be £4 in wider benefits to the economy. The company has published its five year plan setting out how the investment will be delivered at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/highways-england-delivery-plan-2015-2020.
ITE delegates visited the Highways Agency during the 2014 London Study Tour. For more background information about the transformation and the visit, see the ITE Journal article here.
Recent news about the transition from the Highways Agency to Highways England is available through the following links:
Highways Agency CEO to Leave in the Summer
UK’s New Infrastructure Act Becomes Law
UK Government Confirms New Company That Will Run England's Major Roads