A road improvement scheme has been announced by Highways England with a budget of £218 million for the East of England.
The spending on road maintenance will improve journeys for millions of motorists and road-users in the East of England, boosting local economies following the pandemic . This follows the investment of £117 million by Highways England during 2020 for 123 road maintenance projects in the region.
Millions of road-users in the East of England are set to enjoy safer, quicker and easier journeys, as Highways England reveals a multi-million-pound package of improvements to roads, pavements and bridges across the region over the next 12 months.
The announcement comes as the Government continues its drive to level up transport in regions right across the country, investing in vital infrastructure and developing connections.
Well-known motorways and major A roads including the M11, A14, A1, A47 and A12 are included in the package. Motorists, pedestrians and cyclists all set to benefit from the planned works, which include road resurfacing, bridge joint replacements, the creation of cycle lanes, improved signage and landscaping.
In total,Highways England will spend £218 million on more than 100 schemes across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire.
Roads minister, Baroness Vere, said: “The investment comes in addition to our plans for major dualling and widening schemes on roads such as the A47 and A12, which will begin construction over the next 2-3 years.”
Martin Fellows, Highways England regional director, said: “With this investment, Highways England will continue to deliver the essential maintenance and upgrades throughout the region to improve safety and help keep drivers on the move.”
Highways England will begin work on its comprehensive maintenance programme in the coming weeks. Schemes include work to the A12 at junction 15-18 and junction 25, with concrete repairs and renewals, road markings, studs and kerbs. They also include a series of works for the A14, with improvements for junction 39 (Higham) to junction 42 (Westley) in the shape of resurfacing as well as new studs, kerbs, road markings, restraint systems, traffic signs and bridge joints.
Over the past 12 months, Highways England resurfaced 325 lane km of motorways and major A roads in the East, using 221,177 tonnes of resurfacing material. A further 82,000 road studs were laid to help light the way for divers, 335 traffic signs were erected, 95 bridge joins installed, and 111 lighting improvements made.
