The UK’s Department for Transport (DfT) has extended the ADEPT Live Labs 2 programme for road and transport improvements for an additional year.
ADEPT’s Live Labs 2: Decarbonising Local Roads is a £30 million programme by the DfT aimed at decarbonising the local highways infrastructure network in England.
ADEPT – the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport – is a membership association for directors in England who are responsible for providing day-to-day services including local highways, recycling, waste and planning with a view towards longer term sustainability. ADEPT members develop long term strategies, investment and infrastructure needed to make their places resilient, sustainable, inclusive and prosperous.
This extension – with £300,000 in funding – of the ADEPT Live Labs 2 programme will allow road agencies in England to share insights, evidence and innovations generated by the seven Live Labs 2 projects are shared widely across the sector. The Live Labs 2 projects finished March 23, with the exception of the Devon Live Lab in the English county of Devon and which received a year’s extension due to delays.
The DfT said that the money goes to local English governments and their road agencies to help them access and adopt more innovative approaches to road maintenance, including uptake of longer-lasting, low-carbon materials for repairing roads faster, more efficiently and far less often. These materials can unlock savings for the taxpayer, lower emissions and reduce disruptive roadworks long-term to keep drivers moving.
Angela Jones, president of ADEPT, said the extension of the programme for another year will focus on sharing best practice, ensuring that the insights and innovations developed through the programme are communicated across the sector to accelerate the adoption of new solutions and establish new ways of working.
More information is available by clicking herewww.adeptnet.org.uk/livelabs2.
