The Government has just announced a major £92 billion investment into improving the UK’s roads and railways over the next five years. That means 50 upgrades across the country are on the way, think smoother commutes, less congestion, and faster travel times.
According to the announcement, the upgrades will support around 42,000 jobs and help build 39,000 new homes as part of wider infrastructure plans.
The major road projects to watch
Here are five key road upgrades that are getting the green light:
- M60/M62/M66 (Greater Manchester) – Work is planned to fix the infamous Simister Island bottleneck (between M60 junction 18 and the M62/M66). Still waiting on planning approval.
- M54 to M6 (Staffordshire) – A brand-new dual carriageway will link M54 junction 1 to M6 junction 11. It’s expected to cost up to £200 million.
- A38 Derby Junction (Derbyshire) – A £250 million upgrade will replace three busy roundabouts with proper interchanges.
- A46 Newark Bypass (Nottinghamshire) – Four miles of single carriageway between Farndon and Winthorpe roundabouts will be turned into a dual carriageway (also pending approval).
- A66 Northern Trans-Pennine – This huge £1.3 billion upgrade will fully dual the road between M6 junction 40 and A1(M) junction 53, with key junctions like Penrith and Scotch Corner also getting improved.
What about the rest?
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said, “With over £92 billion of investment, including the biggest ever boost for city regions in the north and Midlands, we’re delivering the schemes that fast-track economic growth and jobs, connect communities, and will help us build 1.5 million new homes, as we deliver our Plan for Change.”
However, not all projects survived the Spending Review. If you were hoping for upgrades to the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) or the A47 (Wansford to Sutton), you’re out of luck; those plans have been scrapped.
Earlier this year, the Government also promised £24 billion (about £8 billion per year) just to maintain and repair the UK’s major roads, so while not every route is getting an upgrade, general improvements are still coming.
