£28 billion investment in the UK’s roads

The Government has announced an investment of £100 billion in the UK’s infrastructure, including £28 billion on road improvements. Treasury Minister, Danny Alexander, said it was the largest single investment in road infrastructure for almost 40 years.

Major traffic flow improvements

Key projects to improve the road network and the flow of traffic include upgrading the A14 between Cambridge and Huntingdon, which will cost £1.5 billion. The improvements had already been planned to start in 2018, but will now begin in 2016. In addition, the M4 between London and Reading will be widened to 4 lanes, helping to ease traffic congestion on a key commuter route. In addition, there will be over 20 other major road improvement projects around the UK, including managed motorway schemes and improvements to the A38 junction at Derby.

The report, Investing in Britain’s Future, was released at the end of June and acknowledges that the amount of traffic and the subsequent congestion has been a problem across the UK, and says it will be identifying and funding solutions to some of the “most notorious and longstanding road hotspots in the country, including feasibility studies to look at problems on the A303 to the South West, the A27 on the south coast, the A1 north of Newcastle, the A1 Newcastle-Gateshead Western by-pass, connectivity to Leeds airport and trans-Pennine routes between Sheffield and Manchester”.

Quality traffic surveys needed

In order to provide the best solutions to some of the UK’s most congested areas, detailed and precise traffic surveys will be needed. The data produced by surveys like those carried out by us at Road Data Services will give planners the information they need to create improvements and plans that will greatly improve traffic flow, reducing journey times and aiding local economies.