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DfT announces four major road upgrades across England
The Department for Transport (DfT) announced major investments last week (3 June 2022) in four transport schemes, from Newcastle in the North East to Cornwall in the South West.
The combined £160.8m investment for the four road projects will benefit motorists, DfT has said, by leading to reduced congestion and improved connectivity.
LEVERAGING ECONOMIC BENEFITS
DfT expects the four schemes in Newcastle, Cornwall, Greater Manchester and Southampton to generate an estimated £659.3 million in economic benefits for the regions.
The road and bridge schemes are designed to level up infrastructure across the country, helping local economies thrive through bolstered employment opportunities, new housing developments and improving connectivity to incentivise business investment.
LINKING CORNWALL’S KEY TRANSPORT ARTERY
Almost half of the investment (£78.5 million) has been allocated to a new 3.85 mile road linking St Austell to the A30 – the main transport artery in Cornwall. DfT has said this scheme will create 6,300 new local jobs and almost £112 million in wider economic benefits through reduced journey times and increased investment in the local area. There will also be better opportunities for clean travel thanks to a new shared pedestrian and cycle facility running alongside the whole length of the new road.
MAINTAINING THE TYNE BRIDGE
Under a quarter of the investment (£35.3 million) has been ringfenced to fund essential maintenance to the Tyne Bridge and adjacent Central Motorway, including improvements to traffic management and cycle route facilities. DfT estimates that the repairs will generate £130.5 million in economic benefits by improving local connectivity and tackling congestion and poor air quality as they will avoid the rerouting of HGVs through residential areas.
TACKLING CONGESTION IN MANCHESTER
Walking and cycling accessibility will be enhanced with a £33.6 million investment to tackle congestion across the A34 between Greater Manchester and Stockport. DfT estimates this will lead to estimated economic benefits of £76.9 million, support the development of more than 2,500 new homes and 33.3 hectares of employment space, while boosting transport links to Manchester Airport and HS2.
IMPROVING LINKS TO THE UK’S NUMBER ONE EXPORT PORT
A final tranche of funding (£13.4 million) has been allocated for essential maintenance to the A35 Redbridge Causeway – a key link between the New Forest and the Port of Southampton. DfT maintains that this scheme represents excellent value for money, estimating that it will generate almost £340 million worth of direct economic benefits through better connectivity, improved employment and housing opportunities and the expansion of the Port of Southampton.
Roads Minister Baroness Vere said: “This £160.8 million investment will level up opportunities from the North East to the South West, while giving motorists, cyclists and pedestrians the modern, safe and uncongested roads they deserve.
“These schemes also present yet another important stepping stone towards cutting emissions and building a clean, efficient road network that is truly accessible to all.”
Michelle Gardner, Head of Public Policy, Logistics UK, said: “Continued investment to maintain and upgrade road infrastructure to a high standard is critical to the movement and timely delivery of freight across all regions of the UK. This recent announcement by the Department for Transport to invest in four transport schemes is very welcome news, helping to level up infrastructure investment and spread the economic benefits of domestic and international trade more evenly across England.”
*www.logistics.org.uk/road
Published On: 09/06/2022 16:00:20
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