Western Morning News (Saturday)
Road upgrades across SW will help levelling-up
WORK is set to begin on £200million plans to improve major roads in Devon and the wider South West.
Highways England said the investment will fund vital infrastructure and boost both connections and local economies to build back better from the pandemic.
The M4, M5, A40 and A38 are included in the package of road resurfacing and maintenance, the creation of cycle lanes, improved signage and landscaping.
Funded from the Government’s Road Investment Strategy, in total Highways England will spend £200 million during the financial year on more than 121 of these kinds of schemes across Devon and Cornwall and the wider South West including Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Bath and North East Somerset, Wiltshire, Dorset, Gloucestershire and Somerset.
The plans include:
■ M5 junction 11 Golden Valley – bridge refurbishment and resurfacing in Gloucestershire
■ M4 junction 15 – additional lane to create improved access to housing and jobs
■ M5 between junction 23 and 25 – introducing message signs, incident detection and signalling, queue protection, speed management and enhanced CCTV coverage
■ A38 Mowhay bridge, Plymouth, – widening the footpath for cyclists and pedestrians
■ A40 in Gloucestershire – upgrading six miles of cycleway
This is in addition to the multimillion A30 dualling scheme in Cornwall and A303 dualling scheme in Sparkford which are both under construction.
Highways England regional director Andrew Page-Dove said: “Hundreds of thousands of drivers use our roads every day for work journeys, home deliveries and the movement of goods and services, so it’s essential we keep them in a good condition to ensure safety and reliability.
“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 recently completed a local authority project to improve the National Cycleway Network between Cribbs Causeway and Severn Beach in Bristol with a scheme also nearing completion on the A36 in Salisbury, while the £2.89 million Mowhay project will see the current footbridge modified for both cyclists and walkers, and another project set to start on the A38 in Plymouth.
This latest investment into the region’s roads follows on from last year’s essential maintenance programme which saw Highways England pump £200 million into road renewal and maintenance projects.
Roads Minister Baroness Vere said: “This Government is committed to levelling-up transport right across the country, helping people get to work or education, and to see family and friends.
“This multi-million-pound investment is a real reflection of that commitment. It will ensure road-users right across the south west enjoy safer, quicker journeys, and that the local economy can build back better from the pandemic.”