Crumbling roads to get £1bn upgrade

Ministers last night promised a billion pound warchest to upgrade Britain’s crumbling roads.

Councils across england will be handed the cash to tackle bottlenecks and traffic jams that blight the country’s transport network. A commitment in 2015 to use every penny raised in car tax to repair routes has helped put £5.8billion into a national fund.

it was expected that the money would be used mainly for motorways and major A-roads. But transport secretary Chris Grayling yesterday vowed that at least part of the fund – believed to be around £1billion – will be given to local authorities to revamp major routes such as Aroads and by-passes.

He said: ‘Getting transport spending right is crucial for the country’s future.’

Councils will not get access to the fund until 2020, after a period of consultation.

Motoring groups welcomed the announcement, saying many communities were desperate for urgent road investment. AA president edmund King said: ‘Many communities are crying out for their local bypass to be built to enhance their local environment and quality of life. Local authority A-roads have become the poor relation or country cousins in comparison to the amounts spent on motorways and the strategic road network.’

steve Gooding, of the rAC, said many of the most important roads connecting towns and cities have become ‘the responsibility of cash-strapped local councils’.

He added: ‘Drivers have long felt that too many of the billions they pay in motoring taxes each year get siphoned away to other deserving causes. today’s announcement is a big step on the way to winning back their trust.’