M5 motorway

Highways England announces £200m roads investment across South West

Millions of road-users in the South West are set to enjoy safer, quicker and smoother journeys, as Highways England delivers a £200m package of improvements across the region over the next few months.

The announcement comes after Highways England invested a similar amount in the South West last year and follows the government’s continued drive to level up transport in regions across the country.

Responsible for motorways and major A-roads, the government-owned company’s investment will fund vital infrastructure and boost both connections and local economies as the country builds back better from the pandemic, the government said.

Well-known motorways and major A-roads, including the M4, M5, A38 and A40 are all included in the package.

Motorists, pedestrians and cyclists are all set to benefit from the planned works, which includes road resurfacing and maintenance, the creation of cycle lanes, improved signage and landscaping.

Funded from the government’s Road Investment Strategy, Highways England will spend £200m during the financial year into more than 121 of these kinds of schemes.

They will take place across Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire (including South Gloucestershire), Somerset (including Bath and North East Somerset/North Somerset) and Wiltshire respectively.

This is in addition to the multi-million A30 dualling scheme in Cornwall and the A303 dualling scheme in Sparkford, Somerset, which are both under construction.

Commenting, 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.”

Highways England Regional Director, Andrew Page-Dove added: 

“Hundreds of thousands of drivers use our roads every day for work journeys, home deliveries and the movement of the 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.”

The schemes include:

  • M5 junction 11, Golden Valley: Bridge refurbishment and resurfacing.
  • M4 junction 15: Additional lane to create improved access to housing and jobs.
  • M5 between junctions 23 and 25: Introducing message signs, incident detection and signalling, queue protection, speed management and enhanced CCTV coverage.
  • A38 Mowhay bridge: Widening the footpath for cyclists and pedestrians.
  • A40 in Gloucestershire: Upgrading six miles of cycleway.

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