Thomas Bridge 01 December 2014

Government unveils £15bn road investment plan

A £15bn road investment plan unveiled today will see a 1.8mile road tunnel built under Stonehenge, among a raft of schemes designed to raise capacity.

The Government this morning unveiled plans to fund over 100 road schemes, 84 of which are new projects. Alongside the £2bn investment in the South West, plans were put in place to ‘drive forward’ creation of a Northern Powerhouse with connectivity improvements between Manchester and Sheffield and a ‘smart motorway’ along the M62 between Manchester and Leeds.

Long-anticipated to be a central plank of this week’s Autumn Statement, the spending plan for England’s roads will include adding £10bn to a previously announced £15bn of maintenance funding for the local and national network.

The entire A303 and A358 to the South West will be converted into a dual carriageway, while £290m will be allocated to complete dualling of the A1 from London to Ellingham 25miles from the Scottish border.

Some £300m will be invested to upgrade connectivity between London and the east of England, while a third on junctions on the M25 will also see improvement.

Chancellor George Osborne, said: ‘Our plans will transform some of the country’s most important strategic routes, with ambitious projects to dual the A303, A1, A27 and the A47 as well as spending on important local infrastructure boosting productivity and helping local economies.

‘For years our roads have been neglected. Now that this government is fixing the economy, we can afford to invest properly in our roads – unlocking jobs for the future and local growth by creating a road network that is fit for the 21st century.’

However Labour’s shadow transport secretary Michael Dugher blasted the plan as ‘yet another re-announcement on promised road improvements’ with ‘no additional money’.

‘The Tory-led Government’s record on road investment has been one of cutting investment, then promising to restore it after 2015, cancelling road schemes such as the A14 and then reinstating them, and constantly failing to meet deadlines for the completion of improvements.

‘And local roads have been completely ignored under this Government. Maintenance investment in local roads has declined by 11% in real terms from 2010 to 2014. And local authority budgets, which provide funding for roads maintenance, have been slashed by a third. They are pretending to give with one hand, having taken away so much with the other.’

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Finance Officer - 12 month Fixed Term Contract

Essex County Council
£25081.00 - £27653.00 per annum + + 26 Days Leave & Local Gov Pension
Finance OfficerFixed Term, Full Time£25,081 to £27,653 per annumLocation
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Tutor

Essex County Council
Up to £30377.00 per annum + Pension
TutorPermanent, Part Time£30,377 per annum full time equivalent Location
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Principal Highway Engineer – Highway Condition Specialist

W.D.M. Limited
£65,000 - £80,000 based on experience
We are looking for a driven and experienced Professional Civil Engineer with a strong background in highways engineering to join our team. Bristol
Recuriter: W.D.M. Limited

Deputy Head of Pensions

London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and London Borough of Wandsworth
£48,873 - £62,451 dependents on experience
The Pensions Finance team has a variety of work shared in a small team giving the opportunity to get involved in every area. The team provides financial and investment support to Wandsworth Council’s £3bn pension fund, the Southwest Middlesex Cremato Wandsworth, London
Recuriter: London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and London Borough of Wandsworth

Adults Social Worker - Forensic Mental Health

Essex County Council
£37185 - £50081 per annum + Flexible Working
This position is open to Newly Qualified Social Worker's (NQSW) with relevant experience in Mental Health. The starting salary for NQSW's is £34,902 England, Essex, Wickford
Recuriter: Essex County Council
Linkedin Banner