By the end of March, in the south east alone, the Highways Agency will have invested £339 million in road maintenance over the year, and a further £286m in improvement work. Over the same period more than 400 miles of road across the region will have been resurfaced.
In the next three months, the Highways Agency expects to:
- Start work on a major project to upgrade the A21 in Kent to a dual carriageway
- Continue work on a project to add an extra lane to the M3 in Surrey
- Complete work to install Dart Charge, which is improving journeys at the Dartford Crossing
- Begin main construction on a project to improve the A13 in Essex through its junction with the M25 near junction 30
- Substantially complete the last of 12 projects to boost the economy by relieving congestion at known congestion hotspots - part of the government’s pinch point programme.
Highways Agency regional director Simon Jones said: “Excellent infrastructure is vital to a successful economy, and the investments we are making in the south east’s roads will deliver massive benefits for people and businesses across the region. 2014 was a really successful year for roads in the south east.”
The Agency opened two sections of upgraded smart motorway on the M25, widened the A23 south of Gatwick and carried out a number of smaller projects.
Jones added: “2015 is set to be even better, with the promise of record investment in roads and a reformed Highways Agency delivering a faster, more efficient and better service for our customers.
“I know that roadworks mean disruption, but I offer people the promise that we will always do all we can to deliver these vital improvements in a way that keeps traffic moving as much as possible – and the result will be an improved, faster, safer road network.”
From April, the Highways Agency is set to become Highways England, a government owned company with fixed five year funding and the promise of the biggest investment in roads since the 1970s.
In December, the government announced details of 127 national road projects, 31 of which are in south east England – up to £3 billion of investment for the region.
In the meantime, 12 pinch point schemes, which were announced in 2012, are all expected to be almost complete this spring.
A time lapse video from one of the M27 junction improvements – near Southampton Airport – has been released by the Highways Agency. The high definition footage shows progress on the £4.9 million project so far, with construction underway on widening slip roads at the junction and building a new dedicated left hand turn lane for drivers joining the eastbound M27.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-ts=1422411861&x-yt-cl=84924572&v=cY1fTtcRN-U
In addition to the major schemes announced in December, this April the Agency will publish route strategies for all roads on its network, setting out its operational and investment priorities until March 2021, and give an indication of the priorities beyond that.
