National Highways’ official monitor has warned an increasing number of strategic road network schemes are ‘at risk’ of missing start or completion dates.
Where National Highways originally committed to achieving SOW on 43 schemes and have 52 schemes open for traffic (OFT), by the end of 2021-22, the Government had agreed to change these commitments to achieve SOW on 32 schemes and OFT on 38 schemes.
The Office of Rail and Road’s (ORR) annual assessment notes that these changes were mainly driven by planning delays and in part by the Government agreeing to implement the Transport Select Committee’s (TSC) recommendations on smart motorways.
The report on National Highways’ performance also revealed two schemes that had their start of works (SOW) targets deferred were classified as ‘missed commitments’. These were the A417 Air Balloon scheme and the A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet scheme (pictured).
Although the report notes that the government-owned company gave reasons for missing its commitments, it states: ‘National Highways should have foreseen these issues and mitigated them beforehand.’
These deferrals were among a number of changes to National Highways’ 2020-2025 delivery plan that were made by agreement with the Department for Transport (DfT).
Overall the ORR noted a significant increase in the number of schemes in the remaining enhancements programme being declared to be ‘at risk’ of missing SOW or OFT targets, with nearly a fifth of enhancement schemes in each category.
The percentage of schemes at risk of missing an SOW commitment increased from 9% in 2020-21 to 22% last year, while schemes recently judged at risk of missing an OFT commitment rose from 10% to 20%.
Earlier this year, the DfT agreed to pause the roll-out of 11 all lane running (ALR) smart motorway schemes that had not started work.
In addition, an earlier commitment not to open ALR schemes until stopped vehicle detection has been installed has led to four schemes that should have opened in 2021-22, not opening.
The report notes that a slippage has occurred on a number of schemes because of delays in applying for or obtaining development consent orders (DCOs).
It reports that by the end of 2021-22 National Highways had submitted six of the seven DCO applications planned to submit during the year, three of which had previously been delayed. It noted: ‘The application for Lower Thames Crossing remains outstanding.’
The ORR also flagged that a total of 33 major schemes in the second Road Investment Strategy (RIS) require a DCO.
It points out that in its 2020-21 assessment, ‘we emphasised the risk that delayed DCO planning consents posed to National Highways' SOW commitments for its large and significant enhancement schemes’. It adds: ‘That risk persisted into 2021-22 and remains.’
The report warns: ‘We are concerned that the risks National Highways faces in 2022-23 and beyond will exacerbate the trend we have seen over the past two years and lead to an increased number of schemes at risk. This could ultimately impact the delivery of RIS2 KPIs.’
It adds: ‘The company must demonstrate that it has robust risk mitigations in place to minimise slippage to its programme.’
In its 2020 assessment of what was then Highways England, which served as a summary of the first RIS, the ORR noted a substantial ‘re-planning’ from 112 schemes that were due to have started construction in the first road period to just 73, agreed with the DfT.
Of those schemes, Highways England started work on 67, provided funds on two schemes for a third party to start work, and missed its commitment on four schemes.
