Millions to see faster journeys as Government green lights £90m for four essential road schemes across England

Drivers across Wiltshire, Leeds, Essex and Buckinghamshire will see faster journeys thanks to £90m of Government funding to upgrade four major road schemes in England.

The schemes approved today are:

• A350 Chippenham Bypass Phases 4 & 5 (Wiltshire)
• A647 Dawsons Corner and Stanningley Bypass (Leeds)
• South East Aylesbury Link Road (SEALR) (Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire)
• A127/A130 Fairglen Interchange (Essex)

Schemes are expected to significantly speed up journeys, boosting the local economy, as well as improving links between the East and the West. They will also save businesses and road users hundreds of hours off journeys every week, and deliver the Government's Plan for Change to improve living standards across the country.

The A350 Chippenham Bypass, one of the most important routes connecting the South West with the Midlands and South East, is expected to see journey times reduced by up to a quarter, with two sections of the road to be dualled and improvements to the roundabout.

Local residents will benefit from reduced traffic on more local routes as well as better road safety, and better access to jobs in the area. Businesses are expected to save time and money, as goods can travel more freely with improved access to a key part of the UK's road freight network.

A total of £90m for the four schemes is being contributed by the Government, expected to generate millions more to the UK economy. This is part of the Government's Plan for Change to renew infrastructure and raise living standards across the UK. 

The Government is determined to speed up the delivery of infrastructure across the UK, which includes improving the UK's road network for economic growth. As well as faster journeys, drivers are also set to benefit from improved road surfaces, thanks to a recently announced record £1.6 billion investment to fill the equivalent of seven million potholes and repair roads.

The Future of Roads Minister, Lilian Greenwood, said: 

“The UK's roads are the backbone of a growing economy, which is why we're giving these vital schemes the go ahead, helping deliver our Plan for Change.

“Economic growth has been stunted for too long, so we're giving the green light and investing in vital schemes to help people get from A-B more easily however they choose to travel.”

The area around the A647 Dawsons Corner and Stanningley Bypass in Leeds has seen high traffic levels worsen over the years, impacting bus services in particular. The replacement of the roundabout and structural renewal of the bypass is expected to increase the number of bus passengers, speeding up traffic for all modes of road transport.

Upgrades to the South East Aylesbury Link Road (SEALR) scheme will reduce air pollution in the town centre, link up new developments in the area and create more walking and cycling options, with a new 1.2km two lane dual carriageway link road. This scheme is also essential in enabling further housing development, which could see up to 1000 homes added to the local area. 

Drivers in Essex will also see faster journeys, as well as improved safety on the A127/A130 Fairglen Interchange. The scheme will see the enhancements to the interchange and surrounding roundabouts, serving thousands of drivers every day. Basildon and Southend town centres are expected to see growth, and the scheme will also improve capacity for the route serving London Southend Airport.

A significant milestone for drivers in Essex, the Future of Roads Minister, Lilian Greenwood has visited the Fairglen Interchange in Essex to mark the approval of the scheme and learn how it will benefit the local economy.

Michelle Gardner, Deputy Director – Policy, Logistics UK,  said: “80% of UK freight travels on roads at some point on its journey to the end user, and an efficient road network is critical to enable business to drive growth across the whole economy. 

“Congestion makes journey planning highly unpredictable which increases business costs through factors such as missed deliveries, unnecessary overtime, increased fuel consumption and inefficient fleet utilisation.

“The schemes given the go-ahead today show how even smaller-scale strategic upgrades can have a dramatic impact across the whole network. Upgrading the national infrastructure in this way makes supply chains more resilient and enables logistics providers to ensure that the right goods are in the right place at the right time – whether that is a factory, office, hospital or doorstep.” 

ENDS

Notes to editors

NOTES TO EDITORS:

• The Chippenham Bypass scheme's total cost is £32.315m. The requested DfT capital funding contribution in total is £26.625m. Other scheme costs would be provided by the Council.
• The Dawson's Corner and Stanningley Bypass scheme's total cost is £42.679m.  The requested capital funding contribution from the Department is £35.709m, 84% of the scheme costs. Other funding towards the scheme costs would be provided by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. 
• The SEARL scheme's total cost is £147.9m. The requested DfT capital funding contribution in total is £13.472m (11%).  
• The Fairglen Interchange scheme's total cost is £59.099m.  DfT's contribution was fixed at £15m at the time of the 2015/16 Growth Deal, when the total cost was £18.2m. The remaining funding and any cost overruns is being funded by Essex County Council.