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2017/18 council funding to improve safety, repair
potholes and cut congestion
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Trial of revolutionary spotter to identify future
potholes
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Government support for new M11 junction supporting
15,000 new homes
Councils across England are today finding out their share of £1.2
billion local roads funding for the 2017/18 financial year,
Transport Minister has announced.
The funding to improve roads, cut congestion and improve journey
times includes money from the new National Productivity
Investment Fund, announced in the Autumn Statement and the
Pothole Action Fund. It also includes £75 million which councils
can bid for to repair and maintain local infrastructure such as
bridges, street lighting and rural roads.
The government has today also published further information about
what the funding will be spent on - the latest step in the
economic plan to stimulate the economy and build a country that
works for everyone. A key part of this is putting in place
improved transport links including better roads, to help people
access work, school and services.
Transport Minister said:
“Roads play a significant part in everyday life linking people
with jobs and businesses with customers, which is why this
government is investing record amounts improving and
maintaining highways across the country to help motorists.
“The funding we have allocated today is focused on relieving
congestion and providing important upgrades to ensure our roads
are fit for the future - helping to build an economy that works
for everyone.”
In a further effort to reduce the number of potholes the
Department for Transport will begin a new innovative trial, in
partnership with Thurrock and York Councils which could
revolutionise the way potholes are identified and managed. A
pothole-spotter system, mounted to refuse collection vehicles,
comprising of high-definition cameras, integrated navigation
system and intelligent software will be deployed to identify road
surface problems before they become potholes.
Following the announcement last week that the Government will
build 200,000 homes, the DfT will also support plans for a new
motorway junction on the M11, near Harlow in Essex. This will
help to ensure the delivery of 15,000 homes and support continued
growth in the local economy. The new junction, to be known as
Junction 7A, will sit to the north of Harlow, and will cut
several minutes from journeys to Stansted and Cambridge.
The scheme will provide better access to the motorway both for
new residents and for the existing inhabitants of Harlow and
Sawbridgeworth; plus less congestion on the existing junction 7.
The project will be part-funded by Essex County Council, and
could begin construction in 2019.
The £1.2billion for 2017/18 consists of:
- · £210
million from the National Productivity Investment Fund announced
in the Autumn Statement when the Chancellor committed to
invest an extra £1.3bn improving the road network over the course
of the Parliament. From this, £185 million will be allocated in
2017/18 to local highway authorities in England, outside London,
to improve local highways and public transport networks with the
remainder of the funding of £25 million being available for safer
roads to help tackle some of the most dangerous A roads;
- £801 million to be shared across local highway authorities in
England, outside London, to help improve the condition of local
roads;
- £70 million to be shared across local highway authorities in
England, outside London, from the Pothole Action Fund which will
help repair over 1.3 million potholes;
- £75 million from the Highways Maintenance Challenge Fund,
inviting local highway authorities in England, outside London, to
compete for funding to help repair and maintain local
highway infrastructure, such as bridges, lighting and rural
roads.
- £75 million from the Highways Maintenance Incentive Element
which invites to complete a self-assessment questionnaire in
order to reward those who demonstrate they truly understand the
value of their asset.
