A £345.3 million funding package to improve local roads and
public transport across the country has been announced today (19
October 2017) by Transport Secretary .
76 projects from across the country have been awarded funding
totalling £244 million to bring key benefits to local road users
- such as improving access to public transport sites, opening up
more roads for cyclists, addressing key local traffic ‘pinch
points’ and supporting the development of new housing. An
additional £101.3 million will pay for 2 new major roads in
Middlewich, Cheshire, and Worcester in the Midlands.
Transport Secretary said:
This government is taking the big decisions for Britain’s
future and investing a record £23 billion on our roads to
increase capacity and improve journeys.
These schemes will provide much needed upgrades to essential
local roads up and down the country, cutting congestion,
improving safety and shortening journey times for drivers.
They will also help boost regional economic growth by unlocking
jobs and supporting vital new housing development.
The funding covers a huge range of projects, including:
- the delivery of contactless payment options across
Nottingham’s bus and tram network
- creating a new link for buses in Plymouth providing direct
access to Derriford hospital
- improvements on the A66 in Darlington which will help
unlock 2,600 houses and 4,300 jobs by improving travel
connections
A major road improvement scheme in Worcester with £54.5
million government funding will complete a series of upgrades to
the Worcester Southern Relief Road, including a new carriageway
alongside the existing Carrington Bridge. This will provide much
needed congestion relief for local Worcester residents and
commuters, as well as boosting jobs and economic growth in areas
like Great Malvern by transforming access to the M5 and
accelerate the building of more than 5,000 homes.
Another £46.8 million funding in Middlewich will pay for the
Eastern Bypass scheme which will cut congestion for residents
and open up more land for employment, potentially creating up
to 2,000 extra jobs in the area.
Funding for all these schemes is being provided from the
National Productivity Investment Fund and the Large Local
Majors fund. This is part of the government’s record investment
in road to help keep Britain moving and the economy growing.
