This week’s launch of Highways England could herald the start of a new era of safer, more pleasant to use and freer flowing motorways and strategic routes.

 

The new Government owned company, which takes over from the Highways Agency, has set out to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on its network by 40% within five years. A concerted effort will be made to make driving through roadworks less stressful, with clearer signage and better real time information for motorists.

 

Highways England also promises to coordinate roadworks more effectively so that lane availability does not fall below 97% in any one rolling 12 month period and pledges to resurface most of the network within five years.

 

Highways England will invest £11Bn over ‘Road Period 1’ until 2020. Works will include 112 major improvements and the start of 15 Smart Motorway projects to provide 450kms of extra lane capacity.

 

In addition 150 new cycling facilities and crossings will be built, including 40 by the end of next year. A new ‘Expressway’ standard of major A road will be introduced with better junctions and emergency refuge bays, and live trials of dynamic wireless charging for electric vehicles will begin.

 

Highways England chairman Colin Matthews said: “Two things I care most about are the safety of people who use our roads and to make roads better for users with smoother, more predictable journeys. We now have money to invest, a five year plan and a new company focusing on delivery.”

 

Further details about the objectives of Highways England will appear in the April issue of Transportation Professional.

 

(Photo: Highways England)