The Department for Transport has began preparing for the next road investment period with the release of RIS3.
Join other savvy professionals just like you at CIHT. We are committed to fulfilling your professional development needs throughout your career
A new report was released yesterday (01/12/21) by DfT, ‘Planning ahead for the Strategic Road Network, looking ahead to Road Investment Strategy 3 (RIS3)’, looks to prepare ahead for the next road investment period which will cover the period April 2025 to March 2030. Since the Infrastructure Act 2015, the Government is required to set a road investment strategy for National Highways and this third instalment of the strategy looks to ‘help continue the revitalisation of the SRN begun in the first two road investment strategies and underpin genuine progress towards realising the strategic vision for the network…’.
Road building is something that has garnered a lot of attention recently. With the decarbonisation of transport being top and centre of the sectors agenda, there has been widespread reflection in regard to the purpose of roads and their contribution to decarbonisation efforts. This reflection has seen one of the devolved nations, Wales, pause many of their road projects to carry out a review of investment with the report initial report being due early next year.
In advance of the release of RIS3 National Highways CEO, Nick Harris, said in October: “We’re now focused on ‘can we build and maintain roads in a carbon neutral way?’ I think it is essential that we demonstrate we can build roads and operate roads in a sustainable, carbon-neutral way otherwise the future has to be questionable.”
It is clear that National Highways, and the rest of the industry, will have to make the building and operating of roads sustainable, with 31 major road schemes tipped for RIS3 funding. This is something that Harris believes is possible, “I believe we can do it and RIS3 will definitely be about making that change and demonstrating it,”, with the Welsh Government also saying that roads are part of the solution, not the problem.
The strategic objectives of RIS3 clearly demonstrate a step-change in the sector, with its objectives being: improve safety for all, improve environmental outcomes, improve network performance, grow the economy, manage and plan the Strategic Road Network for the future and develop a technology-enabled network. These objectives are ones which CIHT support and align with CIHT’s publication: Improving Local Highways.
#StepForward
Propose a colleague who successfully becomes a CIHT member and you’ll be automatically be entered into our free monthly prize draw where one lucky winner will receive a £50 John Lewis Gift Card.
Join other savvy professionals just like you at CIHT. We are committed to fulfilling your professional development needs throughout your career
{{item.AuthorName}} {{item.AuthorName}} says on {{item.DateFormattedString}}: