Autumn 2012: Full details of £1bn road investment

Grant Prior 11 years ago
Share

George Osborne unveiled plans for an extra £1bn investment in new roads including four major schemes.

The Chancellor promised to:

• invest £378m to upgrade key sections of the A1 (Lobley Hill and Leeming to Barton) in the north east, bringing this route from the M25 to Newcastle up to motorway standard

• expand capacity through building a new link between the A5 and M1 in the east of England and dualling the A30 Temple to Carblake in the south west with an investment of £157m

• tackle congestion with £150m of investment for improvement works to Junction 30 of the M25 in London starting in 2015 and £10m, funded from within the Department for Transport’s existing budget, on improvement works at Junction 12 of the M40 in the west midlands starting in 2013;

• provide £270m for priority national and local projects to remove bottlenecks and support development

• invest an additional £333 million in the essential maintenance of our national and local road network to renew, repair and extend the life of our roads;

• invest £42 million to develop the pipeline of potential Highways Agency road schemes for investment in the next spending review period

• £42 million investment in the Sustainable Transport Fund for cycling infrastructure, including cycling safety.

CECA director of external affairs Alasdair Reisner said: “There is a real need to get activity going now in the infrastructure sector.

“CECA has been lobbying for additional funding for highways maintenance, based on the fact that activity can be increased almost immediately providing jobs and growth for communities across the UK.

“We estimate that today’s announcement has the potential to bring more than 3000 people out of unemployment and into the industry.

“This is very welcome news that recognises the vital contribution our sector will play in rebuilding growth in the economy”

Paul Fleetham, Managing Director, Tarmac National Contracting said: “It is pleasing to see highways infrastructure spending move up the political agenda, but the Government must now use this momentum to set out a clear and long-term vision for both the strategic and local road network.

“While the Chancellor’s commitment to new road projects and additional funding for maintenance is welcome, it will not provide the adequate levels of funding to maintain our deteriorating road asset.

“It also remains unclear how much of the £333 million maintenance funding that councils will receive for the local network.

“Many local authorities are now operating with highways maintenance budgets that are up to 25 per cent less than four years ago, with the national annual maintenance shortfall now standing at £800 million.

“We appreciate that the Government faces tough spending decisions, but the public purse must provide more funding to help maintain our under-funded asset.

“The current reality is that revenues from fuel duty and road tax continue to exceed expenditure on roads by £30 billion per annum.”

Latest news

Lonsdale went down owing £65m to supply chain

More than 600 firms owed money as reduced credit rating sinks M&E giant
2 days ago

Wates only bidder for £80m Cardiff estate rebuild

Council contacted 20 framework firms but received only one bid for 295-home Channel View estate rebuild
2 days ago

£21m legal battle over flawed concrete at Salford flats job

Developer in compensation battle with Arcadis after new concrete core demolished
2 days ago

Abu Dhabi developer Aldar Properties buys London Square

UAE giant swoops on resi specialist in vote of confidence for London market
2 days ago

Hunt for delivery partner to revive New Hospital Programme

Programme delivery partner to get £600m fee to get plans back on track
2 days ago

Green light for new £780m Essex garden village

3,700 homes and four new schools to be built at Dunton Hills
2 days ago

Laing O’Rourke makes a £288m loss

Rampant inflation on fixed-price jobs and problem contracts blow hole in accounts
3 days ago

Keltbray, OCU and Clancy clinch £1bn electricity network upgrade

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks awards biggest ever deals for central southern England
3 days ago

G&T enlisted for commercial review of HS2 main civils contracts

Phase 1 Main Works Civils Contracts to come under cost scrutiny
3 days ago

TClarke order books doubles to top £1bn for first time

M&E specialist on track to exceed £500m turnover this year
3 days ago

Wates signs Government safety remediation pact

Private builder belatedly signs fire safety developer remediation contract
3 days ago

Liverpool all-electric industrial park approved

McLaren and Caddick in chase for Sefton 800,000 sq ft Atlantic Park scheme
3 days ago

Former Buckingham Group MD to join John F Hunt

Simon Hyams is new Managing Director for Contracting
3 days ago

Three in race for retendered £150m A9 dualling job

Bidders take another look after client takes on more risk
4 days ago

Clancy tops £300m revenue in fifth year of growth

Civils contractor delivers £13.5m pre-tax from water and energy sector work
4 days ago

Tower crane collapses on Edinburgh resi site

Jib falls onto apartment block under construction: Video
4 days ago

Salboy drops office space from Viadux Phase Two

Developer to focus on Manchester residential towers of 76 and 23 storeys
4 days ago

Warwick Uni plan for science and engineering campus

370,000 sq ft science and engineering precinct submitted for planning
4 days ago

Morgan Sindall chalks up Greater Manchester schools treble

Bury, Stockport and Wythenshawe school jobs will create 1,600 pupil places
4 days ago

Plans in for £65m Blackpool multiversity campus

Council leads plan for Talbot Gateway learning campus
4 days ago

Laing O’Rourke wins first phase of £700m Oxford R&D district

Landmark Red Hall and two labs to be built in phase 1a of Oxford North scheme
5 days ago

Ardmore wins retrofit deal on £200m Chancery Lane office

Building will be transformed to provide 105,637 sq ft of office space
5 days ago

Construction’s “Leading Lights” recognised

More than 50 winners in latest Considerate Constructors Scheme awards
5 days ago

Balfour Beatty clinches £20m Norfolk coastal defence jobs

Firm will install rock armour at Cromer and Mundesley
5 days ago

Architects join construction union Unite

Section of Architectural Workers forms official branch
5 days ago

Boot to build £20m lightweight aviation composites factory

Work starts on Sheffield University's COMPASS R&D facility
5 days ago

GMI secures £27m Leeds City College job

Site clearance underway for new Mabgate campus
5 days ago

Balfour signs deal with Koreans for UK power transmission jobs

Contractor strengthens large-scale onshore power transmission capability
6 days ago

36 storey south London build to rent flats tower approved

Construction to start next year on £220m Croydon scheme
6 days ago

Hunt for firms for £400m volumetric offsite deal

Procurement for Housing aims to expand its pool of firms on major offsite framework
6 days ago

Contractor services