£218m invested into major improvements on roads in Bucks and beyond

Highways England reveals a £218 million kitty has been invested into improving the roads in Buckinghamshire and the East of England.

The money will be invested over the next 12 months into improving roads, pavements and bridges across the region.

Among the roads signposted for improvement are the M11, A14, A1, A47 and A12.

The project will involve road resurfacing, bridge joint replacements, the creation of cycle lanes, improved signage and landscaping.

The work is scheduled for the next few weeks, but a specific date has not been provided at this time.

In total, Highways England will spend £218 million on more than 100 schemes across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

Roads minister, Baroness Vere, said: “As we build back better from the pandemic, this multi-million-pound investment will ensure millions of motorists and road-users in the East of England have access to better journeys, all while improving road safety and boosting the economy right across the region.

“The investment comes in addition to our plans for major dualling and widening schemes on roads such as the A47 and A12, which will begin construction over the next 2 to 3 years."

The maintenance plan includes the following schemes:

-A12 junction 15-18 and junction 25 – concrete repairs and renewals, road markings, studs and kerbs.

-A11 Tuttles to Thickthorn - concrete renewals, studs and road markings.

-A120 Crown Interchange - resurfacing

-A14 junction 39 (Higham) to junction 42 (Westley) - resurfacing, studs, kerbs, road markings, restraint systems, traffic signs, bridge joints.

-A414 M1 J7 (Park St Roundabout, St Albans) – resurfacing, bridge joints, traffic signs, road markings and studs.

-A47 Longthorpe footbridge replacement – replacing bridge bearings.

Martin Fellows, Highways England regional director, added: "Hundreds of thousands of drivers use our roads every day for work journeys, home deliveries and the movement of the goods and services, so it’s essential we keep them in a good condition to ensure safety and reliability.

“With this investment, Highways England will continue to deliver the essential maintenance and upgrades throughout the region to improve safety and help keep drivers on the move.”

Last year, £117 million was invested into the completion of 123 road renewal and maintenance projects., by Highways England.

Over the past 12 months, Highways England resurfaced 203 lane miles of motorways and major A roads in the East, using 221,177 tonnes of resurfacing material. A further 82,000 road studs were laid to help light the way for divers, 335 traffic signs were erected, 95 bridge joins installed, and 111 lighting improvements made.